The Haunted: Versus

The greatest thing to have happened when At The Gates dissolved was the conception of The Haunted as the act perpetuates the virulent Gothenburg tone. In the guitar domain, The Haunted was the other remarkable Swedish export next to Marduk. The fact that they remain to be non-black metal while gathering equal respect from fans, is an accomplishment per se.

Versus is the band's 7th full length release but one which continues to fray the fan base. If you get really lethargic listening to its predecessor, The Dead Eye, you'd be likely to be dead beat after a spin of this. The album, at best, is a respectable, heavy release but one which is rather uninspiring. There are no opiating guitar riffs such as the true-to-form grabbers in The Haunted's first five releases, the drumming was primarily holding foundation while Peter Dolving's vocals leads into a very hardcore-like phrasing in every track.

With all due respect, the band still has what it takes to get us hooked but it's something we've heard before in another guise somewhere out there. Perhaps the opening track Moronic Colossus is an internal reflection of... themselves.