Jeff Irwin

Jeff Irwin (born on April 3, 1973) is an American rock/metal drummer, guitarist and musician. He is the founding member of the Sacramento hardcore/noise metal band Will Haven since 1995. Will Haven and its members often collaborate and tour with Soulfly and fellow Sacramento acts Deftones and Far.

Irwin is also an accomplished motorbike racer.

Jeff Irwin was born in Sacramento, California on April 3, 1973.

Among his favorite bands and influences are Sepultura, Slayer, Mötley Crüe, Neurosis, Suicidal Tendencies, and Fudge Tunnel, which shaped the sound of the music he created.

SOCK

Irwin initially played the drums. In the early 1990s, he founded a metal band SOCK with Adam Federico (bass), Shaun Lopez (guitars), and his high school friend Grady Avenell (vocals).

In June 1995, they recorded a 10-track album 3243 at Enharmonik Studios. The album was mixed and produced by the band's friend Eric Stenman, also a guitarist from Sacramento who played guitar and/or bass in the bands Tinfed, Elegy, and Bureau of the Glorious. Stenman produced most of the Irwin's or Will Haven's future albums. The album was reissued in May 2024 via San Francisco-based indie label Minus Head Records. Only one hundred fifty cassettes were made.

SOCK was an influential sound in the Sacramento post-hardcore metal scene of the 90s.

After SOCK dissolved, Irwin sold his drum set and switched to the guitars. In 1995, he and his SOCK mate Grady Avenell got together with local Sacramento musicians Mike Martin (bass) and Wayne Morse (drums) to form a hardcore/noise metal band named Will Haven.

On April 11, 1996, Will Haven performed at The Grind in West Sacramento, sharing stages with Beastie Boys, Quasar, and Sick of It All. The same year, they released their self-titled seven-track debut album on Landspeed Records.

In 1997, Will Haven was signed to Jordan Cooper and Ray Cappo's Revelation Records and released their second album El Diablo (1997), establishing themselves as a formidable metal act in California. It was followed by high-profile tours alongside Deftones, Limp Bizkit, and Soulfly.

In 1999, they released WHVN, short for Will HeaVeN, their heaviest album so far. The third track of WHVN is "Jaworski", named after Irwin's guitar tech at the time, Jeff Jaworski. The fourth track "Slopez" is named after their SOCK friend Shaun Lopez.

In 2000, drummer Wayne Morse left and was replaced by Irwin's longtime friend Mitch Wheeler.

2001 saw the release of their third album Carpe Diem (2001). The title track of this critically acclaimed album features vocalist Chino Moreno (of Deftones) in the promotional video. Earlier, Will Haven members had appeared in the music video for Deftones' 1996 single "Bored". That year, Will Haven went on a world tour to promote Carpe Diem, including a performance at the Vans Warped Tour in Australia.

In 2002, Grady Avenell took a hiatus from music to focus on education and his family and Will Haven ceased their activities until Avenell returned in 2005.

With Will Haven in hibernation, Irwin and Mitch Wheeler went on to set up a metal band Ghostride with Cayle Hunter (guitar), Mike Martin (bass), and Rey Osburn(vocals). After issuing a few singles in 2003 and 2004, they self-released their first and only album Cobra Sunrise on their own Distruktor Records. It was also produced by Eric Stenman.

In 2003, Irwin, Hunter, Martin, and Wheeler were joined by vocalist/guitarist Justin Godfrey to launch another metal band, The Abominable Iron Sloth. In early 2006, they released their eponymous debut album through Goodfellow Records. Their sound, a hybrid of hardcore punk and Black Sabbath-type metal, has been compared to those of sludge metal acts such as Eyehategod, Acid Bath, Iron Monkey, and The Melvins.

Will Haven (2005-)

In October 2005, Grady Avenell returned and Will Haven regrouped to work on new material. Ghostride guitarist Cayle Hunter also joined the band.

From March 12 to March 21, 2006, Will Haven and the New Orleans metal band Crowbar teamed up for a UK tour. Avenell wasn't able to perform on Will Haven dates in Glasgow (March 15) and Newport (March 16) due to personal reasons and his position was filled by Crowbar frontman Kirk Windstein and various local British musicians including Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro; Craig B. of Aereogramme; Mikey Demus of Skindred; and Sheep of The Seventh Cross.

After playing a free show at the Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles in February 2007, Will Haven toured Europe with Deftones.

In the summer of 2007, Will Haven released their fourth album The Hierophant, produced by Chino Moreno of Deftones, on Jason Bieler's independent record label Bieler Bros. Singer Grady Avenell had left the band before recording this album and was replaced by the longtime friend of the band Jeff Jaworski (vocalist for Sacramento punk band Red Tape). Avenell did contribute to songwriting on many songs of the album.

In April 2010, bassist Mike Martin was replaced by Chris Fehn (then-percussionist of Slipknot) for their fifth album Voir Dire (released October 10, 2011, on Bieler Bros). In 2018, they released Muerte on Minus Head Records, with guest appearances from Stephen Carpenter of Deftones and Mike Scheidt of Oregon doom metal band Yob. On the bass for this album was Adrien Contreras.

After a gap of 5 years, Will Haven released their seventh album, VII, via Minus Head Records on July 7, 2023. The following month, they went on a Carpe Diem + VII tour of the US.

Irwin continues to perform and record with Will Haven. Most recently, on 4 October 2024, they released a single "KIRE". That month, the band performed at Troubadour in Los Angeles.

They are also working on a compilation album No Stars To Guide Me: 30 Years Of WHVN, scheduled for release on 6 December 2024. The album will feature "KIRE" and music from every album and a new studio mix of Carpe Diem.

Irwin uses:

• Marshall JCM 2000 Amp Head
• ADA MP-1 Preamps
• Mesa Boogie Strategy 500 Power amplifier
• Korg DTR-1 Tuner
• Digital Music Corp. Ground Control
• Marshall 1960B 4x12 300W Straight Guitar Cabinet
• Gibson SG Guitars
• ESP Guitars