Will Haven Conjures Atmospheric Chaos with “Winds of Change”

Sacramento-based mainstays of noise metal Will Haven recently announced their return, and have released their sixth full-length album and first for minus HEAD Records, entitled Muerte.

The band is following up on the successful release of their first single – the six minute-plus epic, “El Sol”, co-written and performed with guest guitarist Stephen Carpenter of Deftones. Will Haven dropped a second offering, “Winds of Change” – a track that showcases a more familiar side of the band without sacrificing their new stylistic direction. The four-piece wastes no time in conjuring a sonic maelstrom on “Winds of Change”, starting out in a frenzied fit of chaos and slowly cascading into a thumpy, droning, atmospheric down-spiral.

Guitarist Jeff Irwin says about “Winds of Change”: “This is probably my favorite song on the record. It was written somewhat early on and went through a lot of changes before we were ultimately happy with it. I envisioned something chaotic – that stress you might feel when you are about to die, and then I wanted the ending to be epic like you were floating away. So, capturing that emotion took some time but I think we did it. It was a lot of fun to make… this was a breakthrough song for us, as far as what we can possibly do with our music.”

Will Haven breathe entire new life into their sound with Muerte, taking notes from the past but incorporating modern tones to create a chaotic, haunting auditory attack. Throughout 2017, the members of WILL HAVEN secretly recorded Muerte at Pus Cavern Studios in Sacramento, CA with Joe Johnston engineering and co-producing alongside Irwin. They pieced together a corrosive, chaotic, and cohesive vision that never relents over its 11 tracks. Mastering was handled by Logan Mader (Devil You Know, Fear Factory, Periphery).

“…the best, most revolutionary album of its already storied underground career.” – Decibel Magazine
“…most foreboding and violent effort to date.” – Outburn Magazine
“…highly influential atmospheric noise metal…” – Revolver Magazine

Will Haven will perform at five California shows and one Oregon show this spring, including a May run with Fake Figures:

• 5/3 San Francisco, CA @ The Eagle
• 5/4 Fullerton, CA @ Programme Skate & Sound w/ Fake Figures
• 5/5 San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick w/ Fake Figures
• 5/6 Hollywood, CA @ The Viper Room w/ Fake Figures
• 6/23 Portland, OR @ Star Theater w/ Witch Mountain

The origins of noise metal legends Will Haven can be traced back to 1995, when they first emerged as a staple in Sacramento, CA’s storied underground. For the past two decades-plus, they’ve existed on the fringe of extreme music – championing an apocalyptic amalgam of metal, noise, hardcore, and alternative all their own. Will Haven have released a string of seminal and influential
albums, kicked off by 1997’s El Diablo and WHVN two years later. Between tours with everyone from Slipknot to Deftones, Carpe Diem proved an influential milestone in 2001 and garnered the band a spot on the Vans Warped Tour that year. Then, avowed fans and scene compatriots Chino Moreno and Far’s Shaun Lopez co-produced The Hierophant released in 2007. Slipknot percussionist Chris Fehn assumed bass duties on the 2011 opus Voir Dire, which landed among Metal Hammer’s “Top 50 Albums of the Year.” Following the release of 2015’s Open Mind to Discomfort EP, the band began sculpting Muerte.

Muerte track listing:

1. Hewed With the Brand
2. Winds of Change
3. Kinney
4. The Son
5. 43
6. No Escape (feat. Mike Scheidt of YOB)
7. Unit K
8. Ladwig No. 949
9. Bootstraps
10. Now in the Ashes
11. El Sol (co-written with/feat. Stephen Carpenter of Deftones)

Will Haven is:

• Grady Avenell – singer
• Jeff Irwin – guitar
• Adrien Contreras – bass
• Mitch Wheeler – drums

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