(AUSTIN, TX) – On a recent and unusually frigid night in Austin, Texas, a crowd clad in scarves and jackets huddled, dull gray light flickering across the upturned faces. Heads nodded. Eyes widened. Not a soul was unmoved in some way by the dark, foreboding scene before them, by the sound roaring within the club’s brick walls.

The occasion: The Seventh Annual “Heart Of Texas Quadruple Bypass Music Festival,” which features the best bands Austin and the surrounding Southwest region has to offer, as well as some of the best independent artists from across America and beyond. At Vicci – and, during the same week as SXSW – thus was the scene for Grey Haven’s Release Party for “Bury Your Shame,” the first video from their self-titled album. And, apart from the cold, it was typical of the atmosphere the band creates at every one of their shows.

Spanning the gap between metal and hard rock, Grey Haven maintains the thrash and angst, but fuses it with vocals that are intelligible, accessible, and melodic. And where the metal scene tends to alienate “outsiders,” Grey Haven embraces an eclectic audience, hoping to make the genre a little less esoteric, a little more listener-friendly.

Make no mistake, however – their music is chock-full of challenges, from unusual time signatures to atypical structure, with enough creativity to keep the audience guessing, and enough musical prowess to impress the pros. Also, expect to hear echoes of both Metallica (and) Alice In Chains, made over so thoroughly as to create a sound both haunting and utterly modern.

Expect to see Grey Haven in the L.A. (Hollywood) music scene before summer’s end. Having achieved their mission of finding acceptance and even adoration (their fans are frighteningly loyal), the band feels it’s time to make a move from where they are most comfortable to where they can be most productive. “Austin is the live music capital of the world,” declares guitarist Trey Ybarbo, “unless you play metal or hard rock.” Grey Haven’s website is: www.greyhavenband.com