ALBUM REVIEW: Muerte – Will Haven

Criminally underrated and seemingly forgotten for many years, WILL HAVEN have been producing an extremely high quality noise now for nearly twenty years, and since original frontman Grady Avenell returned to the band in 2009, they have been rejuvenated and their recent material has been amongst the strongest they have produced. Now with the release of their sixth album Muerte, they have brought back their familiar approach for another onslaught of ferocity.

As usual its full of ridiculously heavy downtuned riffs courtesy of Jeff Irwin, with Grady screaming for his life over the top of them, with the equally substantial rhythm section of Adrien Contreras (bass) and Mitch Wheeler (drums) backing them up all the way. After a slow building haunting and suspiciously quiet intro to Hewed With The Band, normal service is resumed, and apart from some mellower moments in Winds Of Change and The Son this material is up there with the most vicious and angry WILL HAVEN have ever produced. Those quieter segments do add a bit of respite, but its not long before you are dragged back into the chaos.

The interesting thing about Muerte is the away it draws you deeper into the spiral of despair as the album progresses. The introduction of guest vocalist Mike Scheidt of YOB gives you a brief respite form the taut, pent up rage during No Escape, buts it’s not long before you are brought back down to Earth with a massive crash. Muerte starts to get slower and heavier as it progresses and more desperate as it goes on. Now In The Ashes marries the two elements of the discordant melody and huge riffs to great effect, and by the time they get to album closer El Sol (a track co-written with DEFTONES‘ Stephen Carpenter), you have definitely been put through the mill. A fittingly epic way to end an album that takes a lot out of the listener.

Muerte is another slice of classic WILL HAVEN. Packed full of monolithic riffs, jarring melodic moments and a frontman possessed by the sheer force of the noise behind him. Not much has changed in the band’s outlook for the past twenty years, but when it’s achieved so well, you can’t ask for much more. The album starts off bleak and desolate, and the mood only darkens as the albums goes along, but that’s exactly what you expect from the Sacramento four piece. Muerte just might be the album which gets WILL HAVEN the recognition the truly deserve.

Rating: 8/10

Muerte is out now via minus HEAD Records.

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