21st December 2024

Review: “Dead In 5” by 6Deep

“This EP is about change. These songs reflect our growth, both as a band and as individuals. They’re about taking accountability, confronting grief, and channelling those emotions into something powerful.” ~ Brandon Farley, vocals

Formed in 2019, Cleveland Ohio natives 6deep have risen to prominence by earning themselves a reputation for crushing live shows packed with explosive raw energy and a combustible atmosphere. Three singles paved the way for a debut EP “7deadly” in 2023 as the five piece tried and tested everything they wrote in their rehearsal space on stage before committing those confessions to tape. Their ability to write a bouncy riff and brutal breakdown while wearing their hearts on their sleeves with lyrical and vocal raw vulnerability shining through. Seamlessly blending Nu-Metal, Deathcore and Hardcore aggression earned them the better part of 24k of Spotify streams alone for 2024 stand alone single “Ghost“, paving the way for sophomore EP “Dead In 5“.

Mixed and mastered by Scooter Allen (Sleeptalker, Dark Island, Dying Desolation) Rewire Recording Studio “Dead In 5” is a ferocious affair with a deeply personal lyrical narrative painted in what can be best described as Nu-Metalcore. Building on the concrete foundations of the Australian scene with clear influences in bands like Alpha Wolf and even Northlane, opening cut “The Disconnect” blends glitchy guitars with hints of programming sending the discerning listener into the bowels of a hellish nightmarish vision. As if that was enough pain wrapped in barbed angular riffage, Farley reaches somewhere deep into his soul and rips out some blood gargling Slam vocals moments. Rewinding the tape “Remnants” punches hard with harsh, screamed vocals as the riffs put bounce in the mosh pit, the bombastic rhythm section driving things forward at an electric pace. Eerie programming adds a touch of evil, the final breakdown section a brute. A 58 second interlude in “somewhere_at_the_end_of_deep.mp4” bridges the gap between the opening pair and the final duo, seemingly cut from the beginning of “All But Blood” to shorten it up as the pair bleed into each other. That would have worked equally well as an opening pair, the heavy hitting rhythms leaving a meteor sized crater in their wake. Little nuances enhance the darkness of the atmosphere, a cleaner backing vocal part oddly reminding of the late great Chester Bennington in early Linkin Park. The violently turbulent “Idle Hands” steps back into the heavier realms of what this band have to offer, spine juddering grooves with eerie background sounds opening up the arteries as it plays out. There is no doubt that 6deep have captured the essence of a very current sound, the only question is whether they have the strength to dominate [8/10]