Gearing up, yet again for another annihilating
Australian tour, Swedish’s thrash metal masters The
Haunted are back with a new album called 'Versus'. ‘Versus’
marks the bands sixth full-length album and the second album with original
singer Peter Dolving who came back into the fold on Revolver replacing Marco
Aro on lead vocal duties. What to make of this new The Haunted album? 'Versus',
it's hard to take it out of context and judge it on its own merits —
on one hand, you have the band's formidable back catalog to measure it against,
and a smorgasbord of modern-day Swedish thrash that renders 95% of their
colleagues obsolete. There are moments of pensive clean singing, mellower
interludes, and songs that don't rely entirely on the thrash-polka beat,
but that's been the band's standard operating procedure for a while now.
The dynamics of the band seem to be expanding (again, in a way that suggests
creativity, not commerce, is the motive). The Haunted are experiencing the
simple growth process that so few bands deal with successfully. They're
still the same band that rejoices in tossing out barrages of speed picking
riff mania. Guitarist Anders Björler and bassist Jonas Björler
still generate the same intensity that they have always had, listen to the
songs 'Faultline' and the aptly titled "Crusher". It’s as
the titles suggests and for me, the best song on the album. The Haunted
are certainly finding ways to mature without selling out, to express themselves
without losing the 'bangers’ in the front row and 'Iron Mask' is one
song where this point rings true! The band has stretched out their sound
somewhat again, by varying tempos and moods like on the last two albums
‘Revolver’ and ‘The Dead Eye’. I can understand
why some people have objected to the direction in which The Haunted have
taken over the last two albums, the hard-core fans were never too thrilled
with the band incorporating the metal-core style into the music but it really
works well for them especially when you listen to ‘Trenches’
and Pieces’. With every new release, The Haunted always try to bring
along a small portion of sound and style from their last, but I would rather
The Haunted either go back to their original sound or try something new
and a little more out there. ‘Versus’ is certainly a great album;
overall the results are at most satisfying, heavy, and energetic. ‘Versus’
may not be as diverse and as experimental as 'The Dead Eye' but is blends
old and new trademarks, we have all come to know and love.
Moronic Colossus
Pieces
Little Cage
Trenches
Ceremony
Skuld
Crusher
Rivers Run
Iron Mask
Faultline
Imperial Death March
Rating: 80
Reviewed By: Cameron Edney
- http://www.myspace.com/insideout666ints |
