The Haunted

After lordly At the Gates decided to quit while they were ahead, Bjorler brothers Anders and Jonas re-surfaced in 1998 as the Haunted. Their music had suffered a sea change from ultratechnical "melodic death" to bludgeoning hardcore Thrash. Upon hearing the self-titled debut, most ATG fans crossed their tattooed arms, harrumphed loudly and turned their backs. It wasn't that the music had relented in ferocity or waned in precision, but it had picked up a lot of radio-rock Americanisms that made it more accessible and not quite as singular. Death Metal fans will have a hard time swallowing the gristle-necked Pantera vocals and the crotch-grabbing rap delivery, especially in songs such as "Undead" and "Three Times." Future offerings may drop the chest-beating bluster to plumb the depths of the spirit (which is what ATG did so well). After all, listening to one man go on for forty minutes about his disgust for society can leave you numb, paranoid and mad at nobody in particular for everything in general. But, if that's where you're headed anyway, hop on. There's probably no one that can get you there faster than the Haunted.