Trevor William Church is a man who apparently doesn’t sleep – he is either on tour or composing/ recording a new Haunt album. Nine full-length albums plus one compilation of EPs (2020s Triumph) in less than eight years sounds hard to believe but it’s a fact. Ignite comes out seventeen months after the solid Dreamers and I’m happy to say it keeps up with the quality of its predecessor.
It would be hard to imagine there’s a metal fan who hasn’t heard of Haunt already, but this is the old school, stripped-down heavy metal band of Trevor Church (previously known from Beastmaker). The band currently features also Andres Saldate on drums, Andy Lei (guitars) and Sammy Harman (bass). Their style has been really consistent throughout: solid, catchy guitar riffs laying the foundation for some hard-rocking tunes, with the mid-range, even, sometimes solemn vocals of Trevor. Songs like the lead single Soaring Through The Ages, Eventide, Not The Same or Shattered Past burst with vigor and energy while the title track and Long Cold Lonely Winter show some nice twists and turns in the arrangement which keep the listener engaged and diversifies the album mood.
With Our Angel is another strong up-tempo song, demanding crowd sing-along, with some really nice, although short guitar solos. Even is Haunt don’t try to reinvent the wheel, they have definitely managed to create their own niche of old-school worship due to Trevor’s utter dedication to the cause. Maybe albums like Flashback or Golden Arm didn’t manage to offer consistency and enough punch, but Ignite is definitely among the best bunch of songs bearing the Haunt logo. The closing song If I Said Goodnight is another absolute winner, semi-balladesque, but also heavy, very atmospheric and memorable. I also have to say that this is probably the best-sounding Haunt album so far, no doubt.
Haunt is a band you can always count on to deliver great classic heavy metal and the best thing is there’s no sign of slowing down for Mr. Church. We should also mention the special attention he pays to promoting the band through great merchandise and even via a boutique annual fest called Frozen In Time for true supporters of the new wave of trad metal. What’s not to love?!
8,5/10
Ignite will be out on August 13th and can be ordered from HERE
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