The Haunted

The Haunted are a Swedish thrash metal band from Gothenburg, active since 1996. They are also associated with groove metal and melodic death metal, and their early line-up includes musicians with links to At the Gates, another Gothenburg metal group. The band forms after the dissolution of At the Gates, with Patrik Jensen and Adrian Erlandsson starting the project in July 1996.

History

The original line-up includes Anders Björler and Jonas Björler on guitar and bass, Peter Dolving on vocals, Adrian Erlandsson on drums, and Patrik Jensen on guitar. Anders Björler, Jonas Björler and Adrian Erlandsson have all previously been members of At the Gates. The band records a demo, Demo '97, in 1997 and signs to Earache Records soon after.

The Haunted release their self-titled debut album in 1998. After that, they tour internationally, including dates with Napalm Death in the United Kingdom. In 1999, Peter Dolving and Adrian Erlandsson leave; Dolving later pursues solo work and Erlandsson joins Cradle of Filth. They are replaced by Marco Aro and Per Möller Jensen.

The band’s second album, Made Me Do It, arrives in 2000 and brings in more melodic elements associated with the Gothenburg style. It wins a Swedish Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Album. The group tours with Entombed, Nile, The Crown and In Flames, and appears at festivals including Wacken Open Air and Graspop Metal Meeting. A live album, Live Rounds in Tokyo, follows.

In 2001, Anders Björler leaves temporarily and is replaced by Marcus Sunesson of The Crown before returning less than a year later. One Kill Wonder is released in 2003, and later appears as downloadable content for the game Rock Band. Later that year, Marco Aro leaves and Peter Dolving returns.

The fourth studio album, Revolver, is released in 2004 through Century Media Records. The band supports it with extensive touring, including a second-stage appearance at Ozzfest 2005. In 2006, they tour Japan with Exodus and Nile. The Dead Eye follows later that year and is released in Europe and the United States on consecutive October dates. The album takes a more technical direction and is supported by touring in Europe and North America with acts including Dark Tranquillity, Into Eternity, Scar Symmetry, Wolf, Municipal Waste and Lyzanxia.

Versus appears in 2008, followed by the compilation Warning Shots in 2009 and the live album Road Kill in 2010. That year the band supports Slayer and contributes music to the 2010 remake of the video game Splatterhouse. Work on the next studio album begins in 2010, and Unseen is released in 2011. The song “No Ghost” is performed on the Swedish radio and television programme P3 Guld Gala in January 2011.

Peter Dolving leaves again in February 2012, and the band then looks for a new vocalist. In October 2012, Anders Björler and Per Möller Jensen also depart. Jonas Björler and Patrik Jensen state that they want to continue, but the band goes on hiatus. In 2013, Jensen and Björler decide to carry on, Marco Aro returns, Adrian Erlandsson rejoins, and Ola Englund joins as lead guitarist.

The EP Eye of the Storm comes out in January 2014, and the band performs at the 70000 Tons of Metal festival shortly afterwards. Exit Wounds follows later in 2014. The band appears at Maryland Deathfest in 2015. Century Media Records announces Strength in Numbers in 2017, and the album is issued that August.

By 2022, the band is working on new material, and recording for a tenth studio album is underway by 2024. Songs of Last Resort is released in 2025. At that point, the line-up includes Marco Aro, Patrik Jensen, Ola Englund, Jonas Björler and Adrian Erlandsson.

Line-up and related musicians

Members and former members named in the band’s history include John Zwetsloot, Peter Dolving, Adrian Erlandsson, Anders Björler, Jonas Björler, Patrik Jensen, Marco Aro, Per Möller Jensen and Ola Englund. The band’s history also includes Marcus Sunesson as a temporary replacement for Anders Björler.