Carpe Diem

Will Haven: Grady Avenell (vocals); Jeff Irwin (guitar, piano); Mike Martin (bass); Mitch Wheeler (drums).
Recorded at The Hanger, Sacto, California; The Appliance Shop, Los Angeles, California; Sound Arena, Van Nuys, California.
Carpe Diem can be seen as Will Haven's pinnacle in many ways. After great success with previous albums and riding upon the heels of tours with such bands as Deftones, Carpe Diem is a great question mark on the career of the band. Overall, this ten-song album finds the band picking up where previous works have left off. The vocals are reminiscent of Zack de la Rocha, with a throaty, hardcore yell, while the guitars dominate throughout. Will Haven is no doubt a brutal band and this album continues to show that to be the case. Unfortunately, many times the guitars are so prevalent that they overshadow any trace of the bass or the drumwork. While there are many gigantic grooves and abrasive riffs, it seems that much of this material could have easily been relevant on earlier Will Haven releases. Not a poor album by any means, but for an act who seemed ready to make the next big step, this is somewhat surprising. ~ Kurt Morris