Metal Underground.com

If anyone deserves a comeback, it's Jesper Stromblad. Not only did he make metal history with In Flames, but he also proved that he could restart his career with a new band after a heavily publicized battle with alcoholism. And what a comeback it is, particularly since The Resistance is absolutely nothing like In Flames. Yes, there are a few Gothenberg riffs, but overall, the sound is more in line with a cross between Grave, Pantera and “Chaos A.D.”-era Sepultura. This thing hits like a haymaker to the nuts, and stays with you just as long.

As somebody who always felt that Marco Aro was out of place in The Haunted compared to Peter Dolving, he certainly fits the music here, which is far groovier and heavier than anyone ever expected it to be. His throaty rasps mix well with the grinding guitars to bring forth a wall of sheer sonic wrath, which has far more in common with his Face Down material than anything he did with The Haunted. Yet, he's able to make his harsh vocals sound almost melodic on the chorus of “Face to Face.” It's a terrific performance, despite Aro's notoriously limited range.

Stromblad's signature soloing style is still intact, providing a contrast to the otherwise pounding assault. It somehow still fits the music and is the lingering ghost of In Flames. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and in a way, that's reassuring. For as much as I felt that In Flames went downhill after “Clayman,” it's good to see two former members pay homage to their roots in a way that doesn't dominate the sound.

As somebody who generally hates EPs (and was more than a bit worried that The Resistance was simply going to be In Flames-lite), I simply can't help but recommend this to anyone looking for a new band that's able to resurrect everything good about the early '90s, with buzz saw guitar tones and mid-paced churning groove riffs defining the EP. The real question is, will this level of quality still remain on the inevitable full-length?