Mors Principium Est

There’s been a serious buzz on this Finnish band since their 2003 debut, Inhumanity. I don’t quite get why, and this follow-up only has me feeling even more on the fence, if that’s possible. Actually, I’m off the fence, and on to the side of thinking this is pretty boring stuff. Sure, they know how to write a really rock-solid tune, but this style of melodic death metal has just been worn into the ground, and if a band’s not offering some kind of new take on it, like Soilwork’s excellent rock flirtations, what’s the point? I guess you could say there’s a bit of experimentation on here, but it’s the same stuff that many other bands "experiment” with, making me just think, goddammit, let’s try something new. I like the song structures, as they approach something kind of memorable, and some of the guitar solos are actually good, but for the most part The Unborn is totally forgettable; it will probably appeal to fans of melodic death, but I’m not quite sure why.