Haunt – Luminous Eyes – EP Review

Haunt main man Trevor William Church may be the son of Montrose bassist Bill Church but anyone looking for a dose of sun-drenched Californian classic rock is going to be bitterly disappointed. Instead, it’s a case of goodbye Californian sunshine, hello the North East of England as Haunt have crafted a NWOBHM styled EP straight of the 80’s rulebook.

For twenty minutes or so Luminous Eyes transports you back to the glory days of British metal. From the slightly cheap looking artwork to the ear pleasing dual guitar harmonies, you could slap this beast on and all you would need is a patch riddled denim jacket and a cardboard guitar and you’re instantly back in the Soundhouse, giving it both barrels!

All this means Haunt aren’t ever going to win any prizes for originality. However, what stops them from being simple plagiarists is the host of quality bands who are blatantly prime influences. So, fans of UFO, Demon, Iron Maiden and even Thin Lizzy will find plenty to admire amongst the likes of the title track, the incendiary “As Fire Burns” and the hard-hitting “No Master” and “Fallen Star”.

With a sound this entrenched in metal history, it’s open to debate just how ‘essential’ this release is, but Luminous Eyes is certainly worth more than just a spin or two! 6/10