UMUR
"One Kill Wonder" is the 3rd full-length studio album by Swedish thrash metal act The Haunted. The album was released through Earache Records in February 2003. It´s the successor to "Made Me Do It" from 2000 and features the same five-piece lineup who recorded the predecessor although guitarist Anders Björler brieftly left the band in 2001. He however returned in time to participate in the writing and recording of the material for "One Kill Wonder". A lineup change would happen in October 2003 though as lead vocalist Marco Aro would leave to concentrate on his family. He would be replaced by returning original singer Peter Dolving (who sang on the band´s self-titled debut album from 1998).
It´s still Aro who performs on "One Kill Wonder" though and his raw screaming (and occasionally semi-growling) vocal delivery is pretty savage. The material on the 11 track, 38:16 minutes long album are in the brutal and raw end of the thrash metal spectrum, and especially Slayer is an obvious influence (to the point of being close to ripp-off on the clean guitar break section of opening track "Privation of Faith Inc."). The Haunted deliver both scorching thrashers like "Godpuppet" and the ferocious closing title track, and more mid-paced heavy thrash metal tracks like "D.O.A." and "Bloodletting", with the same amount of passion and conviction. Aro is not the most versatile vocalist, and his vocals are a bit grating on the ears throughout a full album, and if there is to be a minor complaint, that would be it. There´s not a finger to put on the instrumental part of the album, which is reasonably varied, powerful, and impactful.
The Haunted are a well playing band and the music is not only delivered with great technical skill, but also with the right amount of raw organic power. This is not one of those digital clean produced thrash metal albums from post-2000, which often come across a bit sterile and lacking rawness and thrash metal authenticity. "One Kill Wonder" reeks of both and it´s a high quality thrash metal release through and through. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.