The Haunted - Versus

Writing about music is most of the times as worthless as shampoo for bald heads and you should just listen to the goddamn thing and judge it yourself. Case in point, The Haunted’s newest release “Versus” is a record to be experienced and not read about ‘cause for one thing there’s hardly any suitable words to describe it, but mostly ‘cause it’s an experience to be lived, assimilated and fully consummated. One of the best albums you will hear all year!
What does it sound like I hear you ask? Well like The Haunted at their absolutely best. Hurtful and bound to inflict some serious damage yet pleasurable like the best orgasm you ever had. Suffocating and scary, it leaves you gasping for breath like being locked on the trunk of a car driving 260km down a dangerous mountain with a blindfolded kamikaze at the wheel.
Oh you wanted to read how it actually sounds like music wise!
Okay, guitarists Patrik Jensen and Anders Björler chop and carve incisive riffs from all sorts of variety, fast and thrashy, slow and sludgy, labyrinthine and enthralling, catchy and groovy.
Peter Dolving is needless to say Peter Dolving, one of the best vocalists in extreme music capable of delivering a truly demented and disturbing performance. On some occasions Dolving sounds like a suicidal schizophrenic without his medicine while in others he sings in a disturbingly emotive way as if he was mourning the loss of close friend.
The rhythmic section of bass player Jonas Björler and drummer Per Möller Jensen are tight as Bush Jr. is to oil fields, detonating powerful blasts of rage and brutality between more laidback and groovier moments.
Apparently, “Versus” was recorded live at IF studios, property of In Flames and it certainly favoured these songs as they display an incredible organic and dirty vibe, specially the drums.
Sweden’s undisputed kings of all things Thrash and alike, The Haunted have produced a monster work capable of completely obliterating their already strong and captivating “The Dead Eye” release, definitely a 9 out of 10. (9/10)

Band info: www.the-haunted.com
Label info: www.centurymedia.com