Moderate Rock

New Will Haven is like a warm blanket. I want it to be more, I really do, the dudes in this band deserve such high praise for their consistency and staying power, but ‘Open the Mind to Discomfort’ is more of the same shifting sheet metal they’ve always done. That’s not to say they don’t do it well, not at all. Opener proper ‘Soul Leach’ finds the Sacramento outfit right in the pocket, forging downtuned foundation-shifting riffs, pounding percussion and eerie keys into a dark, claustrophobic hate song. ‘The Comet’ pushes and pulls at the pace a little but still manages to feel relentlessly downbeat and four ambient pieces placed around the heaviness do little to lighten the mood. It’s not the most memorable metal, it’s not even the most memorable Will Haven, but it is more of the rare and comforting sound that so specifically belongs to this band. The least comfortable kind of comfort music. Good to have you back boys.