Will Haven is a Sacramento metal band, formed in 1995, regarded as one of the city's most respected longtime heavy-music acts.[1] Their sound resists easy labels, variously described as metalcore or post-hardcore, built on power, heaviness and driving rhythmic intensity.[2]
At a glance
- Formed in 1995, "right after high school."[1]
- From Sacramento; keeps a practice space off Marconi Avenue and recognizes "Sacto as being home base."[1]
- Fronted by original vocalist Grady Avenell; founding guitarist Jeff Irwin.[1][2]
- Toured the world with Deftones, Earth Crisis and Slipknot.[1]
- Slipknot percussionist Chris Fehn joined as bassist.[1]
- Released Voir Dire (Oct. 11, 2011) on Bieler Bros. Records.[1]
Origin and local status
Will Haven formed in 1995 "right after high school" and has paved a long road of albums and EPs.[1] The band is plainly local: Submerge calls them "one of Sacramento's most respected longtime metal veterans," they maintain a practice space off Marconi Avenue in Sacramento, and a fellow musician describes them as "recognizing Sacto as being home base."[1] A live review at Harlow's refers to the "local faithful" and the "hometown crowd" turning out for them.[2] They are also grouped among "Sacramento cred-bands" and "Sacramento-based bands" on a Papa Roach bill.[3]
Frontman Grady Avenell and guitarist Jeff Irwin first met in fifth grade, making their musical partnership one that predates the band's 1995 formation.[4]
Members and lineup
Jeff Irwin is the guitarist and a founding member.[1] Grady Avenell is the original vocalist; after a roughly four-year stretch without new material, his return fueled the band's renewed activity, and the 2011 album marked the first he had put out in nearly ten years.[1] By the Voir Dire era the lineup added keyboardist/synth player Adrien Contreras and bassist Chris Fehn — the percussionist for Slipknot, who joined after the bands toured together in 2000 and became close friends.[1]
In 2023, Death Valley High guitarist Sean Bivins — a friend of the band for more than 20 years — joined the lineup, contributing synths and extra guitars.[5][4]
Other Sacramento musicians have passed through or been associated with Will Haven. Guitarist Anthony Paganelli played in Will Haven (alongside his time in Tenfold and Shortie) before forming Horseneck.[6][7] Members of Shortie went on to "the project Will Haven" after that band parted ways in 2006.[8]
Sound and approach
Will Haven's music relies on power and heaviness coupled with driving rhythmic intensity, with a dual-guitar attack, keyboard atmospheres and rhythmic breakdowns; Avenell's searing screams are a defining feature.[2] A live set at Harlow's drew on songs including "I've Seen My Fate," "Helena," "Carpe Diem" and "Stick Up Kid."[2] On record, Voir Dire (French for "speak the truth") includes the six-minute track "Lost."[1] Guitarist Jeff Irwin framed the album as "the starting point to what we can do," saying the band had slowed its recording pace and put deeper passion into the music as the members aged into their mid-30s.[1]
The band took a deliberately punk-rock, low-overhead approach even when opening for arena-level acts — pulling up in an old van rather than tour buses, aiming "to try and kill everybody" and outdo the headliner.[1] As Irwin has put it: "We've never made money at this, ever, so it's always been a labor of love."[9]
Touring and recordings
Will Haven released a self-titled EP in 1996 before signing to a label.[5] They followed with several full-lengths before returning to the EP format with Open the Mind to Discomfort, released May 19, 2015 via Artery Recordings.[5]
Carpe Diem (2001) received significant critical attention, earning four stars from NME, which called it "the sound of a messy, cleansing purge in the name of rock n' roll."[4] The album was supported by extensive world-tour promotion — headlining shows in the US, UK, and Japan, and a spot on the Vans Warped Tour in Australia.[5][4] The single "Carpe Diem" featured Deftones frontman Chino Moreno in its promotional video.[5]
The Hierophant (2007) was co-produced by Chino Moreno.[5][4] Will Haven has toured the world with Deftones, Earth Crisis and Slipknot.[1] They toured Europe with Slipknot in 2000.[1] San Francisco band Death Valley High was on tour in Europe with Will Haven around 2008–2009.[10] Voir Dire was released Oct. 11, 2011 on Bieler Bros. Records.[1] The band's recordings have been worked on at Pus Cavern by Matt Pedri, who has also recorded Armed for Apocalypse.[7]
Frontman Grady Avenell has described the band's limited ambitions outside Sacramento: "We never really set out to do anything but play music outside of Sacramento."[9]
Scene relationships
Will Haven is deeply woven into Sacramento's tight-knit heavy-music community. The band played benefit shows ("the Chi benefits") in support of Deftones bassist Chi Cheng, left in a minimally conscious state after a 2008 car accident; those shows reignited Avenell's drive to make new music.[1] Jesse Mitchell of Red Tape / Kill the Precedent, a longtime friend, praised the band for "grinding it out since '95" while staying true to Sacramento.[1] Will Haven shared bills with Kill the Precedent and The Snobs (Harlow's EP release, Aug. 6, 2011) and with Helmet and Bison B.C. (Harlow's, Sept. 8, 2010), and played Papa Roach's Ace of Spades homecoming bill (Feb. 25, 2011) alongside Track Fighter.[11][2][3] Sacramento promoter/manager Eric Rushing is connected to several Will Haven–adjacent musicians.[7]