Our love for Sacramento Metal mavens Will Haven knows no bounds. We might sport a Carpe Diem-related tattoo and are seriously considering a trek across the country to finally see them live since, as we get older, the likelihood of WH playing the East Coast (Or MA specifically) while we’re still regularly attending Metal shows is getting more and more unlikely with each passing day. They were one of those bands where we bought into the hype from reading deftones articles in Kerrang!, quickly consumed what was available, didn’t get it, then subsequently bashed our head against a wall when Carpe Diem came around and changed our world.
Since then we’ve been fans for life. Through thick and thin. Meaning lamenting when vocalist Grady Avenell left the band briefly and Will Haven was apparently closed for business. And going out of our way to hunt down the one and only release from Ghostride as it featured WH OG’s Mike Martin and Jeff Irwin (A fact easily confirmed when hearing those voluminous sounds Irwin makes on guitar in this new setting) along with Cayle Hunter and Mitch Wheeler who would all rejoin when Will Haven returned with a new singer soon after. We were cautiously optimistic when longtime friend of the band, Red Tape’s Jeff Jaworski, took over the monumental task of building on the sonic legacy the band had already created. And while pleasantly surprised by Jaworski’s lone recorded offering in the form of 2007’s The Hierophant, absolutely celebrated the return of Avenell for 2011’s Voir Dire. Because there is such a thing as a match made in heaven. And the albums that have come since have been a testament to that fact. And the upcoming seventh full-length from the indescribable metallers is no different.
But. I. Digress.
Still with us? Good! Because we have a new album to talk about! It’s appropriately titled VII and to say that this is Will Haven’s best to date would be a vast understatement as it does the unthinkable and expertly does that thing that all bands try to do at some point but can’t quite pull off: Expertly combine elements that have made each and every one of the previous six records stand out. It culls from those that came before to forge something new and even more exciting. It’s got the raw nature of El Diablo and the abrasiveness of WHVN. The beginning of experimentation with sound textures and atmosphere from Carpe Diem is turned up to 11 and everything dark, vibrant, and, of course, Heavy that’s happened from 2011 until now is all here. It’s easily next level Will Haven.
“Luna” is short but explosive, setting the tone and pace of what’s about to going down with “5 On Fire” really getting into the grindset of Will Haven early as this is the fastest the band have been in some time with Avenell sounding positively ferocious to echo the sentiment of the rest of the band on this outing. “For All Future Time” is made up of huge chunky chugging riffs from axe master Irwin that’s a little reminiscent of Crowbar’s Sludge-tastic guitars before a start/stop cadence moves towards a more ethereal section that’s Will Haven through and through with “Paloma’s Blessing” being hurled forward next thanks to the propulsive drumming of Mitch Wheeler and a menacing rumble from bassist Adrien Contreras.
“Wings Of Mariposa” dropped in late May and as an early preview of the record it’s unlike anything the band have released as a lead single with the in-your-face bombast it presents as the charge of Irwin’s crunchy riffage and Avenell’s scream to start and throughout is both vicious and vital. Then we have “Diablito” which is where it’s at with a driving, pummeling number encapsulating all the loud and fast things steadily until coming upon this magnificent breakdown that’s haunting with the way Sean Bivins’ keyboards are presented here alongside Irwin’s stunning guitar sounds. “Diablito II” bleeds out of that sonic carnage for an instrumental interlude (Or maybe more of a reprieve in this case) which is all aggro atmosphere all the time that segues nicely into “No Stars to Guide Me” which is built from a chilling piano line and echoed Avenell screams.
“Feeding the Soil” rides a fine line between modern Will Haven with the ongoing menacing air that surrounds it while the Irwin riffsplosion that permeates across the track also places it in this radical El Diablo comfort zone and then “La Ultima Nota” offers up the ultimate comedown to close that’s no less creepy than what’s come before with a uniquely vibrant ambience that subtly grows until the end.
VII releases through Minus Head Records on July 7th. Pre-orders are up now and can be perused and purchased by heading here or here. For the latest on Will Haven, including info about their upcoming August West Coast run which features a stop at this year’s Furnace Fest, follow them across the information superhighway when you click here, here, or here.
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