Album Review: The Haunted - Strength In Numbers

"Should I kill myself? Or everyone else around me?" It's a statement of intent as blunt as a shovel to the face.

After a radical personnel overhaul for 2014's Exit Wounds, this reaffirms these Swedish metallers' modus operandi. Namely, melodic death with a hefty dosage of thrash, and some venturing into darker territory. Intense single Spark even garnered praise from outspoken former vocalist Peter Dolving; no small feat. Strength In Numbers can feel somewhat by-the-numbers occasionally. However, it's most effective when referencing past glories - ala Preachers Of Death's Revolver-esque riffage, or Tighten The Noose's sheer aggression - while melding them with potent hooks and fresh vitality. This incarnation may possess staying power.