The Haunted - The Haunted review
| Band: | The Haunted |
| Album: | The Haunted |
| Style: | Melodic death metal, Thrash metal |
| Release date: | June 1998 |
| Guest review by: | Passenger |
01. Hate Song
02. Chasm
03. In Vein
04. Undead
05. Chokehold
06. Three Times
07. Bullet Hole
08. Now You Know
09. Shattered
10. Soul Fracture
11. Bloodrust
12. Forensick
Back when At The Gates called it quits, there was a lot of speculation about what would its members' future be. For the Björler brothers this new project called The Haunted was the way to proceed. Together with Adrian Erlandsson, Peter Dolving and Patrik Jensen they set out to explore something new and recreate Thrash Metal to their own image. To many people their first album, this self-titled, was a success. To me, unfortunately, it doesn't work.
There aren't, in fact, that many stylistic differences between this one and the following releases with Marco Aro. The problem is that, here, everything sounds too forced: it tries to be brutal but it just lives of incoherent riffage and badly tuned guitars; it tries to sound raw, but it's just badly mixed and produced; it tries to sound like Thrash Metal, but it has too much of an Hardcore edge. There's definitely a lot of energy and rage though, all wasted in basic and forgettable songs.
Despite the technical flaws, I was hoping to, at least, find some chorus or riff that would stick in my head for days, like it happened with "Bury Your Dead", "Hollow Ground" or "Godpuppet". There's "Hate Song", "Chasm" and?well, the rest in the same formula repeated endlessly with poorer results. There's no articulation. None of the band members, despite their talent confirmed elsewhere, gives a particularly standout performance, and Dolving even manages to create some really annoying passages.
Maybe I got too used to the melodic details of the Aro era, but there's no denying that "The Haunted Made Me Do It" and "One Kill Wonder" are more varied and memorable works. Not to mention they are closer to Thrash Metal and, occasionally, the Gothenburg sound, which, by the way, has no place here. I was yet to become a metalhead when "The Haunted" was released, thankfully, or I would have been worried about these musicians inspiration at the time. Skip this album, but keep following the members of the late At The Gates, that's my advice.
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
| ioannisk Posts: 75  |
this album is the cornerstone to the swedish thrash metal! i totally disagree with the review. songs like bullet hole and hate song are written once in a lifetime!!:banger:
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262  |
This is my favorite album by The Haunted, and really only one of two albums by them that I like.
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| Maxx666 Meshuggahian Posts: 376  |
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437  |
I like a lot this album, this a great debut from the haunted! "hate song", "in vein", "choke hold" ans "SOUL FRACTURE" are awesome songs imo!
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675  |
Totally disagree with this review! lol Ive never found much to rave about where modern thrash bands are concerned, but The Haunted are definitely an exception to that. This album in particular, is one of my favourite thrash albums of all time. xD The only thing remotely "hardcore" about the album, is Peter Dolving's vocals. His vocals have always reminded me a lot of Phil Anselmo. lol As much as I really like the albums Marco Aro did with them as well, Peter gives them a unique edge and sound that they wouldnt have with a typical thrash style vocalist. Most of the album is awesome, with "In Vein", "Shattered" and the menacing "Bullet Hole" being just some of the amazing songs on offer. And "Hate Song" is just a thrash anthem of the highest order! Although I love most of The Haunted's stuff, (with the exception of "Versus" which I thought was very patchy) they have still never bettered the sheer manic intensity and catchiness of the debut. <3
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| Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9156  |
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| MichaelAngeloT Posts: 70  |
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| Passenger Lost To Apathy Posts: 1464  |
Yes, because god forbid that an unfavorable review should ever be well written.
---- You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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| Passenger Lost To Apathy Posts: 1464 |
Why would it be inaccurate to compare it with albums from the same band? And, more importantly, why would it be inaccurate to do that but not to compare it with albums from other bands, like you just did, who not only have a different singer, but different everything? :/ If I'm going to say how an album sounds, it's as valid (if not more) to compare this with The Haunted's other albums as it to compare it with a Slayer album.
---- You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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| Passenger Lost To Apathy Posts: 1464 |
Written by deadone on 08.09.2014 at 02:49 So it's valid but bizarre. Sounds a bit contradictory. I think comparisons never hurt. If nothing else, at least they can offer context. Even if it's just to say "remember that? This has nothing to do with it." I never disagreed that it's close to that Slayer era. I find this album immensely repetitive, Dolving has always been a miscast and I prefer the Aro era, yes. People have a tendency to question your knowledge when they don't agree with you. It's my review, it's my opinion. It doesn't necessarily make it "pretty poor" or "shitty" or makes me a "total ignorant".
---- You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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| Passenger Lost To Apathy Posts: 1464 |
Written by deadone on 14.09.2014 at 15:22 I don't agree, but I agree to disagree 
---- You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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| Ralle Posts: 70  |
On first listening this album rocks !!! This album was the only that I did't listen before, maybe its their best.
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