Home Live Review Live Review: Six Feet Under w/ Psycroptic @ Tally Ho Theater — 1/16/25

Live Review: Six Feet Under w/ Psycroptic @ Tally Ho Theater — 1/16/25

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Live Review: Six Feet Under w/ Psycroptic @ Tally Ho Theater — 1/16/25
Six Feet Under perform at Tally Ho Theater on Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Marc Shea)

“Who wants to spend their Thursday night listening to Chris Barnes make pig noises for 60 minutes?” Who indeed? This metalhead set out on a snowy January evening to Leesburg’s Tally Ho Theater for a night of downtuned riffs and guttural screams featuring legends Six Feet Under, with opening support from Psycroptic.

I arrived shortly after the doors opened to an almost vacant space with a scant smattering of humanity at Tally Ho Theater on Jan. 16. The calm, stoic vibe of the modestly sized Tally Ho Theater was juxtaposed against the PA’s 90s metal playlist, broadcast at a reasonable volume. Some philosophers adjacent to me were discussing the peace and tranquility around us, and I couldn’t help but overhear them remark about the character and profile of who else would join us.

As my philosopher neighbors waxed poetic about the state of America, the venue slowly filled up around us. The stench of weed and alcohol began to permeate the air. A blend of young and old souls, mostly male, extinguished the virtuous pale of limbo, and a palpable sense of anticipation grew amongst the crowd. “Hammer Smashed Face” by Cannibal Corpse (of Ace Ventura fame) was playing over the PA when my friend Virgil arrived. He hissed in my ear about the horrors awaiting us and reeked of booze.

Hailing from Hobart, Tasmania, Psycroptic’s brand of technical death metal immediately commanded attention. Frontman Jason Peppiatt’s growling belied a charisma and comedic timing that would make Dave Brockie proud. He challenged us and demanded mosh pits and headbanging, whipping us into a frenzy. The Furies—those chthonic goddesses of vengeance—appeared and proceeded to lay waste to the men in the mosh pit, who were no match for their feminine power and malice. Virgil was swept away from my side and lost to me.

Psycroptic was a blur of technical guitar riffs and blistering drum beats, and they closed out their set with “Enslavement,” whose musical backbone bears more than a passing resemblance to the Knight Rider theme song. Peppiatt thanked us for our subservience in the cheesiest American accent he could muster, declaring us ready for what was to come. Virgil reappeared from the pit, weary from his encounter with the Furies but hungry for Six Feet Under. Chants of “one more song” echoed for several moments after the house music returned. The job of an opener is to warm up the crowd, and Psycroptic nailed the brief.

Watch the official music video for “Enslavement” by Psycroptic on YouTube:

Virgil was perched next to me and slammed a questionable shot of whiskey while I slugged down my can of well-marketed water before we descended to the final circle. We thought we saw the ghost of Lexxi Foxx from Steel Panther, but it was just a doppelganger planted to lead us astray — serving an eternal sentence for its sinful vanity. It grimaced as we walked past. The lights went down and a remarkable chill fell across the room.

Six Feet Under emerged like fallen kings from Florida, the years carving deep grooves into every movement. Frontman and sole founding member Chris Barnes was drenched in red and gazed upon his wretched creation. Trapped in ice, Barnes’ massive wings flapped behind him, freezing the hall in an unholy trance. He clutched his microphone stand and belted out his trademark guttural roar. People were holding one another as the Furies, in league with Lucifer Barnes, punished all in their wake. Six Feet Under gave us a tour of their most wretched wonders, including fan favorite “Feasting On the Blood of the Insane.” The crushing weight of the music was unbearable as the crowd headbanged for survival. Virgil wept.

Stream “Feasting On the Blood of the Insane” by Six Feet Under on YouTube:

As the night waned, Six Feet Under closed their set with a cover of none other than “Hammer Smashed Face.” Chris Barnes was the original vocalist for Cannibal Corpse, so this was his parting gift to the faithful. After an entire set of barely acknowledging our presence, Barnes ceased to flap his wings momentarily and thanked us for coming. Then that was it — Six Feet Under disappeared into the abyss, and the house lights came up. The Furies, those malevolent Queens of the Pit, vanished just as quickly. Cue “Deutschland” by Rammstein on the PA.

Leesburg might seem like an unassuming place for a portal to Hell to appear, but we mortals cannot choose when and where such phenomena occur — we must simply answer the call. In this infernal portal of Leesburg, one man’s pig noises are another’s siren song. Virgil was so shaken from his encounter with the Furies that he was unable to drive home. I was just happy to have survived my descent into Hell and our encounter with its most notorious prisoner, so of course I drove Virgil home — even though it was almost midnight.

Here are some photos of Six Feet Under performing at Tally Ho Theater on Jan. 16, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Marc Shea.

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