The Haunted - The Dead Eye

The Swedish band's latest is a little slower in tempo but much more melodic.

The Dead Eye is the second album The Haunted has done since the return of vocalist Peter Dolving, and its style is a bit different than 2004's rEVOLVEr. Once thought of as mainly a thrash band, The Haunted shows a lot of different styles on this CD.

The songs are, for the most part, slower in tempo than a lot of their past work. They can still bring the lightning fast thrash riffs and galloping melodies, but they can also slow it down and showcase a dark and sinister atmosphere. The Dead Eye is more melodic than anything they've ever done, but The Haunted still keep plenty of aggressiveness and intensity.

Dolving's vocals are also very diverse. He does a lot of melodic singing in a laid back style, but it also able to pull off aggressive singing and of course his screaming ability has never been questioned.

This CD shows The Haunted are a very well rounded band. Depending on the song (or even section of the song) they can sound anywhere from extreme to mainstream. You'll hear both angry, screaming thrash songs and slower, darker and more melodic tracks. It's a nice mix and one of the band's strongest efforts to date.