THE HAUNTED: Versus

Produced by Tue Madsen and The Haunted

Released: September 22


It's frustrating being a fan of The Haunted because you just don't know if what they release is going to blow you away or leave you wanting to blow them away. The first album was rather good, the second OK and the third was rubbish. Then on rEVOLVEr they came storming back with one of 2004's best before throwing everyone a curve-ball with The Dead Eye, a kind of sludgy, semi-concept off-the-wall piece that was nothing like anything they'd done before and successfully polarised their audience into those who thought it was a masterpiece (like me) and those who detested it with all their being (plenty of others). Album number six is probably going to do the same.

In a nutshell, while Versus is being promoted as a return to basics, it is essentially a combination of the groove-laden melodic thrash of earlier times and the more experimental parts of The Dead Eye with metalcore thrown in. "Moronic Colossus" is a thunderous metal assault as album opener, with a sharp guitar sound and Peter Dolving's hardcore-style bark ripping out of the speakers. This is The Haunted at their metallic best, firing on all cylinders and fuelled by a enormous pounding groove. With Tue Madsen at the controls, the mix is heavy with razor-like guitar, but all the elements are in tight harmony. "Pieces" and "Little Cage" continue the onslaught. The appropriately-titled "Crusher" is nothing but a true ball of face-ripping fury played at blinding speed, perfectly placed after the creeping interlude of "Skuld", reminiscent of the darkest moments from The Dead Eye. "Ceremony" injects an element of metalcore into proceedings, a move that may not necessarily be wholly embraced by some but coming from a band with members of At The Gates -- to whom metalcore owes so much -- it's perhaps not just forgivable but completely appropriate.

Towards the tail end of the album are a couple of tracks that vary the diet. "Rivers Run" is like some kind of blending of sludge rock and thrash, underpinned by a sinister throbbing bass line, and "Iron Mask" is another song that could have been at home on the previous album. "Imperial Death March" rounds things out nicely with a fat, mid-paced, apocalyptic chopping riff and Dolving screaming his heart out.

This is a very good album from The Haunted, showing them once again to be far more than just another modern thrash band.

1. Moronic Colossus
2. Pieces
3. Little Cage
4. Trenches
5. Ceremony
6. Skuld
7. Crusher
8. Rivers Run
9. Iron Mask
10. Faultline
11. Imperial Death March

Rating: 90%