Haven Denied - Illusions Between Truth And Lie
They might be three albums and 11 years into their career, but Portugal's Haven Denied haven't yet succeeded in making themselves a household name. Admittedly their brand of malicious metal is unlikely to win over the mainstream mob, but by the same token they don't seem to be having much luck with the savvy scenesters either.
Unfortunately this doesn't look set to change with their latest full-length "Illusions Between Truth And Lie", which teeters on the edge of 'nearly there, but haven't quite made it'.
Indeed, the quintet put out all the stops on this 10-track release to impress, but at times it is slightly overwhelming. Whilst we love melodic and meaty riffs like the best of them, there is a fine line between complex and overcomplicated, this can be heard on songs like 'Ego Crisis' and 'Fathers Of The Same Son'.
Similarly, the listener is presented with an abundance of angsty and angry vocals, which do not always correspond well with the meticulous music. 'Our Lives Are Gone' and 'Mind Rapists' are both prime examples of this mismatch method.
However, in amongst these intense intricacies, there are marvellous moments when the ballsy band gets it right. Sounding superb on 'Of Illusions We Will Die' and 'Deadly Memories', the five-piece are at their finest when they slow the pace down ever so slightly.
Both tunes display somewhat softer vocal harmonies, whilst musically remaining rapid and rowdy without overdoing it. We're offered fervent and fast guitars, destructive drumming and an ardent approach, which should have been adopted throughout the whole album.
Following the two aforementioned highlights, Haven Denied throw the listener back into their overexerted style and structure, only to then confuse us just a little bit more by closing proceedings with instrumental Latin-driven 'Terminus'.
Whilst "Illusions Between Truth And Lie" might not be a masterpiece, it does show signs of potential and promise. If the Portuguese pack were to take the intensity down a notch and simplify their sound, which as demonstrated briefly on this album works immensely, they might be on to head-turning formula.