Marianas Trench releases new album

Canadian pop rock titans Marianas Trench have been on a thrilling musical adventure since their 2006 debut album, Fix Me. Over the years, the Vancouver-based quartet has become known for their high-octane performances, intricate musical compositions and an impressive discography which boasts two certified Double-Platinum albums, a Platinum record, a Gold-selling record and Triple-Platinum digital singles, not to mention several of awards, including the coveted 2013 JUNO Award for Group of the Year.

With chart-topping hits like “Stutter,” “Fallout” and “Who Do You Love,” they’ve established themselves as one of Canada’s most successful and enduring musical exports in recent years. Now, Marianas Trench bring us their brand new sixth studio album titled Haven, via 604 Records/Warner Music Canada. True to their legacy of evolution, Haven is a bold and ambitious project that showcases the band’s growth while staying true to the sound that’s earned them a loyal global fanbase.

The concept for Haven is rooted in the mythic structure of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey, a framework that’s influenced countless artistic works across various mediums. Lead vocalist, songwriter and producer Josh Ramsay explored Campbell’s work and found it a fitting blueprint for the album’s story arc. Each of the thirteen tracks on Haven corresponds to a key moment in the hero’s journey, offering listeners an emotionally-charged and thematically engaging experience.

Opened by the album’s lead single, “A Normal Life,” the song explores the feelings of not fitting into the conventional mould of society and yearning for something greater. Served up in a cinematic arrangement that flows from a blend of synths and orchestral strings to an explosive rock-focused sound of driving guitars and pounding drums capped by impassioned vocals, it’s a spectacular curtain-raiser that immediately sets the gripping tone of the album. The airy synth intro of “Lightning and Thunder” follows to deliver an uplifting anthem that highlights Ramsay’s vocal panache and the band’s ability to craft instantly catchy melodies.

Watch the music video for Lightning and Thunder below

“I’m Not Getting Better,” shifts into the darker aspects of the hero’s journey, dealing with insecurities and the struggle to overcome them. Brought to life with stuttered instrumental stabs, crunching guitar bursts, lively percussion and slick vocal leads, it’s a superb showcase of the band’s epic sound and creative flair.

Other highlights on the record include songs like “Stand and Fight” with its hushed, tender vocal delivery and elegant instrumentation gradually swelling with piano and dazzling orchestral elements as Josh Ramsay serves up an impassioned vocal performance above. Closing the album with title track “Haven,” the band serves up a moody soundscape of grooving rhythms, flickers of synths and twanging guitars to form a stellar finale that rises to lofty heights with gritty guitars and pounding drums.

As Marianas Trench prepares for their 2024 North American tour, aptly named the Force of Nature, Haven is set to be a centrepiece of their live performances. The tour promises to be a celebration of the band’s latest evolution, bringing their cinematic soundscapes and theatrical energy to audiences across the US and Canada.

Commenting on the LP, lead guitarist Matt Webb shares, “This is what a year and half of blood, sweat, tears and untrimmed facial hair sounds like. We set out to make this record with the goal of one-upping ourselves; to push the sonic envelope while incorporating a lifetime of inspiration and the high gain, high energy, unfiltered and unapologetic Marianas sound that put us on the map so long ago. We have grown so much during the making of this record, yet together in a room, creating and listening to music, we go backwards. We feel (and act) just like kids. Life is blissful and turbulent, but when we are together, it’s safe. It’s Haven. We hope you hear and feel it the same way we do.”

Listen to Haven below