WILL HAVEN
VII (Minus Head)
They’ve been bludgeoning us with lead-weighted riffs since their explosive debut album El Diablo in 1997, but Sacramento noisemakers Will Haven have added another string to their bow of late. Later releases have seen them incorporate soundscapes and samples into their downtuned guitar assault, and that’s more apparent than ever in VII where texture is king, giving the album a richer dynamic.
You could even, if you so wished, accuse the band dipping their toe in prog territory – albeit in their own way, with the devastating heaviness of Diablito sitting right next to the soothing, calm keyboard tones of Diablito II. Will Haven have always straddled that line between Deftones and Converge and overall VII doesn’t stray too far from that path, with singer Grady Avenell’s gravel-throated shriek still as incisive as ever. An album that sees Will Haven open an exciting new chapter in the band’s history.
words CHRIS ANDREWS