The Haunted, a band who has done nothing but impress from the start with their debut self-titled album still ranking as one of the most devastating and arguably influential albums of the past decade are back once again to show us the meaning of the word heavy. Featuring the Björler brothers of At The Gates fame among their ranks it will come as no surprise to you that the Swedish Metal titans have created yet another unbelievable addition to their back catalogue in the shape of brand new album ‘The Dead Eye’, an album that shows a more varied yet no less devastating band in the prime of their existence. Although this sounds rather, erm, commercial compared to The Haunted’s past endeavours, those of you with an open mind and an understanding of the word ‘progression’ will find something very special about this album.
Having already been slated by many a pre-pubescent fan for its distinct lack of the thrash á la carte we have come to associate with The Haunted, ‘The Dead Eye’ instead showcases a band with the dare and want to do something a little different. Whilst elements of their trademark post-thrash are still evident on tracks such as ‘The Medication’ and ‘The Fallout’, the music on display here constantly shifts in dynamic and tempo proving that they are no one-style wonders. Whilst it is true that at times ‘The Dead Eye’ treads just a bit too far into commercial Metalcore territory the Entombed Death n’ Roll of ‘The Crowning’ and the Tool-ridden atmospherics of ‘The Cynic’ quickly dispel any doubt that The Haunted have turned soft on us. What we have here in essence is a band that instead of treading the same water have reinvented their music to how they want to sound as opposed to how others want them to sound, which surely must be something to be admired rather than scorned.
Fans of traditional The Haunted maybe initially shocked at the change in direction on this release but give it a bit of time and it all makes perfect sense…The Haunted fucking rock and it’s as simple as that.
