the_haunted_2011_04

» The Haunted 2011 04 15

Reviewed by Olof
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Special guest: Zombiekrig
City: Göteborg, Sweden
Venue: Brew House
Date: 15 April 2011
Zombiekrig set length: 25 minutes
The Haunted set length: 90 minutes

The Haunted

Something that strikes me when the light fade and the intro to "Never Better" starts to play, is that even though I´ve listened to this band for years, this is actually going to be the first real gig I witness. I feel a bit ashamed to admit it, but I´ve always managed to miss them due to various reasons. So naturally, their reputation went before them, and my expectations are high. Are they met?
Almost.

The band kick of the first three or four songs with no real break in between, and when Peter Dolving finally gets the chance to talk, he basically says "Hi". Not quite what I expected from the otherwise orally gifted man I interviewed a few weeks ago. The first couple of songs feel to much like a warm-up for the second half, which I think brings down the audience a bit. The front rows don´t care though, and are of course banging their heads of the entire gig. But Eventually the adrenalin seems to kick in, and it seems like the entire band wakes slowly from some kind of mental hibernation, eager to quench the crowd´s thirst.

Peter Dolving (who is of course in the centre of most people´s attention) is everywhere, all the time. His wild facial hair and knitted shirt does not make him look metal, but he acts metal. When singing that is. His outburst "People smiling must be the most beautiful thing in the world" would be met with laughter (the wrong kind) if uttered by most metal vocalists, but Peter gets away with it. This Rasputin look alike can do whatever he wants, it feels like. If he wants do discuss nuclear power in the shadow of recent events in Japan, or perform "Hate Song" sitting on the drum riser, he can do that. It takes a lot of balls to do such a thing. But that´s the impression I´ve got from this band. They are so secure in what they do, that they feel they can do anything they want, without fearing that the fans will turn on them. Or maybe they just don´t care?

The Jensen´s and the Björler´s form a stable backing line behind the roaring energy ball of hair, and seem to enjoy it after all. Even a few winks of the eye, and devil horns are thrown out here and there, and when I see Jensen (drummer) sing along sometimes, it feels genuine. Kudos to that man also, for making so much happening to such a small drum kit. It feels sad that the relatively long gig had to wait for so long before the ice broke and the energy started flowing. If it would have started on 100% with the first song, no one would have left the venue without feeling as if they had just completed a marathon.

8 chalices of 10

(sorry, no setlist)