The Haunted: Unseen

The Haunted
Unseen
Reviewed by Rob Acocella


The Haunted are back with their highly anticipated new album Unseen. I'm going to come right out and say up front that I've never been much of a fan. I didn't hate the band, I just never got into them. I'm very happy to say that I went into this with no expectations at all, and came out really liking the album.

I'm not in love with the band yet, but I do like what I'm hearing on Unseen. I'm not sure what changed or what was done differently, but I'm actually catching onto some of the hooks and grooves on this album. There are some really great heavy moments that make me want to swing my fists around, and then there are  songs like the title track that are just so damn toe-tapping groovy that you can't get them out of your head.

Some of my favorite tracks would have to be "Unseen," "Catch 22," and "Them."

As a side note, I think that in the past The Haunted were almost too heavy for their own good, and not in a good way. I think their songwriting and production was always pushed a tad too hard, creating something that worked for a niche group of fans. Unseen has a more broad feel to it, closer to really Hard Rock rather than the brand of Metal that they are known for. Personally, I like that about this album, but I can see how some long-time fans might be a bit disappointed. But hey, everyone takes a turn that pisses off some fans from time to time. Anybody remember St. Anger?


Rating 3/5