Take a listen to Versus, the latest offering from Sweden’s The Haunted, and tell me what you hear. Grinding palm-muted guitar riffs and film samples; awesome soloing; bellowed vocals that - gasp! - you can actually understand and are actually about something (usually human folly and ignorance)… yup, that’s right, it’s the classic thrash metal formula, and you can thank whatever deity you like for that.
The funny thing about the recent revival of the Bay Area thrash sound (for which it might be fair to say The Haunted are at least partially responsible) is that the greater percentage of it has consisted of either pastiche or over-amplification. When you hear a band just play it straight as The Haunted do here, without trying to be ironic or take it to some nebulous and unnecessary “next level” of intensity, you can hear why it was such a hugely popular sound the first time round. Versus burgeons with groove and power, its heaviness balanced with a good ear for catchy riffage and understated decoration.
That said, The Haunted have brought the sound up to date. Versus is impeccably produced in a way that the classic thrash albums simply couldn’t afford to be, but it avoids the frills and bling of the trendy Gothenburg template, and the songwriting has absorbed tricks from metalcore and death without pigeonholing itself into either. Peter Dolving’s ferocious bellow wouldn’t sound out of place in a New York hardcore outfit, but it’s the perfect complement to this relentless bludgeon, channelling a fury and social conscience that trumps the blood’n'demons clichés which the metal masses still seem unable to shake off.
Simplicity and precision are The Haunted’s secret weapons; the core riff of “Ceremony” is an instant classic of the style, while the grooving chug and grind of “River Run” tip the hat to Southern metal’s love of a chunky riff and the occasional harmonic pinch. The slight disappointment of finding that album closer “Imperial Death March” isn’t a cover version of the Emperor’s theme from Star Wars is more than mitigated by its relentless doom-laden stomp and lampooning of warmongering televangelist fundamentalism. Dark heavy metal with something to say - who’d have thought?
Where Versus really scores is an unfeigned sense of atmosphere; the bleakness of the lyrics combined with the moody, almost martial feel of the music neatly captures the Zeitgeist of these troubled times. The Haunted have scored the perfect soundtrack to what feels like an inexorable slide into worldwide financial, political and environmental collapse… when all else fails, you might as well headbang furiously as you wait for the apocalypse to arrive. This record will be huge, and deservedly so.
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Posted in Music reviews |
Tags: death, hardcore, metal, metalcore, The Haunted, thrash, Versus
October 5th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Was not impressed at all.
I liked every single album they recorded so but “Versus” fails miserably exept for the rough and warm sounding production.
The riffs are as generic as possible.
The songs are uninspired at best.
And Dolving’s great lyrics are in no way supported by this boring and dull musical statement.
What has happened to these guys ?!?
November 13th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Oh you’re so wrong, uninspired?? This album is almost as good as The dead eye and thats probably the best record ever. These guys are ruling the world!!
December 13th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
wll ts clr tht mgns s nt ctlly fn f th hntd, bt rthr fn f hmsxlty.
tht’s th nly rsn cn thnk f tht wld cs smn t sy “th dd y s prbbly th bst rcrd vr”.
gt t f hr nd g wtch sm dds kssng, y qr.