Reborn

By just listening to the sophomore release by Germany's Six Reasons to Kill, 2005's Reborn, it's easy to assume that the group members must have hair past their shoulders, dress in studs and all black, and favor white pancake makeup on their mugs. But once you open the CD booklet, five youngish, hardcore-esque gentlemen greet you — proof once more that you should never judge a book by its cover. Although there's been a five-year break between their latest and their previous effort, the 2000 debut, Kiss the Demon, Six Reasons to Kill haven't strayed far from their original, brutal musical path. Singer Christian Valk often sounds like your typical death metal growler, while the others boys in the band keep the rapid-fire riffs and drumbeats coming fast and furious. Unlike some metal-based bands of the early 21st century that like to keep their listeners on their toes — with a few musical detours here and there — Six Reasons to Kill play it straightforward. If it's death metal with hardcore lyrics you want, then that's exactly what you'll get on such tracks as "Symbols of Ignorance" and "A Cold Sensation." As their press release states, Six Reason to Kill may not be "reinventing the wheel," but what they do, the sure do convincingly.