Mitch Wheeler

Live Review: Will Haven at Knitting Factory NoHo

There are some bands that have a certain aura about them that when they play live. It’s almost as though there is a cosmic shift that delivers an amount of energy that permeates through each person on stage and then into the audience. One such band that has this is the mighty Will Haven. Their most recent tour stop in Los Angeles (well technically North Hollywood) was a prime example of this aura taking over and infecting the crowd.

Opening the night was Arc Angles. If you haven’t heard Arc Angles, you should fix that. This three piece is a band that is explosive, creative and methodical in what they do. Not only did they set the tone for the evening, they sure made it a hard act to follow with their high energy set that showcased songs from their debut album Apocalisp and their most recent EP, Daisy. Having seen Arc Angles a few times and written about them a bunch, it’s been a pleasure to see how they keep pushing themselves to evolve and write songs that are both catchy yet slap you in the face.

Next up was Stronger Than Machines. These guys are one hell of a force to be reckoned with. If Arc Angles set the tone, Stronger Than Machines then raised the bar even more. Their metal-core style fit perfectly for the evening. Another band with a ton of energy that flowed right into the audience. One of the things I really like most about this band is their want to play hard and deliver a show that not only is true to them but also really gets the audience involved. Having a bit of a melodic tinge to their songs shows the dynamic range that they are capable of and they are only just getting started.

Right in the middle was Curse. These guys brought the rock to the night and in a way gave a bit of breathing room of all the heaviness happening. Their set was fun and energetic. Armed with catchy hooks and melodic touches, Curse was definitely not cursed this evening.

Before Will Haven was the Venice legends, Cycotic Youth. They brought a punk rock energy to the night that opened up the pit a bit and started to get the frenzy going. Rocking songs from their first album in many years, Cycotic Youth tore through song after song, and even had a little time for some stories about the early days of the band. They brought the audience to a level that was hungry for Will Haven, which was quite perfect.

Now, Will Haven took things to a whole other level of heavy. Celebrating their now 20 year old classic album, Carpe Diem, Will Haven ripped and tore North Hollywood a new one with their no holds barred performance. That aura I was speaking about at the beginning of this review was all over the stage and then filtered to the audience. With each song, the crowd got more and more into the show. Will Haven kept delivering killer riffs, rhythms and vocals that could be felt throughout the whole building. I’ll never forget hearing Carpe Diem for the first time. It’s one of those albums that when you hear it, it immediately inspires you to want to go make heavy music. Will Haven are one of the best to do this style of heavy music. So much so that when you hear a band imitate it, it makes you want to just go listen to Will Haven. After they ran through Carpe with brilliance, it was time for a couple new songs from their exquisite new album, VII. These new songs and album are one of the best of 2023. Here’s a crazy thought too, Carpe Diem was released 20 years ago and it left a mark on heavy music, and now 20 years after that, Will Haven has delivered another classic album with VII that will and should influence another generation of bands. What a great set Will Haven put on. One of those that I will definitely remember for many years to come.

One last note about the night, this was a pleasure to help put on and curate. Working with The Cobalt Presents (aka The Cobalt Cafe) and The Radford Media Group on putting shows together has been a blast. I highly urge you to come check out what we have coming up. We have been putting shows on for the past 2 years and it’s only getting better!

ARC ANGLES LIVE:

STRONGER THAN MACHINES LIVE:
WILL HAVEN LIVE:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CwmVH7eo3NA/?hl=en

Album Of The Week: Will Haven- VII


The mighty Will Haven are back with a new album that is absolutely intense yet has a balance of atmosphere and experimentation that only they can deliver. VII is the band’s seventh studio album and it takes no prisoners. The record is filled with riffs and grooves while at the same time pummeling rhythms that propel the gut wrenching vocals.

From the moment the album starts with “Luna” you know that this album is just waiting to explode. The sludgy/hardcore elements found throughout the album are classic yet feel fresh. Throughout the album it’s more and more apparent that this isn’t a heavy record for the sake of being heavy, there’s a lot to uncover as each song unfolds. The most prevalent aspect found throughout the album is the use of atmosphere. As each song grabs you by the throat, there is a bit of air between the grasp that explores different grooves and textures not found on most hardcore albums. I’d even go as far as to say there’s some psychedelic vibes going on here. For example the songs “For All Future Time” and “Paloma’s Blessing” both showcase Will Haven at it’s experimental finest. Then you also have a song like “Feeding The Soil” that is eerie as it gets under your skin. And then you have my favorite track on the album (as of this writing) “No Stars To Guide Me.” This song is a true highlight on the album but also in the bands catalog. This song is exactly the song I’d point to if I were to tell someone about Will Haven. It encompasses everything and more to love about this band and album.

Will Haven have indeed left their influential mark in heavy music throughout the years. The band’s cult status has only grown over the years, and for a band this far into their career, to put out an album that has it’s own identity and signature is quite the statement. VII is one hell of an album. I urge you to listen to it loudly and on repeat, because once it stops, your hunger for it will only grow deeper! Be sure to come out to The Knitting Factory in North Hollywood on Wednesday August 30, 2023 to witness Will Haven LIVE along with Cycotic Youth, Curse, Stronger Than Machines and Arc Angles TICKETS HERE!

Overall Rating: 9/10

Will Haven- VII:

Band Of The Week: Will Haven

On July 7, 2023 the mighty Will Haven will unleash their long awaited new album, VII (pre-orders available HERE). I personally am quite stoked on there being a new Will Haven album. Their last opus, Muerte was top notch and showed that there is still much more in the tank. They have now released two singles “Wings Of Mariposa” and the latest offering “5 Of Fire” and oh boy is it a scorcher for damn sure. Guitarist Jeff Irwin said of the track ” ‘5 Of Fire‘ is to me the blueprint for this record; it’s heavy, chaotic, with different moods and tempo changes. We wanted to challenge ourselves by writing live in real time, and this song was the one to set that off. I love how it came out and I find myself going back and listening to it over and over again. I still find something new every time I listen.” Based on that little description, I’m even more excited to hear what lies ahead on the 10 songs that will be on the new record. I’ve always felt like Will Haven never got the due they deserved. Their 2001 album, Carpe Diem is still one of the gems of the time as well as their entire catalog. You can catch Will Haven live at this years Furnace Fest in September as well as at The Knitting Factory in North Hollywood on August 30 with Arc Angles, Stronger Than Machines, Cycotic Youth and more. And don’t forget to blast the ever living hell out of “5 Of Fire!!!!”

Will Haven- 5 Of Fire:

Will Haven- Wings Of Mariposa:

By: Brian Lacy

Photo Credit: Eric Rivera

Unsung Masterpieces: Will Haven- Carpe Diem
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If there is one thing that has always been mind blowing to me is that the bands that are huge influences on so many “Bigger” bands are often overlooked by the masses. The strange reality of all this justifies my thoughts that those in charge really don’t have a clue what is good and isn’t. There is a band from the Sacramento area that really left a huge mark on the bands like Deftones and Far. That band is Will Haven. In 2001, Will Haven unleashed what I consider to be an unsung masterpiece entitled Carpe Diem. Clocking in at just over 45 minutes, the ten songs on the album are honest, emotional and chaotic with dashes of atmosphere. There are so many things about this album that have rubbed off on other bands from the guitar tones, song structures, vocal delivery and style, and even lyrical content. Songs like “Bats,” “Carpe Diem,” “Dolph Lundgren,” “Dressed In Night Clothes,” “Finest Our,” and “Moving To Montana,” have been my absolute favorites on this album and still hold up over 15 years later.

If you are a fan of heavy music and you’ve never heard this band or album, I urge you to stop what you are doing for the next hour and listen to this. And if it’s been a while since you’ve listened to Carpe Diem, stop what you are doing and take a trip back to 2001 and rediscover a great album.

 

Will Haven- Carpe Diem: