Ricardo asked me if I was interested in reviewing The Haunted’s 3rd album plus do a phone interview with them. Well, ya all know the answer…
I must admit that I was very sceptical and critical when I received the promo as I didn’t like ‘The Haunted Made Me Do It’ as well as their killer debut album. Of course, their 2nd album contained various good tunes but they never grasped my throat and left me gasping for air. Also, the new vocalist Marco Aro couldn’t in my eyes fully replace Peter Dolving as Marco has a more limited vocal style. So, I was anxious to find out whether the band could shut my big mouth with this new album.
And hell, they did! A perfect mixture of fast and mid-paced catchy and razor sharp modern Thrash containing a bit more melody than before, is what The Haunted offer us. For me personally, Marco’s growls on this album fit more natural to the band’s sound. Combined with the furious Thrash, the aggressive growls and shouts ensure the listener gets the required adrenaline shot.
When hearing opening instrumental ‘Privation…’ it immediately activates the ‘Blinded By Fear’-node in my brain. The new delicate amount of melody of course also brings back memories of that band-which-shall-remain-unnamed. When ‘Godpuppet’ spurts out of my speakers slapping my head around, you bet your ass that a grin appears on my face. The other fast songs ‘Everlasting’, ‘Urban Predator’, ‘Downward Spiral’ or ‘Shithead’ guarantee a slaughtering moshpit at future gigs. The instrumental ‘Demon Eyes’ has been placed very strategically in the middle of the album, showcasing the band experimenting a bit while the listener can catch his breath and get ready for the second part of the album. The mid-paced tunes ‘Shadow World’, ‘D.O.A.’ and ‘Bloodletting’ will cause several neck injuries from banging that head. The closing title track sums this album up perfectly, culminating in the climax of this record.
Perhaps quite predictable, but ‘One Kill Wonder’ is the band’s finest hour so far. Fans will love this album and any other metal fan who decides to spend his/her hard-earned money on this CD will definitely not be disappointed.
