The trad revival period of the 2010s has sparked a renewed interest in all things traditional heavy metal: the 80s throwback, the Iron Maiden or Judas Priest-like approaches, and the general aesthetic. Not just new bands like Enforcer or Century have taken up arms with this approach, but underrated olde acts such as Satan and Angel Witch have risen from the catacombs to strike again in the past decade. Enter Haunt, easily the most prolific band in the trad scene. Releasing at least one album a year (or three, in 2020) since 2017, these retro-rockers return with their ninth studio album Golden Arm. How does this fare in comparison to the other plentiful amounts of trad around?
Golden Arm is Haunt‘s best album to date. They’ve nailed the sound here, and anthems such as “Save Yourself” and “Fight the Good Fight” are veritable time machines disguised as songs, taking the listener back to when long hair, shredding guitars, and a general love for all things metal was the order of the day. That being said, Haunt is very similar to an act like Esoctrilihum in that they seem compelled to release at least one new album every single year instead of letting things cook, which is the fate of many studio artists. Another issue that’s impossible to overlook is that each song is very similar sounding. There seems to be a recurring theme among Haunt albums where maybe two out of the usual eight songs present are really solid tunes, but the other six or so are utterly forgettable. Haunt could easily get past this issue if they decide to wait another year or so between albums, or make a more noticeable attempt to not churn out similar sounding material every time. While Golden Arm is Haunt‘s best album, it’s also very safe, as are all of their other albums. It’s easy to come back for re-listens, given how short it is, but the novelty wears off after the first couple rotations. I’d much rather listen to bands like Enforcer or Satan if I want a fix of traditional revivalism, but Haunt is an acceptable appetizer, nothing more. There’s potential for them to release a great album, but it will require slowing down a little and writing better music.
