THE HAUNTED RETURNED TO ARGENTINA AFTER 18 YEARS BUT AGING LIKE WINE!
Lots of things change in 18 years, but when a band like The Haunted knows exactly how to stay in shape, it seems like a day hasn’t passed at all.
With a new lineup and renewed crowd, the band came back to Buenos Aires almost 2 decades later to play an insanely violent show at Uniclub last September 11.
With their new record “Songs of Last Resort,” which came out just a few months before, they showed us all how to age like wine. The album is full of intense tracks that were the main stuff on the setlist, mixed with classic tunes.
The local supporting band was Undermine, a Thrash and Roll band that is known for their sick guitar riffs and potent groove; they’re a fan favourite among the local scene, and most of the people showed up early to see them performing. But there was a second band too, Madbrain; they’re from Ecuador and gave some Metalcore to the night and easily earned the crowd’s energy.
Around 21.45, The Haunted got onstage; the curtains were opened, and they started their set on loud with “Warhead” and “In Fire Reborn”, the first 2 tracks on their latest record.
Ola brought his GoPro camera and placed it in front of him to record himself playing. There were moments when he gave the camera to the crowd to get into the pit, hold it, and get a point of view from the mosh. Still waiting, anxious for that recording to appear on the next “Sunday with Ola” haha.
The next song was the classic “99”, which got everyone mad as hell; Aro even said, after the song, that it was his first time in Buenos Aires but already wanted to come back. Due to the big energy of the Argentinian crowd, of course.
“Trespass” was the next song, and the crowd chanting started being sung after it, earning smiles from everyone onstage. Then “The Flood” and “The Medication” were played, the only songs of the show from “The Dead Eye”.
The groovy riff of “Time (Will Not Heal)” made everyone jump. And that’s something that I always loved about this band: they have such killer riffs that would be the envy of every Metal guitar player. Patrik and Ola make a perfect team on that subject. And Adrian and Jonas, who played years and years together in At The Gates, know each other’s playing very well and can make a perfect groove to get you headbanging non-stop.
“Hell Is Wasted on the Dead” and “To Bleed Out” continued the set of new songs, followed by “No Compromise” and “In Vein”, and then returning again to the newest stuff with “Death to the Crown”.
Song by song, Aro opened a beer can- I don’t know how many, but it was hard to see his hand without them haha.
“Undead” got their way to the set, and then “Hollow Ground”, “Dark Intentions” and “Bury Your Dead” one after another, in a sort of “Made Me Do It” set.
Last songs were “Hate Song”, “All Against All” (chanting on loud by the crowd) and “Bullet Hole” were Ola started the main riff with no previous advertisement and madness reigned the venue.
None of us wants to wait another 18 years, but if it were the case, we all know for sure that it will be as sick as this time. The Haunted don’t know about aging; it seems like time after time they get better, and their performances are always on top.
Photos by Luciana Nieto
Review by Agustin Lopez
Produced by Noiseground