Minus Head Records today releases the details for the seventh full-length album from long-running Sacramento, California hardcore quintet, Will Haven. Confirming the monstrous VII for release on July 7, the record’s cover art, tracklisting, pre-orders, and more have been posted alongside a video for the single “5 Of Fire”.
Arguably the dimmest and most fierce material from Will Haven to date, the ten songs on VII take longtime fans back to the band’s earliest releases in their groove-heavy darkness, while the band continues to expand on their atmospheric and immersive qualities, forging a record that covers all the band’s bases while still showcasing a forward-thinking unit forging a modern sounding album.
VII was recorded at Pus Cavern Studios in Sacramento, engineered by Joe Johnston (Deftones, Dance Gavin Dance, Hoods), produced and mixed by Joe Johnston and Will Haven, and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music. The record also features guest vocals and additional lyrics on “Evolution Of A Man” by Reykjavik Osburn Bigfeather, and the final note of “La Ultima Nota” was played by Will Haven fans.
Having released the album track “Wings Of Mariposa” last year as an early harbinger of what was to come with VII, today a video for the album’s second single “5 Of Fire” has been released. The new video was directed by David Owen Blackley of Her Name Is Murder Productions, who was also responsible for Will Haven’s Foreign Films II documentary released last year.
With the new single, guitarist Jeff Irwin writes, “‘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.”
Reflecting on the VII album he states, “We began working on songs right before Covid hit, so we spent those years just messing around with ideas, riffs, and arrangements. The creation of this record was a bit of a process, but it gave us an escape from everything else going on in the world. To this day, I am still trying to wrap my head around this record. It's heavy, chaotic, mellow, beautiful, and dark. It's more of an art piece than your normal standard songs, and that's exactly what we wanted. I love hearing it in its entirety and am looking forward to performing all of the songs. It's even more of a journey when you hear it live.”
Watch Will Haven’s “5 Of Fire” video below. The track is now streaming on all digital providers.
VII will be released on July 7, on CD, LP, and digital platforms. Find pre-ordering options at Bandcamp where “5 Of Fire” and "Wings Of Mariposa" are streaming, here.
VII tracklisting:
"Luna"
"5 Of Fire"
"For All Future Time"
"Evolution Of A Man"
"Paloma’s Blessing"
"Wings Of Mariposa"
"Diablito"
"No Stars To Guide Me"
"Feeding The Soil"
"La Ultima Nota"
"5 Of Fire" video:
"Wings Of Mariposa" video:
Will Haven lineup:
Grady Avenell – vocals
Jeff Irwin – guitar/keyboard/vocals
Mitch Wheeler – drums
Adrien Contreras – bass
Sean Bivins – keyboards/piano
(Photo - Eric Rivera)
