underwelming, 30 Jan 2009

the haunted are a very special band
a band with ideas coming from every angle, which is why this album feels very disappointing in comparison with their other work
for me the band have always managed to reinvent their sound ever so slightly with each progressive release which is why it seems odd to me that with this album they sound like they have gone back to step one and tried to record their first album all over again.
yes it is an entertaining album in places, the fantastic opener moronic colossus is brilliant and the penultimate song faultline is phenominally good and easily one their best tunes fullstop.
the only downside is that even though these songs are brilliant they sound a little too familiar, faultline sounds like a cross between their own songs chokehold and hate song with extra raining blood thrown in.
and inbetween these songs they have 9 others that sound like a band trying to sound like the haunted.
its just a shame because although their average material is a long way ahead of the competition it feels weak when compared with the dead eye or the sheer intensity of made me do it or their near perfect debut.
if you are new to the band start elsewhere, if you like the band already then much like me you will buy this anyway and enjoy it for what it is,but i still cant help but feel a little short changed