Sacramento, California, famous for its gold-rush history and verdant landscapes, is also home to many noteable acts in the heavy music scene, including WILL HAVEN, a forceful quintet that has steadily carved a niche for itself within the dark hardcore scene. Today, the ensemble presents their seventh studio offering, ‘VII‘, an album that encapsulates the band’s musical evolution and propels it to fresh heights.
Released under the aegis of Minus Head Records, ‘VII’ is available for streaming worldwide from today.
A 10-track colossus, ‘VII‘ stands as possibly the heaviest and darkest material ever to emerge from WILL HAVEN’s artistic crucible. The album harks back to the raw intensity of their early releases while simultaneously exploring atmospheric and immersive qualities to produce a sonic landscape that feels both familiar and pioneering.
“‘VII‘ takes longtime fans back to their earliest records, while expanding on the atmospheric and immersive qualities of their output,” explains guitarist Jeff Irwin.
Recorded in Sacramento’s Pus Cavern Studios and engineered by Joe Johnston, the man behind Deftones, Dance Gavin Dance, and Hoods, ‘VII‘ was a collaboration in production and mixing between the engineer and WILL HAVEN. Mastering was executed by Alan Douches at West West Side Music. Adding a cherry to this already rich cake, the album includes a guest appearance from Reykjavik Osburn Bigfeather on “Evolution Of A Man”, while the closing note of “La Ultima Nota” was played by WILL HAVEN fans, a testament to the band’s close connection with their listeners.
“We are excited for long time fans and hopefully new ones to hear this record,” Irwin shares, “Get your headphones, sit back, grab a smoke or drink, and enjoy the ride…”
The band kicks off its album release with a hometown show tonight, followed by the Carpe Diem/VII tour in August, with performances scheduled in California, Nevada, and Utah from August 24th through 31st. The tour’s highlight is a set at Crucialfest in Salt Lake City on August 26th, where they’ll perform alongside Whores, Portrayal Of Guilt, Bongzilla, Cloakroom, and many more.
Interestingly, the tour will see the band performing their ‘Carpe Diem’ album in its entirety, along with fresh material from ‘VII’. Fans will also witness the return of original bassist Mike Martin to the lineup for these shows.
Furnace Fest in Birmingham is up next on September 23rd, where WILL HAVEN will join the likes of Hatebreed, Turnstile, Bane, Youth Of Today, Judge, Terror, Strife, and several others. As autumn paints the leaves in hues of red and gold, the band will journey across the pond to the UK and France in October for five shows.
While the journey of WILL HAVEN has been steeped in relentless pursuit of musical excellence, ‘VII’ serves as a beacon that illuminates their prowess and their unyielding dedication to their craft. As Decibel Magazine rightly states, “WILL HAVEN never dropped below a constant level of excellence… Their best album yet? What the hell… Yeah, it is.”
No matter where the band ventures next, one thing is for certain – WILL HAVEN will continue to enthrall fans old and new with their immense sound and the raw authenticity that they bring to the hardcore and alternative metal scene.
WILL HAVEN Tour Dates:
7/07/2023 Harlow’s – Sacramento, CA @ VII release show
8/25/2023 Alturas Bar – Reno, NV
8/26/2023 Crucialfest @ Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT [info]
8/27/2023 Divebar – Las Vegas, NV
8/29/2023 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
8/30/2023 Knitting Factory – Los Angeles, CA
8/31/2023 DNA Upstairs – San Francisco, CA
9/23/2023 Furnace Fest @ Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark – Birmingham, AL [info]
10/17/2023 Stereo – Glasgow, UK
10/18/2023 Rebellion – Manchester, UK
10/19/2023 The Underworld – London, UK
10/20/2023 Le Poche – Bethune, FR
10/21/2023 L’empreinte de Savigny le Temple – Beauvais, FR
