Self-proclaimed ghost punks Hauntu, present their latest album, The Unknown Reigns. Ten tracks, just over thirty minutes of spooky anthems, bring out the ethereal feelings and sounds of this San Diego band. While you may be expecting much more sun from a band from California, listener beware: Hauntu is anything but sunny.
Opening track, “Crooked Teeth,” kicks off the album with a very Television, Marquee Moon-like guitar, but once the rest of the band joins, it immediately sets the tone for this record: dark, broody, and gothy in some parts. Hauntu makes sure you feel every inch of this song. It’s impressive to me that they can be that incorporeal with their sound without having to use keys. A testament to the sound and skill of this band’s members.
You could probably file the genre of ghost punk under horror punk, but it does feel like its own beast. You can hear the Danzig drawl in vocalist Rebecca Ann Antuna’s voice. Musically, a song like “Panic” definitely has some crossover with Alkaline Trio. It feels like it’s more about the atmosphere and the feeling of sitting with it than it is about the shock.
A song like The Knife leans really hard into the haunting aspects of their sound, and probably in the best way on The Unknown Reigns. Garage rock with interesting (in a good way) arrangements is what differentiates these songs from being straight horror punk and keeps them from being too cliché. They’re much more accessible than other bands that have attempted this sound.
The Unknown Reigns fires on all cylinders. This album is so well put together and has talented players behind it. These aren’t just thrashed-out punk rock songs ready to annihilate a crowd. These are well-thought-out, riffy songs with a penchant for the dark arts that need to swirl around your brain a bit. Hauntu’s dark and macabre sound is catchier than you’d expect and definitely worth a listen.
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