Album Review - The Haunted: “The Dead Eye”

Creative experimentation can be a good thing, however, it’s sometimes disguised as an attempt to get a more mainstream audience.

On their previous album “rEVOLVEr”, even the title expressed wishes from The Haunted to try new and different things other than they updated version of 80's thrash. We were presented with a few songs that added slow, bluesy, raw gritty pieces that still reflected the world of violence. Those songs actually fit right along with the world and imagery of crime infested dirty underworld akin to movies like Reservoir Dogs or The Usual Suspects.

The old thrash roots are still prevalent on “The Dead Eye”. There are some songs that would normally be a full on assault, but even those heaviest songs are a race to a clean-sung chorus. When those traditional fast The Haunted style songs from “The Dead Eye” are played back-to-back against their back catalogue, none of the new material matches the speed or intensity of their early works.

In fact, there are many songs delving into chord driven alt-rock territory, and even a few hints of Tool along the way. Whether one of the lighter songs are played full-on, or mixed with thrash elements, the juxtaposition seems out of place. Not to mention that those lighter commercial rock/alt-rock/alternative moments don’t quite feel focussed, instead they seem to be drawing from a used CD bin from the early and mid 90's. One has to wonder if the absence of material composed by Jensen may be posing problems, or is Peter Dolving attempting to express elements from his other bands Mary Beats Jane or The Peter Dolving band in The Haunted.

It all seems a futile attempt for The Haunted to find themselves, when in fact “The Dead Eye” seems more like they’ve fallen from the path.

5/10

The Haunted
The Haunted At Century Media