THE HAUNTED - One Kill Wonder
January 29, 2003, 21 years ago
(Earache)
Alright, so I hate the macho verbiage that seems to go along with every metal review, even though I'm guilty of it more often than not. However, I really have to say - in a non-aggressive and totally objective way - that One Kill Wonder made me headbang until it hurt. The jaded metal critic in me who hasn't headbanged with this much pure enthusiasm in a long time is embarrassed to admit it, but One Kill Wonder is a formidable thrash feast that recalls everything that is ultimately great about the subgenre. Much dirtier and rawer than the super-slicked-up The Haunted Made Me Do It, this latest record from the Swedish sensations is malicious and mercenary, the band ripping groove from wherever it can and spitting forth total havoc. Individual performances are really why this record takes off, and it seems to all start with Marco. His vocals are entirely more pissed-off and angry this time around, and they suit Jensen/the Bjorler brothers' maddened first degree murder riffs perfectly. A total adrenaline rush from start to finish, One Kill Wonder is the effort that the self-titled debut should have been: an axe to the throat and no looking back.
