Band:	The Haunted
Album:	Exit Wounds
Style:	Alternative metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	August 25, 2014
A review by:	Doc G.

01. 317
02. Cutting Teeth
03. My Salvation
04. Psychonaut
05. Eye Of The Storm
06. Trend Killer
07. Time (Will Not Heal)
08. All I Have
09. Temptation
10. My Enemy
11. Kill The Light
12. This War
13. Infiltrator
14. Ghost In The Machine
15. As The Poison Sets In [mediabook edition bonus]
16. The Manifestation [mediabook edition bonus]

Jesus, does anyone remember how bad The Unseen was? Good God, we all knew The Haunted weren't what they used to be, but that just got out of hand. Now it's time for The Haunted to make amends for dropping that Rise Against-tribute-turd on us. Let's just say this about Exit Wounds: Apology accepted.

I have to be honest, when the band re-vamped/re-formed with old members after The Unseen train-wreck, it smelled like a band who shit their pants and were grasping for straws to cover up the stink. Well, I admit it, I couldn't have been more wrong.

Aggression. That's really the missing key that's made a very welcome return with Exit Wounds. This takes the really bassy riff work from Witchery and slams it together with the groove of Entombed (though frequently gets more furious than either.) Sprinkle a few dashes of some typical Gothenburg melodic leads, and you've got the basic picture. No description can do justice to a lot of these riffs - thick, maniacal, and above all else, catchy as all hell. In fact, take a listen to "Trend Killer"; probably the catchiest song ever recorded...since Ke$ha's "Timber". And yet, despite the catchy-ass riffs, bassist Jonas Björler and vocalist Marco Aro completely steal the show.

So it's better than The Unseen, that wasn't exactly what you'd consider a tremendous achievement. The real question is; is it as good as their old stuff? No. In fact, at times it sounds like they're trying desperately to recreate what made them a household name in the first place. That being said, trying to beat your own best and coming up just a little short ain't too bad. Exit Wounds is still the best work they've recorded in a decade.