Formed in 2019, Cleveland-based outfit 6deep has been making some waves in the Ohio “-core” scene as of late, quickly garnering a reputation for their explosive stage presence and overall exciting live act, even being able to sell out their debut show a while ago. As we all know, life in the metal underground unfortunately isn’t all about gigs, and the guys over at 6deep know that well, having been quite busy in the studio as of late. Life for them started out in the tough times of the pandemic with some singles being released in 2020. After a few years of silence, they returned with Father Figures in 2022, and finally, their debut full-length 7deadly last year. 2024 started off promising with the release of “Ghost”, ushering in a new direction for them, which mixed the raw brutality they had become known for with some more atmospheric elements. This brings us to the release of Dead In 5, their new EP which was released this Monday (23rd) and proves to be a great Christmas present for both fans of “-core” and nu metal.
“The Disconnect” starts us off in a brutal manner, thrusting listeners into a brutal metalcore banger right from the get go. From the muted chugs at the start, to the subtle gun samples and what seems to be an incessant barrage of open strings all scream modern metalcore. There seems to be a heavy emphasis on “bouncy” riffs, a staple of nu-metal, while maintaining the brutality of metalcore, and that is achieved pretty well on this first track. While it doesn’t lay much into the “nu” side, the EP is clearly more metalcore oriented, and the metalcore tropes are executed to perfection. The screams, the breakdowns, they are all there.
“Remnant” really bridges the gap between both styles, with the scratches at the start being a direct gateway to 1999, and the quick, no-frills, high-octane riffing that follows keeping the energy sky-high. The first breakdown comes in quite early, at around the 30 second mark, and God, is it heavy. Breakdowns are definitely one of 6deep’s strong suits, as they don’t really stand out in a crowd, aren’t the most inventive and whatnot, but that actively works in their favor, as their are objective and straight to the point, never overstaying their welcome, different to some other bands who’s breakdowns feel borderline sisyphean and straight up dull. The scratches return at the end of the song, which also features some leads and ends in a completely atmospheric way, which ties in perfectly with “somewhere_at_the_end_of_deep.mp4”, which is pretty much a filler track, a transition between songs that while not essential, does somewhat help the pacing of the release.
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In “All But Blood”, the emotional weight and sheer viscerality of the vocals is apparent from the first beat. To quote the vocalist, ““These songs reflect our growth, both as a band and as individuals. They’re about taking ability, confronting grief, and channelling those emotions into something powerful.” It is more than evident through “All But Blood” that although the sound is uncompromisingly heavy, there is a great deal of lyrical vulnerability and emotion, especially around the two minute mark, between a barrage of kicks, the singer reflects on that one “what could’ve been” we have surely all gone through. It is exactly this mixture of emotion and heaviness that makes metalcore resonate with so many people, and that is the essence of this song.
With another perfect segue, “Idle Hands” ends off the EP, with some Bizkit-type crooked, weird riffs and a Brujerizmo era Brujeria level bounce and groove, with the heaviness of that same album. The music video for it lays completely into the metalcore stereotype of the guys in the band playing quite vigorously in a dimly-lit abandoned warehouse, headbanging their heads off, and I feel as if that encomes the whole “mission” of the EP – to be something, quick and heavy, like an unexpected punch to the head, but a bouncy and even fun punch, without letting go of the lyric’s emotional depth. Quite solid all around.
All in all, Dead in 5 lays way more into the “core” aspect of “nu-core”, but that doesn’t at all mean it isn’t an incredibly solid release. It does exactly what it sets out to do with absurd proficiency, indeed mixing some bouncy riffs with the brutality of modern metalcore, while having some true lyrical weight to it, channelling the emotions into something powerful, as vocalist Brandon Farley reflected.
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