Time Is Up

Havok is a band that has potential to kick ass. On a base level, it’s all there – they’ve got energy and technical skill in them and Dave Sanchez has quite a bit of grit to his vocals that, with each successive album, explode more and more into these Paul Baloff-y shrieks. When they’re at their best, they pull off some real fucking rippers with riffs that smoke like it’s hooch! Otherwise, barring a grabbing intro and maybe a face-melting riff here and there, their songs go by and... well, that was a song. Solid steak, but not enough sizzle. Time is Up is a fantastic example of this as its best songs are the sort that propel Havok well past your typical modern thrash metal band and to the status of classic... and its other songs are pretty typical modern thrash, albeit very well played.

When “Prepare for Attack” barrels into frame, it’s all guns blazing with this blistering thrashing riff then slowing down a bit to prop up Sanchez belting his snarls out, getting us to rise up and take control before we... well, prepare for attack. Well, they’re certainly preparing for attack with this track as it hardly lets up with the thrash assault, except for these slight breaks prefacing a pre-solo and then a quick main solo before getting back to business. While it thrashes hard, it’s a remarkably melodic tune as the well-timed licks, the vocal arrangements and the gang vocals for the chorus – among other things – tie the song together to keep the song stuck in your head where the thrashing and Sanchez’s vocals are what initially grabs you by the testes. “Fatal Intervention” keeps a firm, firm grasp on them as, while it plays on many of the same cues as the opener, it changes a few things up with a pre-chorus lead that demands attention and the gang shouts and Sanchez’s almost voice-destroying screeches commanding respect during the chorus.

But the rest? Uhh... how do I put this? A lot of the other songs have some pretty sweet intros – either some melodic lick, a lead that sounds pretty cool or a bomb-ass riff that initially grabs you, thinking that the rest of the song is going to melt your face. But then what typically comes out are some generic thrash riffs that sail right on by. Oh sure, they’re fast and they thrash a bit – and again, they’re technically played well – but they lack the drive to keep your attention. Now, that isn’t to say that the rest of the songs are doomed. The closing titular song’s verse riffs are razor fucking sharp, “D.O.A.”’s chorus has those vocal melodies that stick well into your head almost like a Queen chorus, and “Killing Tendencies” rides on this groove that leads into this chorus that’s like musical tar. But everywhere else, while generally solid, lacks that je nai sais quoi that made Beneath the Remains, Reign in Blood and even Black Future the classics that they are. Instead, the songs really start to blur together with “Killing Tendencies” breaking it up with a more melodic, mid-paced affair and “Time is Up” ending the album on a strong-ish note.

Let’s put it this way – if you’re in the mood for thrash metal that doesn’t require a lot of commitment and you’re like lifting weights or something, this album will scratch that itch – the band is clearly talented, they know how to compose songs that fit within the thrash metal framework and the solos, bass lines and vocals are generally well put together. But if you’re frugal with your listening time and want only the best, maybe put the first two songs, “Killing Tendencies” and the titular song on your playlist and don’t look back. Now that I think about it, that’s a pretty fucking sweet EP right there.