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Sonic Haven: Vagabond

Heavy/Power Metal

3.5/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 05.12.2021 | Released: 07.05.2021

Sonic Haven is a new metal project from German vocalist Herbie Langhans. Largely active in the European theater since the early Nineties as a "gun-for-hire" singer, Langhans has been associated some fine metal acts including, to name a few, Seventh Avenue, Firewind, Sinbreed, Voodoo Circle, and Avantasia. Sonic Haven includes some of Langhans' musical associates: André Hilgers (Bonfire, Rage, Silent Force) on drums, Carsten Stepanowicz (Radiant) on guitars, and Dominik Stotzem (Beyond The Bridge) on bass. Sonic Haven's debut long-player, Vagabond, was produced by Langhans and mixed by studio veteran Sascha Paeth.

Sonic Haven

As the saying goes for offspring and their parents, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," so it fits for Langhans and his Sonic Haven project. Langhans and crew, simply stated, play classic European melodic heavy power metal. This has always been the vocalist's forte, so why decide to slip into the avant garde or become experimental?

Speaking then to some songs, for strict melodic power metal you get that straight from the start with the title cut, but also in the end with Blind The Enemy, From White To Black, and Striking Back. For something different, Back To Mad offers synths to start for a gentler opening (so to speak), before dashing into the fast and heavy once more. Strong guitar riffs are abundant across the album, but with Nightmares they're even more rabid as they're also propelled by a sturdy rhythm section. With The Darker Side, Sonic Haven slips in light electric guitar before developing more steady heavy metal, eschewing the rush of speed. Throughout Vagabond, Langhans offers his bit raspy and raw, yet clean, metal vocals, and strong guitar solos abound. All said, with Sonic Haven and Vagabond, veteran vocalist Herbie Langhans offers a standard, yet satisfying, album of traditional European melodic power metal. Recommended for fans of the same.

With Sonic Haven and Vagabond, veteran vocalist Herbie Langhans offers a standard, yet satisfying, album of traditional European melodic power metal. Recommended for fans of the same.

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