Band:	The Haunted
Album:	One Kill Wonder
Style:	Melodic death metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	March 2003
Guest review by:	Justin

01. Privation Of Faith Inc.
02. Godpuppet
03. Shadow World
04. Everlasting
05. D.O.A.
06. Demon Eyes
07. Urban Predator
08. Downward Spiral
09. Shithead
10. Bloodletting
11. One Kill Wonder
12. Creed [Swedish bonus]
13. Ritual [Japanese bonus]

After the phenomenal success of 2000's The Haunted Made Me Do It, Swedish thrash metal act The Haunted must have known it was going to be a hard task to equal, let alone top it. However, One Kill Wonder lives up to expectations expected from the band, and will no doubt be up for awards polls towards the end of the year! The band [Marco Aro on vocals [ex-Face Down], Jonas Bjorler [ex-At The Gates] on bass, Anders Bjorler [ex-At The Gates] and Jensen [ex-Seance, Satanic Slaughter and Witchery] on guitars and Per Moller Jensen drums [ex-Invocator and Konkhra] have returned to Studio Fredman [Gothenburg, Sweden: Where the 1998 self titled album was recorded] with producer Fredrik Nordstrom [In Flames, Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity, At The Gates and many others] sitting behind the desk. Even the controversial departure and subsequent return of guitarist Anders Bjorler [who left the group in September 2001 in order to concentrate on his university studies, returning some nine months later] couldn't deter his contribution to The Haunted all-important brutal third album.

The opening sound effect laden introduction of ?Privation Of Faith Inc.? moves into a slow riff grove instrumental opener, before things are blown to pieces with the very Metallica ?Fight Fire With Fire? sounding ?Godpuppet?. The Haunted are on obvious full on attack mode with everyone moving at one hundred miles an hour, yet totally in synch. ?Shadow World? is a step backwards in the pace department, and is perhaps the most melodic moment on the album, but far from the overtly melodic moments of the previous album. The thrashier 'Everlasting' and ?D.O.A.? [also the first promotional clip from the album] retain some elements of catchiness, but never loose the crunch and heaviness the band are well noted for. The epic of the album [at a while four and a half minutes!] ?Demon Eyes? is riff laden instrumental [Apart from some unintelligible spoken word moments] that brings to mind classic era Metallica instrumentals, but less on the atmospherics and more on the heavier moments.
?Urban Predator?, ?Downward Spiral? and ?Shithead? prove that there's life left in the Swedish melodic thrash metal sound, while and those Slayer influences come out in full force in ?Bloodletting?. The trade off solos between Anders and guest guitarist Mike Ammott [from Arch Enemy and Spiritual Beggars] is nothing short of awe inspiring! The title track ?One Kill Wonder? blasts out the last battering assault in horrific style.

The absence of any clean vocals on the album, the production and the efficiency at which the band run through the eleven tracks makes this album one truly memorable thrash riff-fest. Hell, it?ll have to be one hell of an album to compete for the top place this year after hearing One Kill Wonder.