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I was a fan of Hunted's demo from 2008, so it's pleasing to see they managed to get a full-length out. All the creases from their demo have been firmly ironed out, with nice clear production and it's also nice to see all of the tracks from the demo featured here sounding a lot better.

Welcome the Dead is a fine display in musical technicality and mastery, which admittedly can be a little too much at times but for the most part is damn awesome. Tracks such as "Chosen", "Impaled" or "Scared" show what these guys do best. They really throw control out of the window and just let loose, with a very chaotic sound. "Chosen" shows this perfectly, with a fine selection of riffs and melodies, however they don't stop at that. Wild guitar leads burst in and out of the verses with some of albums finest licks, Chris G's vocals are just as crazy as they were on the debut, excellent range and some quality wails are Chris' game. However it would be rude not to point out the quality of the rhythm section, with the bass being perfectly audible and synced excellently with Matthew Thomas' drum barrage.

I hope this is the start of a bright career for Hunted, as they've certainly put out a quality album for their debut. The amount of talent and creativity on display here is nothing short of brilliant, they prove they can keep it up throughout the almost nine minutes of "Aria (In Memoriam)" a track that shows the band in a more melodic and sobering light as opposed to the madness throughout the rest of Welcome the Dead. Even the cover of Nevermore's "The Heart Collector" is handled very nicely. Overall Hunted certainly hit the nail on the head, and it makes me proud to see an act of this caliber clawing its way out of the UK. My main problem would be that at times they can become a little too overbearing but it really is a minor niggle considering the fun I've had with this release. Chaotic, powerful, and rather original if I may say so, here's hoping these guys get picked up by a label soon! Recommended.