I remember well what a shock to the system The Haunted’s self-titled debut caused in mid 1998. Thrash was so out of fashion by that point, replaced by rising stars of the Swedish melodeath scene, which was still grieving the disbandment of legendary At The Gates. Amazingly, the whole rhythm section plus one of the guitarists were replicated in The Haunted, with the addition of Patrik Jensen (Séance, Satanic Slaughter) on second guitar and Peter Dolving on vocals. The second album …Made Me Do It introduced Marco Aro as the new vocalist, but didn’t slow neither the tempo nor the quality of metal served.
Fast forward quarter of a century, with both Aro and Dolving leaving then returning, some very experimental albums released, Anders Björler leaving to be replaced by Ola Englund (Feared, ex-Six Feet Under) and we are now less than a week away from the release of their tenth album and fifth with Marco Aro. Songs Of Last Resort comes out eight long years after the solid Strength In Numbers, so my expectations are understandably high. The opening thrash grenade Warhead is a by-the-book The Haunted classic, with ferocious drumming, amazing guitar riffs and top-form vocals by Aro. Ola’s solo is also off the charts, so we have a total winner as an opener. After such a skull-splitting start, In Fire Reborn manages to even accelerate the speed and inject some nice melodies which just can’t help but bring Slaughter Of The Soul to mind. It’s only natural, since The Haunted still have two/fifths of that band’s DNA in their ranks. Actually, To Bleed Out is the only other track which speaks to me in that same “language” with it’s slower tempo and a heavier accent on atmosphere.
Elsewhere, The Haunted sound like themselves, but not just that, but the best version of themselves. Unbound, Labyrinth Of Lies and Collateral Carnage offer some very interesting, varied guitar riffs, with a hardcore flavor enhanced by Marco’s vocal approach. The Haunted have managed masterfully to find the perfect balance between warp-speed thrashers and some mid-tempo “breathers”, which are no less heavy, but allow the album to blossom with every new spin and reveal more of its charm. Salvation Recalled is pure metal heaven, with an otherworldly guitar solo mid-song, easily one of the best tracks in the band’s history.
The closing title-track is ultra-heavy and very dark, with some spoken-word and samples creating a dense, almost suffocating atmosphere. Songs Of Last Resort is lyrically unified by war themes, the messages are ominous and often bleak and this album is the best way to convey them to the listener. I also have to say the production by Jens Bogren is absolutely crushing, among the best he’s done.
The Haunted are back with a tremendous new album with absolutely no flaws or fillers. They sound inspired and confident in all their strengths and the result speaks for itself. Make sure to get the limited edition digibook because it includes an extra song and check out our recent interview with Marco.
10/10
Songs Of Last Resort is out on May 30th and can be ordered from HERE
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