7/10

There is a particular kind of album that almost feels like a confrontation with the artist’s own past. And the debut full-length from Denver alternative rock outfit Thorn Haven, 'Never Present', belongs firmly in that category.

Across eleven emotionally charged tracks, the band navigate addiction, depression, family trauma, grief and self-destruction with a level of candour that can be difficult to sit with at times. Yet it is precisely that willingness to expose wounds rather than simply reference them that gives the record its power.

From the opening moments of 'Bane', Thorn Haven establish a world drenched in unease. Thick walls of guitar crash against moments of fragile vulnerability, immediately introducing the central tension that defines the album. Throughout the record, the band balance crushing heaviness with introspective songwriting, creating a sound that feels equally indebted to the emotional rawness of early-00s alt-rock and the textured melancholy of modern shoegaze.

But what separates 'Never Present' from many records operating in similar territory is its narrative ambition. The album unfolds almost like a series of fragmented memories, moving through different chapters of a life marked by loss, regret and survival. Each song feels connected to a larger emotional journey, yet retains its own identity within the broader framework.

Tracks such as 'Splitting' and 'Die Alone' rank among the album’s most devastating moments. It's here that Thorn Haven examine difficult subjects through a deeply personal lens. The questions raised throughout these songs are uncomfortable precisely because they feel authentic, exploring fears that many people carry but rarely articulate.

Elsewhere, 'Thirst' and 'Wayside' tackle dependency and emotional exhaustion with equal conviction. The band’s songwriting excels when examining relationships strained by self-destruction, capturing the helplessness of watching someone drift further away despite every attempt to pull them back. There is no easy resolution offered here, only honesty.

Musically, Thorn Haven are equally compelling. Massive guitar tones sit alongside moments of atmospheric restraint, allowing the songs to breathe before crashing back into life. The influence of bands such as Deftones and Fleshwater is certainly present, but the group avoid sounding derivative. Instead, they use those touchstones as a foundation to build something distinctly their own.

By the time the title-track arrives, 'Never Present' feels like the closing chapter of a difficult conversation. Its sweeping finale brings together the record’s central themes with a sense of hard-earned reflection, offering neither redemption nor despair, but something more nuanced.

For a debut collection, 'Never Present' is remarkably assured. Thorn Haven have created a record that embraces vulnerability without sacrificing intensity, delivering an album that feels both deeply personal and broadly relatable. It is heavy in every sense of the word, emotionally, lyrically and sonically, but beneath the darkness lies the simple act of surviving long enough to tell the story.