Haunt Opens the "Windows Of Your Heart" (Review)
If you’ve been following Fresno vocalist guitarist Trevor William Church’s career, then you’ll know how extremely prolific he’s been with his traditional heavy metal band Haunt. Since its 2017 inception, Haunt has released two EPs and six full-length albums. In addition, Church’s doom metal side band Beastmaker also went on a musical tear by releasing 14 EPs and two full-length albums within a span of eight years.
On Haunt’s seventh full-length album Windows Of Your Heart, Church & Co. continues the path it previously laid down without deviating too far from the band’s original blueprint. However, the band has picked up a few new traits along the way. The most notable of the new musical elements began with the band’s 2020 album Mind Freeze, which introduced haunting keyboard melodies and poppier songs. On Windows…, the keyboard segments aren’t as dramatic and are used only in a few songs, while the band’s trademark melodic dual guitar harmonies are still intact. Church also has assembled a brand new lineup consisting of his longtime Beastmaker bandmate Andy Saldate on drums, Andy Lei on guitars, and Chris Fletcher on bass.
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With straightforward song structures, the band constructs the songs that are easy to follow and are equipped with engaging melodies that lead to highly memorable moments. The ten tracks work well together as a whole, however, there are a few standout tracks that will most likely make the setlist on the band’s next tour. The swirling dive-bomb engine sounds of fighter planes soaring above the sky engaged in a dogfight sample greets the listener on opener and single “Mercenaries.” Segueing into a melodic guitar buildup, the track quickly propels into a speedy Iron Maiden-esque rhythmic gallop. Church’s vocal harmonies and melodic, mid-to-high ranged timbre are so vibrant and engaging, especially on the memorable singalong chorus. The following tracks continue the band’s ’80s traditional heavy metal formula that Church has perfected since forming Haunt. One of Haunt’s most dynamic musical traits is their knack for creating catchy choruses. For example, on “Windows Of Your Heart,” the singalong chorus alone is worth the price of admission and will be stuck in your head for days. The final two tracks—”Frozen In Time” and “Defender”—appeared on previous records, but are bolstered here by better production values.
As the son of legendary bassist Bill Church (Montrose, Sammy Hagar), the younger Church has managed to stand on his own two feet with his own bands. Church is a songwriting machine, even pumping out several releases per year with precision-like prowess. Whether too much of a good thing is too much to handle is up to his fans. However, it’s great to hear what Church comes up with on each new Haunt release. If you’re looking for an album containing top-notch traditional heavy metal, then Windows Of Your Heart will do the trick.
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Windows Of Your Heart released on July 1st, 2022 via Iron Grip // Church Recordings..
