Ok, so as you all know, Peter Dolving is back in The Haunted. The group’s original vocalist re-joined the fold last year at this time, and since then discussion has bandied back and forth as to the direction the Swedes would take on new record, rEVOLVEr. Those waiting for a return to the hardcore/thrash conglomerate of the debut are going to be disappointed; if anything, rEVOLVEr is another dose of contemporary Haunted works. And, to follow-up on that point, the whole “evolve” thing in the title is a bit misleading: there isn’t really much evolution to be found in The Haunted’s mindset circa ‘04. Instead, you get what we’ve collectively come to depend on The Haunted for, namely really, really solid and reliable neo-thrash, stuff that’s deliciously listenable and headbangingly thick ‘n’ choppy at the same time. Jensen’s the master riffster, and the Bjorler twins are adept at their game (obligatory At The Gates/Haunted reference: the Bjorler’s were similarly effective in At The Gates). So, like, if Made Me Do It and One Kill Wonder tipped your aggro in the delirious direction, then rEVOLVEr is bound to do the same. Now, the question du jour is why these guys haven’t toured with Testament yet.

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