6FUIt doesn’t seem all that long ago that I reviewed Six Feet Under’s ‘Undead’, the album which signaled an overhaul in the band’s ranks and their tried-and-trusted formula. In fact, checking the dates, it was well under a year ago. Even so, yet more line-up changes have occurred since then with Jeff Hughell (bass) and Ola Englund (guitar) now joining Barnes, Swanson and Talley. With regard to initial impressions, the artwork ties in nicely with the previous album’s, and again, that old-styled type face from the debut resurfaces for the album title. Given the brutal injection of life that this old musical corpse was provided with last time, it’s hard to imagine anything other than a continuation of that, isn’t it? Well, the answer to that is both ‘yes’ and ‘no’.

‘Neuro Osmosis’, begins it all with an atypically understated guitar intro before crashing out with slow textures, Barnes’ ever-reliable voice and a few pinch harmonics. Kevin Talley and the guitarists provide some pleasant nuances along the way, with the latter laying down melodic strains to conjure a cold, deathly atmosphere. The end even sees something resembling early Mastodon creep in to make for an interesting start. With the following ‘Prophecy’ and ‘Zombie Blood Curse’ however, a couple of aspects relating to the songwriting and production really stick out. In the former, despite incorporating a vast riff with an immense hook, the refrain of ‘Never gonna let them kill us’ comes across as a bit… lightweight. In the case of ‘Zombie…’, which already has a very basic and accessible swing as its foundation, there is an inexplicable absence of low-end. Despite well-placed vocals and drums in the mix to accompany that infectious main riff, the track itself is virtually inoffensive due to its polished production values.

On top of the above complaints, there is also an occasional tendency to divert into more ‘subtle’ realms. At times here, as in in the likes of ‘Decapitate’ and ‘Fragment’, a lingering preoccupation with haunting atmospherics establishes itself. Hazy guitars droning away in the background do little wrong per se, but when directionless passages grow out of them to defiantly stunt the momentum created elsewhere, it does become frustrating. The worst part about wandering into such unremarkable territory is how it detracts from the cool aspects, which include technical drumming and even the odd full-on thrash riff. Naturally the most unfortunate and predictable side-effect of all this, is that it will provide SFU’s critics with the ammunition they so desperately seek. Having said that, it’s not as if the band isn’t trying to raise the bar as ‘Undead’ did: ‘Alive to Kill You’ clatters by at pace, only slightly sterilised by the production, while ‘Sinister Craving’ employs a rare flurry of bass and malevolent guitar frequencies in its short duration.

Aside from all those niggling criticisms, there are a number of positives to take away from ‘Unborn’. The engaging main riff of ‘Incision’ keeps things simple yet effective, exploiting SFU’s true strength. And it is no coincidence that the similarly fashioned ‘Inferno’ is another of the best compositions on offer, with more bass presence and direct guitar work creating a grizzly vibe, which stamps its way through your head. Curiously enough, this is followed by another of the album’s stand-outs. Although the repetition of the song’s title at the beginning of ‘Psychosis’ initially inspired some scepticism in me, any wariness soon evaporated as whacky guitar runs and killer riffs established themselves in place of disrupting atmosphere. Likewise, closing track, ‘The Curse of the Ancients’, revels in a concertedly darker, more technical – though no less effective – approach. It seems strange how three of the best and most consistent tracks appear so late on, but then, other listeners may disagree entirely with this interpretation.

Overall, it’s best to describe ‘Unborn’ as a mixed bag; one which I certainly can’t see appeasing any of the people who seem to have such a passionate dislike for the band. Obviously the impact of a ‘new’ SFU has dissipated somewhat by now but there’s just not quite that same edge or skull-crushing potential compared to what ‘Undead’ had to offer. As outlined, the production is maybe a bit too clean considering the context, and as last time, I think the album would have benefited from at least two less tracks. Maybe even putting out an EP instead of a full-length would have been a better idea at this point in time… But it is what it is, and even though repeated listens have warmed me to ‘Unborn’, it does not match its predecessor on any level.

(6/10 Jamie Wilson)