Six Feet Under - "Unborn", 2013

"Undead" marked a huge mid-career relaunch for Six Feet Under, at that time consisting of leader Chris Barnes and guitarist Steve Swanson surrounded by a team of new songwriters and musicians. If Rob Arnold (from Chimaira) wrote and played on the whole "Undead" record, its twin album, "Unborn," released barely a year later, saw him return just for a couple of songs while featuring a number of guests contributing and lending their talents, in particular Swede Ola Englund (Feared, Scarpoint) and Benjamin Savage from Whitechapel.

One could fear "Unborn" might have been a bunch of B-sides from "Undead", but instead it was another stellar record, once more graced with a powerful and clear production that feels only slightly different than its predecessor; after all, they both were pretty much recorded within the same sessions and studios, although this time it's mixed and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris. The returning Kevin Talley on drums and new entry Jeff Hughell on bass (from Brain Drill) are extremely skilled players, offering a technical and rock-solid performance that perfectly complements the creative and eclectic contributions by the team of songwriters. Ola Englund was then emerging as one of the most talented guitar players of the time, and he doesn't disappoint here, showcasing a surgical precision in his playing and also writing one of the best songs; the groovy mid-tempo "Prophecy" is a catchy, headbang-inducing tune that perfectly fits the band's classic repertoire, while the album closer "The Curse of Ancients" offers more structured riffs, technical drum patterns, and neck-breaking blast-beat sections.

Ben Savage pens the most diverse material on the album, from the unusual, atmospheric doom-death opener "Neuro Osmosis" to the melodic yet thrashing "Decapitate", as well as the groovier, chunky "Fragment" - featuring some interesting lead guitar work - and "The Sinister Craving"; the latter is probably among the best tracks on the record, alternating a vicious main riff with crushing doom slowdowns.

Rob Arnold might have spent most of his creative energies on "Undead", but his contribution to "Unborn" is still absolutely worthy; "Psychosis" is all about the bludgeoning grooves, but his peculiar guitar work adds some intricacy to the riffs and makes the song all but predictable.

There's also another less celebrated hero on "Unborn": Jari Laine doesn't actually play on the record but contributes with three great tracks, marking another collaboration with Barnes since Torture Killer's "Swarm". "Zombie Blood Curse" is a typical Six Feet Under thrash-infused mid-tempo that becomes an immediate earworm, while "Incision" and "Inferno" are two irresistible, groove-laden bangers that would have fit perfectly on a Torture Killer record; therefore, they equally work in the context of "Unborn" (as they would on any other Six Feet Under record, for that matter).

The album also sees the only survivor from the past Six Feet Under's lineup, guitarist Steve Swanson, being granted a songwriting credit for "Alive to Kill You"; the track is actually a great example of how Steve's songwriting could have evolved when supported by a more skilled drummer like Talley here, blasting away under his chugging and tremolo-picking riffs and ultimately crafting the most purely death metal song on the record.

Barnes attacks the songs with a fierce vocal performance, while generally slightly less guttural than on "Undead", using more of what I'd call his mid-range growling; the vocal arrangements are particularly varied and catchy, adding an anthemic quality to most of the songs.

The album's artwork by Dusty Peterson complements "Undead"'s, with the usual skulls and some grotesque creatures painted in shades of blue and red; it feels particularly neat when paired with the other record side by side, creating some sort of Lovecraftian universe.

"Unborn" is probably a bit less focused on pure death metal ferocity than "Undead" was, while pushing the groovier side of the band to the forefront, as well as some of its classic metal influences; like its predecessor, though, it sounds modern but without forgetting the band's legacy. The songwriters and players involved in the record have been able to create something that fits seamlessly within Six Feet Under's universe while offering a fresh approach to the subject matter. Despite the many different inputs, it sounds cohesive, and it manages to have its own personality even as a twin record to "Undead", offering a great listening experience if the two get played back-to-back as a double album. "Unborn" is a classy, all-around extreme metal release, as weird as a term like "classy" might look when paired with a band like Six Feet Under.