After a long break Will Haven is back with a new album. For me the first introduction with the band was when they were supporting Deftones earlier this year. Some people know front man Jeff Jaworski from this band from his previous band Red Tape which released an album on Roadrunner Records. But the band Will Haven started back in 1995 in Sacramento, CA, and got quite a name. Their first full length was released in 1997 and ever since the band released three albums in total. After a long hiatus the band returns with their new singer and in 2007 the band released their fourth full length, Heirophant.

The album consists out of thirteen dramatic songs with a sound best described as a combination of the Deftones vs (new) Poison The Well. During the album the vocals are the big accent on the music. Emotional screams of Jeff complete the sound of Will Haven. For this album the band has worked with long time friends Chino Moreno (Deftones) and Shaun Lopez (Deftones, Far) whoms influences are clear on this album resulting in a rough, doomish and slow melodic sound.

The first time you listen to this album and hear songs like 'King's Cross' or 'Skinner' the band manages to drag you along the music. But after a couple of spins it gets more and more of the same. The long parts and slumbering tempo of the songs aren't giving the album enough power to keep the listener focussed on the music. For some people this might work but many will not experience the band is trying to create. On the other hand the vocals don't contain a lot of variation which results in hearing the same thing for more than 50 minutes.

All in all Will Haven created a dramatic and melodic sound which was not what many are expecting of this band. The presence of the vocals is extreme but they are not sufficient to fill the leaping music of Will Haven. I experienced this problem live, on the album the band once again disappoints me.