A lot happens in the first minute of the first song of this, the debut album of Denver alt-rockers, Thorn Haven. Tribal beats pound, tension rises, guitars explode into excendiary riffs, and then “Bane,” for that is the name of this opening salvo, settles into a dark, doomy groove. It’s a great way to set the sonic scene as Never Present is an album of such extremes. You have been warned.
“Splitting” displays the speed and metal ornateness that power much of their music, whilst “Save My Place” proves that they are equally able to fashion raw melodies from a heady blend of old-school classic grooves and more grunge-aware intensity.
“(25),” perhaps more an interlude than a song, is a strange, lulling found sound collage over a finger picked ebb and flow, a intro piece to the nu-metal-esque “Die Alone” which follows and, when taken together, reveals that under these brutal sounds is a caring heart as the song, like many found here, explore the darker aspects of modern life – mental health, addiction, disfunctional family life…. and suicide.
“Daze” perhaps perfectly showcases the complete sonic spectrum the band works with, a song that runs from raw, razor-wire sounds to dark, almost ambient interludes, taking in heart-aching crescendos and brooding, often brutal undercurrents.
Heavy music isn’t all about volume and velocity, nor is it all about the explosive extremes of the rock and roll genre…sure, these are important factors, but as Never Present demonstrates, it can also be about dynamic and atmosphere, heart and mind, that there can be melody in the muscle, grace within the grit and groove.
Yes, it’s big, but it is also clever. Very, very clever indeed.
