Haunt

BURST INTO FLAME

SHADOW KINGDOM FRESNO’S DOOM DENIZEN CHANGES TACK WITH STIRRING RESULTS Not content with flying the flag for doom with Beastmaker, Trevor Church seems determined to corner the market in old-school tropes done properly. Haunt are an unapologetic tribute to the wildly melodic days of early Maiden, later Lizzy and the flawed but intermittently fruitful splurge of the NWOBHM. Unlike many of their peers, however, they never sound like a studied or cynical attempt to mimic something they only ever experienced second hand. These are brilliant songs; the sublime sound of those twinlead refrains and the understated swing of the rhythm section make the opening title track and the indecently catchy Reflectors feel at least comparable to the classics they’re saluting. The production, too, strikes a balance between old-school rawness and modern heft. File under ‘heavy metal’ and play loud.

FOR FANS OF: ANGEL WITCH, IRON MAIDEN, WOLF

DOM LAWSON