Will Haven

Voir Dire

Do you remember what life was like at the turn of the century? We do. We were busy thinking we could skateboard, and wore trousers so big that you’d need to take 3 steps before they even flinched. We also, for our sins, listened exclusively to nu metal, because no one really has a clue about anything when they’re 15. One of the genuinely good bands to make their mark from that era were the Deftones, and anyone who did a bit of digging will have found out they were chums with two other bands in their home town. One was Far and more importantly, the other was Will Haven.

Will Haven were as far away from nu metal as possible, and had a bit of a cult following. They made 3 albums and an EP of the most explosive, cathartic metal you could find and then called it a day for a few years. Well, after a middling album in 2006 (which we will not speak of), they’re back with Voir Dire. And ready to knock seven shades of shit out of anything. After a relatively subtle start, the album runs the gamut from crushing sludgy hardcore noise to spooky, brooding atmospherics, and there’s not a dull moment. The guitars are so detuned and heavy they could knock down buildings, and vocalist Grady Avenell (who’s returned to the band after bloody ages) is in possession of a roar so feral that the Cloverfield monster would leg it back to his mum, floods of tears falling down its face. The music here is so violent and empowering that you’ll want to benchpress a juggernaut and throw it off a bridge after you hear it.

Will Haven are the kind of metal band that should be huge. They don’t spend 800 milion pounds on haircuts, they wear sensible clothes, and they do this because they love it. This isn’t about marketing or trends, it’s about a group of guys in a room making the most spectacular noise they can. Will Haven are living proof that the art of making a horrendous metallic racket is alive, well and looking to the future.