Search - Haunted :: Revolver

Everything old is new again

Wheelchair Assassin | The Great Concavity | 11/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes it can be pretty easy to start overanalyzing a metal album (or any other album, for that matter). The astounding technical explorations of bands like Meshuggah and the Dillinger Escape Plan have taken heavy music into new territory over the past decade or so, adding an intellectual element that few people probably saw coming when mullets were ruling the scene two decades ago. With some albums, though, it's still appropriate to ask yourself a few simple questions in order to judge its quality. To wit: does it make you want to lower your head and run into a wall? Does it provide an outlet for your more aggressive tendencies that won't land you in prison? Do you find yourself suddenly making the devil sign when playing it? Does it make your cat run and hide under the bed? (Note: this question may not apply to all listeners). Anyway, the Haunted's latest release is one such album, and the answer to all of the above questions is fortunately a resounding yes.



With original vocalist Peter Dolving and his demented shriek back on the mic after a two-album hiatus, the Haunted have released yet another classic piece of metallic goodness. While rEVOLVEr isn't a dark, disturbing masterpiece in the vein of its predecessor One Kill Wonder, it does deliver the goods with a mix of warp-speed thrash and crushingly heavy, more groove-laden stuff. Naturally, the musicianship is top-notch, sounding a lot like Slayer without the goofy excess that has marked even that band's better work. Pushing the Haunted's trademark intensity to almost pornographic levels, the songs on rEVOLVEr are marked mainly by the band's devastating two-guitar onslaught and some of the tightest and most maniacal drumming this side of the grindcore genre. And if you think good guitar solos died with the respectable version of Metallica, think again, because this album offers some of the sharpest of the decade so far.



Most importantly, rEVOLVEr offers more of the amazingly tight and varied songwriting that elevates this band above the plain. Plenty of bands can beat you over the head with heaviness, but the Haunted manage to impress even more by doing it in such an intelligent manner. From the musical scorched-earth policy of "No Compromise" and the devastating riffage of "99" to the complex rhythms of "Who Will Decide" and the epic ominousness of "My Shadown," the Haunted continue to prove that they're a lot more than just another Swedish neo-thrash band. They're one of the best heavy bands on Earth right now, period."

A masterpiece

Bodom J | Bethpage, TN United States | 10/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've always like the haunted, always consdiered their first cd to be a classic...actually all of them are pretty good albums. But I think this one may be better than their first one!



The first thing noticeable about this album is that their first singer PETER DOLVING is back at the helm. Loved marco's stuff with the haunted but always thought dolving was the best. He's got such a good clean voice. He screams and shouts and does it fast at times, gives their music a old school punk feel but without all the gayness that comes along with (most) punk bands (of any time era).



The next thing that pops into focus is the name of the album. It's called revolver. This seems normal, since it's the haunted we are talking about: guns are always mentioned in their albums. But what is this? It's called rEVOLVEr. Don't get scared. This doesn't mean they lost their thrash metal roots and went pop mainstream. But they did evolve a little. There is more to the songs now, some are longer than typical haunted. And dolving sings now! It's the coolest singing voice ever, well one of them. It's got a country serial killer twang to it, has to be heard to be believed.



Another thing they changed is that some of the songs are slower than their past stuff. I don't mean slow as in ballad. The songs still got that thrashy chug chug sound but they put GROOVE and SLUDGE into some of the songs and it sounds GREAT.



Also, the "swedish" feel to their riffs are back. One kill wonder sound more american but this one sounds swedish like their first one.



All in all, this is the biggest suprise of the year for me. album of the year behind the new megadeth and new iced earth.



thrash fans. the haunted fans. metal fans. all must buy this."

A great example of what this band can do

meh | 06/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With The Haunted, the Bjorler brothers add a more metalcore singer and sound to their music. And what do the originators of Gothenburg do when they have a run in with the americanized version of the genre they started?



They kill it.



This is in every conceivable way better than Slipknot, Killswitch Engage or basically any other metalcore/mallcore band that has been made to this day.



Why you may ask?



Because they add genuine anger to their music, and not just manufactured angst to sell records to angry teenagers. They also have musical talent, with the Bjorler brothers's thrashy guitaring(/bassing) and Adrian Erlanndsson's amazingly heavy and fast(but not tasteless like Dimmu Borgir) drumming. This album has basically confirmed to me that anything America has done on the metal scene, Sweden has done better."