Sweden is one of the countries spearheading the rebirth of 80's metal, along with Canada and a few others. And while the primary focus is on NWOTHM bands (and the commotion WATAIN caused with their rebirth of "true black metal"), other genres are also blooming in the soft warm light of what it was like nearly four decades ago. Namely, glam, or "hair" metal. Now, CONFESS call themselves just "a hard rock/heavy metal band", and I wholeheartedly agree with this, as any genre definition formed around something other than the music - be it hairdo, clothes, or lyrics (I'm looking at you, "pirate metal" and "Christian metal") - should be declared illegal. If we start taking visual appearances under real consideration, a lot of bands will suddenly become "fat metal", and nobody wants that. But principles of terminology aside, "Haunters" sees CONFESS'es style evolve a bit towards genuine heavy metal, from the strong glam (or "sleaze" as they call it in Sweden these days) sound of their 2014 debut "Jail". In addition, their current release shows great growth in songwriting and atmosphere.

The album features an intriguing cover art that, in addition to immediately capturing the attention of any fan looking for retro sound, also manages to establish strong identity for the band, set around their alleged anthem, "We Are the Rats". The cover will also be super attractive for anyone, who as a kid was a fan of the cartoon "Biker Mice from Mars", I personally confirm. The album itself starts its full hour of music with the instrumental intro "Irony", which immediately establishes the different atmosphere that this release will carry, compared to "Jail" - a sound that is more serious, fleshed-out, rich, and closer to early 80's melodic heavy than to late 80's glam. "Strange Kind of Affection" transitions seamlessly from the intro, and opens the album brilliantly. A song of beautiful guitarwork, memorable riffs, perfect vocal execution, and a catchy melodic composition that is also easy to headbang to.

"Stand Our Ground" starts hard and heavy, continuing the formula established with the previous song in a fresh take. Same superlatives apply. "We Are the Rats" and "Haunting You" are the staples of the release, the former being a superbly enjoyable powerful guitar-driven track with a very strong rhythm and a notable solo, while the latter is a slow and heavy hitting ballad that is guaranteed to haunt your consciousness for quite a while. "Haunting You" may be a tender track to its core, but it features some of the heaviest riffs on the album and is definitely my favorite track. "Talia" starts with a very curious synthwave intro before progressing in a light-hearted ballad with mellow melodic undertones and beautiful guitarwork. "How Could I Let You Go" is the third ballad in a row, completing the soft heart of "Haunters", this time going for melancholic, keyboards-centered sound.

"Animal Attraction" loads us on a motorcycle and hauls us out of Feelsville and back into Rocktown. With its upbeat tempo, atmosphere of freedom, and beautiful guitars, the song is great to ride to, again personally confirmed. "I Won't Die" alternates tender slow verses with fast and powerful choruses, and a brilliant epic mid bridge.  In comparison with the great material so far, "Lady of Night" feels like generic uninspired filler, which is a bit disappointing, but luckily, the album so far has been so good that even if the whole final third is pure trash, it would still be an album worth buying. "Tonight" - another slow emotional track - serves as a short intro to the closing section of the album, transitioning seamlessly into "Let the Show Go On" - an upbeat, yet emotionally charged song, trying desperately to escape from the elevated expectations of being named so similarly to QUEEN's intergalactic transdimensional masterpiece "The Show Must Go On". Unfortunately, for that or another reason, falls victim to mediocrity, even though the keyboards reminded me slightly of JOURNEY in a favorable manner. "Eye to Eye" is a boy-band pop song, full MTV style. I'm not sure how that ended up on the album. "Vittring" is a funny little bar song in Swedish as a tribute to the local crowds.

"Jail" was not a bad album, but "Haunters" tops it in every aspect imaginable (even though I personally would have ended it all on "I Won't Die"). Not only that some parts of the first half of the album are straight up NWOBHM that would please way more metalheads than the MOTLEY CRUE-esque sound of their debut, but also the tracks show much more complexity and content, way better management of tempo and offset of slow versus fast, and hard versus soft segments, and most importantly - the band sounds like they actually have something to say with their music. An original message to convey, a statement to make, rather than just to put out an album and be proud of existing. John Elliot's voice is brilliant throughout the record, never dropping the ball for a second. The drumming is simple but solid, while still having a few moments here and there to shine on its own. Bass - perfect, guitars - brilliant, production - clean and tight. Every song features a distinct melody, and while the atmosphere is clearly inspired from the 80's, I never once heard the band copying established acts. The album can be figuratively split in three sections - from the start up until "Haunting You" forming the heavy metal part of the album, from there to the end of "I Won't Die" forming the emotional centerpiece, and from "Lady of Night" up until the end, forming the part whose existence I personally refuse to acknowledge. But to each their own. Despite ending on a low point for me, "Haunters" would be a great addition to any glam metal fan's collection, and also a valuable addition for any heavy metal fan, who doesn't feel strong hatred or disgust towards glam influences.