TRACKLISTING

1.-Privation Of Faith Inc
2.-Godpuppet
3.-Shadow World
4.-Everlasting
5.-D.O.A.
6.-Demon Eyes
7.-Urban Predator
8.-Downward Spiral
9.-Shithead
10.-Bloodletting
11.-One Kill Wonder

 

   After the exciting turn that the band exposed in Made Me Do It, One Kill Wonder is like a resume from the first two albums. No real innovation, the only merit goes for the catchy parts they wonderfully dsiplay. The album could be labeled as mediocre, but the steadiness of the tunes keeps the listener's attention. The songs don't vary as much as they did in Made Me Do It; instead, the whole album keeps a level that reminds us of the first album. Of course, the clean voices disappeared. It seems strange that they didn't exploit that recourse anymore. The catchiness is stuck in the riffs and the repetitive choruses. This done very effectively, in such cases as "D.O.A." or "Godpuppet". If the energy in Made Me Do It diluted somehow after the first half, One Kill Wonder is relentless (with exception of "Demon Eyes", a very poor intent of an interlude) Even so, this album is their weakest to date. How could that happen? well, the thrashy fueling is still there, but they stray too much from it. What gave so much force to the Self Titled was that it was relentless, it gave no second of relief. The solidness was built through constancy. The Haunted never preoccupied if the songs were accesible or not. One Kill Wonder cheapened the trademark of the Thrash metal in the name of accesibility. The constancy reached in the new album is oriented on a Death metal direction. Some of the songs touch dangerously the chord of the genre founded by In Flames ("Shadow World"). Other songs, truth be told, are solidly constructed, specially the ones that close the album, "Bloodletting" and "One Kill Wonder". The catchiness mixes with well-founded thrashy riffs. But, unfortunately, there are poorly made tracks. "Downward Spiral" sounds very dull and the instrumental songs are kinda simple. "D.O.A." sounds awfully like one song from their S/T.

 

   So, the album is hollow and The Haunted is losing the power once they had. It's in their hands to reconstruct the well-earned fame they had before this album. One Kill Wonder is a mistake in these Swedish guys. Maybe if this were their first album, but they already knew how to produce a good album.

 

78 OUT OF 100