Covering a tune successfully usually requires an intriguing twist on the original. This is especially challenging for Six Feet Under, because the whole point of the project forming was to explore the simpler side of death metal. The few tricks in Six Feet Under's bag expanded from "Undead" onwards and created a consistent stretch of what are Six Feet Under's finest records, especially the awesome "Crypt of the Devil." This chapter of "Graveyard Classics" falls back to old habits, however, as the factors that managed to carry Six Feet Under away from the gutter, which had been the standard for years, are eschewed, and return once more to following the original tracks thoughtlessly. Implementing mid-paced blast beats into a Judas Priest cover or twisting the guitar sequences of an Iron Maiden song to feature some of the Barnes-era Cannibal Corpse riffing patterns of "Crypt of the Devil" would have at least added some zest, played a card with risk to it. Instead, "The Number of the Priest" is just Six Feet Under sleepwalking to Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.

The music is harmless, and maybe could suffice independently. Six Feet Under is really defined by Chris Barnes' vocals, which I don't despise, so as long as they are preserved in their proper setting. His throaty barfs have no business hosting the heavy metal structure of both featured groups, and calling them unbearable is showing leniency. I mean, Barnes sounds like he's been gargling broken glass for the last ten years. How can those wobbly, guttural growls ever be practical in a way that supersedes dumb humor or irony? Answer: They can't, and they sound worse than death. I want to give the guy credit, but that's not possible when he's trying to shove a butchered corpse through a keyhole. You can clearly hear him struggling to keep up with the fast vocal sequences of "The Evil that Men Do," and he doesn't bother trying to hold the long notes on the chorus of "Invader." It is all just a complete and utter mess.