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HAUNT
Ignite

Church Recordings (2025)
Rating: 7/10

Eleven studio albums in eight years surely makes Californian metal band Haunt one of the most prolific out there. Don’t forget, this is the band who in 2020 released three full-length albums. Talk about being creative! Led, as always, by Trevor William Church (vocals and guitar), the current line-up also features guitarist Andy Lei (guitar), Sammy Harman (bass) and Andres Alejandro Saldate (drums). I’m amazed that Haunt has never run out of material such is their consistent nature, but Ignite once again shows how competent Church and comrades are.

Still capturing that 80s metal nostalgic warmth, Ignite begins with an atmospheric synth, the sort you’d expect to hear at the beginning of a vintage horror movie from 1986. It’s also the introduction to opening track ‘Extraordinary Life’, a cool and airy rocker that’s light on its feet as it marries New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and Ghost. Church’s vocals have always floated with spectral aplomb, his tones caressing the fizz of the galloping axe work and timely nods of bass and drums. Haunt have always relayed their music in effortless fashion, the apparent nonchalance being a defining factor of their sound. The only real sparks and stabs are the solo; the rest of the song seems content to remain as a modest amble.

‘Soaring Through The Ages’ is as simply delivered, almost daring to be emphatic yet casually restrictive, or should I say controlled. For pure 80s conjuration, however, then look no further than the smouldering fires of ‘Early Grave’ and ‘Long Cold Lonely Winter’; the melodies of the latter wouldn’t seem out of place on Ozzy Osbourne’s classic 1983 album Bark At The Moon.

‘With Our Angel’ gallops to a fluid bass spine as Church again flows modestly over the tight yet steady rhythms. Haunt brings no surprises with each song somewhat indicative of the band’s career; pleasurable, enchanting, smooth yet at times unfulfilling and lacking punch. Having said that, we all know the Haunt style by now, so if you were expecting something else then you should have left the room before the first chord was struck.

‘Eventide’ kicks in traditional metal style, the drums pronounced over the stable tide of the axe work, while ‘If I Said Good Night’ is a fine semi-ballad to round off the album where again there’s that mesmeric vibe of Ghost, particularly in the semi-sinister trickle of the vocals.

There are ten tracks on offer here, all evocative wisps which although lack a commanding presence, still maintain levels of suspense and warmth like the glow of a winter campfire where your mind creates images of dancing shadows behind the flickering flames.

Neil Arnold

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