V

Havok was never an impressing band, nothing but the standard modern thrash metal sound that mostly seeks recall on old times and let loose to a borrowed nostalgia based on a cool aesthetic of rebel young metalheads. Partying, moshing to edgy and humoristic music and drinking beer like there's no tomorrow... That's what most of the modern thrash metal is: style over substance.

However, they managed to record 2 really solid and decent LP's during early 2010's and they grew a really huge fanbase due to... I really don't know where all that exposure and popularity came from, but it is what it is, they became one of the leading bands of the new thrash scene and they worked very well as some kind of 'gate' for teenagers to get into the thrash sound and somehow as revivalists of the style, but with bands like Vektor going around, it is ridiculous to say that these guys were something to be impressed at.

A very few classic thrash metal bands from anywhere in the world, and especially in America, kept working on a line that made their music go into another level, the 90s arrived and the most of these bands, even the ultra-violent big bands from Germany like Sodom or Destruction, left thrash metal aside and start working with different styles... Thrash metal was never really a movement about music, it was about style and aesthetic. If some bands recorded the fastest and evilest albums, the intention to impress was always behind them, and when the style and aesthetic of the bad boys went old fashioned, then they changed it too.

So, we couldn't wait anything else from the new thrash scene, as I said before, the main topic on this new wave of music is to be a reminiscence of old times, that's why we can consider Time is Up and Unnatural Selection as good stuff, despite its simplicity and its lack of purpose... It's thrash metal dude! This is not art-rock, avant-garde progressive metal or something like that, it's juvenile music for moshing, having fun and getting drunk, mostly written by clueless kids that only want to make aggressive music.

But this new record is just terrible... After their definitely average and mediocre album "Comformicide", they seemed to be seeking something else for the new one, at least that's how different media announced this album, under terms like "progressive", "experimental" or "advanced". And when the album cover was revealed I really thought that something good could have been coming, maybe motivated by an inconscient desire of listening these guys making listening worthy music in the line of thrash metal and maybe inspire more people to follow their steps... I mean, they are the Havok dudes that everybody praise, why could they not be the ones to take the scene of new thrash into a new level? After all, the album cover art was a huge advance from their lame and cheesy covers that had been using in their last albums, using the same old and trite concept of the "extreme" skull doing stuff and using the predictable toxic fluorescent colors that everybody uses for saying "Hey! Look at us, we're thrashers!"... Unfortunately, I was totally wrong, but the cover art is in fact the best element of this album, by far.

Now, let’s get into the music, the album greets us with a double guitar progression that sounds very similar to a classic intro, the Blackened intro that opens the ...And Justice for All from Metallica. Havok have done this before, I can remember some kind of Slayer sound-like in D.O.A, but that one was just a similar sounding and structure, this can only be whether a tribute or a complete plagiarism, and there's a point between them that these guys reached.
How poorly creative you have to be to barely make changes to a classic intro and try to add it to your album? Everybody knew immediately that this came from somewhere familiar and it is tasteless! Then the first song starts, "Post-Truth Era", Oh no... David has been reading political stuff again. But despite the lyrics (basic thrasher social criticism), the song offers nothing but the same recipe that Havok have been offering for the last 8 years: same structure, same vocal style, a very similar production, it feels just like Comformicide part 2.

But being honest, asking Havok for something new is like going to a Chick-Fil-A and asking to the chef to surprise you, what were you expecting? It's fast-food dude! The song is also a rehash of things that didn't went well in the last album, like those guitar lines in the chorus that follow the same structure of Hang 'Em High, they didn't work then and didn't worked now, at least you could have tried to make them in a better way but somehow you managed to make them even worse!

This happens with the music in all the album, same Havok formula... yes, it tries to sound "progressive" in some moments, but it always goes back to what they have done before but way more boring and badly done. If there's something I hate is those clean/scream harmonic vocals that try to sound "new" but there's nothing impressive with them, they sound foolish and soft as they have always been. In the best moments of the album, they sound like a copy of Megadeth or even a bad reinterpretation of themselves back in their good material. There´s nothing progressive in here, better be called a bad experimentation with an outdated style that got stuck for almost a decade. That's what happens when you try to make an "iconic style" just for fun,to reach an iconic style you got to make it through a complex music design and developing an atmosphere, not just recycling the same formulas, vocal style and soloing... Oh my god, Reece Scruggs seems to be a very basic guitarist with no creativity or versatility, he has been playing practically the same solo for 10 years! Seriously, you can take any other Havok's solo and put it into another song and there would not be any difference.

The lyrics... better not to talk about it, I'd just say that Havok is conformed by four 30 y.o dudes that can´t get out from the same 2 topics: war and politics. It seems like these guys must be the most boring people in the world. Imagine to have a beer with them, what could you talk about?

David Sanchez repeatedly uses the pronoun "They" to refer to I don't really know who, but maybe a superior race of humans hidden behind the government and the big corporations and want to rule the world and enslave the humankind. Too bad that the label you work with, Century Media, belongs to Sony Music, one of the biggest corporations in the entertainment industry... How do we know that you are not one of those reptilians trying to deceive us with your boring music? Yeah, 14 y.o child stuff, right? This shit reminds me of Rage Against the Machine barking against capitalism from the same multinational corp...

We did not need this, we did not want this... Certainly, after Comformicide I thought this band was death, they made a very good marketing and promotional campaign because they made me fall and I listened to their record several times trying to find what I was told it contained, I was scammed! It took me more than a year fo me to step forward and write this review, now I can finally close this coffin and say goodbye to a band that was really enjoyable, keeping Time Is Up and Unnatural Selection on my radar to remember good times, but never coming back here again... There's nothing to see, just a rotting skeleton of what was once a good band.

What a pity, just as creative as its name.

Man, Havok is a frustrating band! Since Time is Up, they’ve certainly honed their skills – the riffs and solos have gotten more technical, the thrash has been amped up, and Dave Sanchez’ vocals have become more vicious and venomous in their approach. But the execution – the placing of elements onto song – just doesn’t reflect that, or at least represent that accurately. I’m not sure if they intended on it coming across this way, but it’s like if they took the most standard thrash riffs from the library of Metallica, added some Megadeth/Destruction-style technicality to them, maybe sprinkle in some cool bass lines and then produce a largely bland thrash album full of background noise.

Whether they thrash or chug, the songs are certainly well-played and the solos are pretty fucking cool honestly, but most of them lack any sort of real hook, compelling melody or anything that would capture your attention and stick in your mind after listening. Well, except the solos, but still. Songs like “Betrayed by Technology”, “Interface with the Infinite” and “Panpsychism” fly or choo choo right on by, like “well that was a song”. They try their best with some extended intros providing ample buildup, some smooth Prong-like rhythms in a couple of the riffs, and some neat technical flourishes – stuff that they’d done in Conformicide. But like that album, the songs largely meander about, begging to be as inventive on the whole as those sections. The only exception being when Dave Sanchez just goes full Paul Baloff meets Dave Hunt on the vocals – like he just goes fucking nuts! He’s basically shrieking right into the microphone, giving those parts of the songs some of the much-needed energy the stock riffs lack. Yeah, he’s still got the snarls he’s had since day dot and they’re competent and all, but come on guys... we all know whose milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.

It’s a shame because – despite any implications – there are some good songs here. “Phantom Force” is, by far, the highlight of the album. Like holy fuck, this song thrashes like a pissed off rhino! Between the sharp riffing and Dave Sanchez’s Paul Baloff-isms, this song rips and tears. “Post-Truth Era” is uncomfortably reminiscent of Metallica’s “Blackened” but fuck if they don’t use that influence for a good time. “Cosmetic Surgery” – okay, this one’s carried by its technical flourishes, particularly the bass lines (holy shit, that fucking bass, man!), but these are so prominently featured that they make the song stand strong anyway. Ultimately, these songs kick up momentum for the album. Just as it loses its initial boost from the hype opener, BAM, “Phantom Force”. Crisis averted. If there’s any danger of ending on a whimper, “Don’t Do It” to the rescue...

...sort of. See, “Don’t Do It” would actually be a pretty good way to end the album since it goes bananas with its riffs and solos before closing out with its soothing acoustics, but with the intro just draaaaaaags this quiet bit and this tepid groove for nearly 5 and a half goddamn minutes. If it had shrunk down a fair bit, it would make for a banner fucking top ending. But as is, it’s a song with a good concept, a pretty sweet last few minutes and a potentially climactic ending stretched into a real half and half kind of deal. It’s at least better than being just another thrash song in the background... there’s that, at least.

V, like Time is Up and Conformicide before it, has those flashes of brilliance that just don’t fully materialize into an entire album. Here, it’s like you get this one banger of a song, two good songs and the rest that have all the right ideas and some cool tricks but nevertheless degenerate into background noise. What keeps Havok a band worth coming back to after all these years is the highlights because they showcase a band with a lot of talent, energy, and songwriting smarts. It’s like, all I wanted out of Vektor were shorter songs and far better vocals. But then, you get songs that are technically well-executed but don’t do much to hook you in or stay in your mind and at that point, V becomes a real fucking mixed bag!

If you've been following Havok for awhile now then you'll know exactly what you're getting into on this release. More of their normal thrashery with the parts being better than the whole. Take the opening track, for example. There are a couple stop-and-go sections with gang vocals that is fun. Or take the 3:08 drum break just prior to the solo that stops you in your tracks to call your attention. Those parts don't necessarily make for an interesting whole. The track overall is uneven and bland in many parts. This is true on many tracks through the album. Fortunately for me, I don't listen to thrash on a regular basis so a lot of the recycled material doesn't irk me as much as I'm sure it does for many others. Also, the smorgasbord of music that is "Panpsychism" is sure to, at some point in it's 6+ minute runtime, find some thing enjoyable for any listener.

The solo on "Post-Truth Era" is perfect for the album and overall sound but unfortunately is rather bland. The overall leads on "Fear Campaign". Also, the rhythm guitar on that tracks has a wonderful tone and both guitar sections give the listener something to chew on. "Betrayed by Technology" has multiple sections that catch the listener off-guard and reward them. Whether it's the bass break at 2:15, the dueling guitars and bass in the intro, or the almost progressive section during the chorus. It's a bit of an uneven track but well worth the ride. The solo on the weak track "Ritual of the Mind" is short but very is a great listen. The rhythm on "Cosmetic Surgery" in the intro is an impressive and original riff that I just loved!

The bass is on full display here and almost always it's fairly easy to pick up on what it's doing. You also get plenty of moments where it stands out in the forefront, most obviously on "Cosmetic Surgery", "Fear Campaign", "Merchants of Death", and then is fully let loose on "Panpsychism". The drums are similar to the bass in that they're usually doing something interesting but then are given these great sections to blast into the forefront. So many albums deny the bass and drum section to really shine but here they are played well enough that they do not waste this precious time. The vocals are a little bit all-over-the-place. At times they are similar to Testament, at times a little Anthrax, with an occasional Exodus evocation.

This album is a little all-over-the-place and that helps them. At times it's full-speed intricacy like on "Phantom Force" and "Cosmetic Surgery", sometimes it's a slow chugger like "Ritual of the Mind" and "Interface with the Infinite", and sometimes it's a more upbeat punk-influenced like "Betrayed by Technology" or "Post-Truth Era". This helps them not seem too redundant and draw too many parallels to the bigger thrash bands out there. Of course it will still happen, though. It's interesting how specific tracks can evoke a sense of a certain time period of a much bigger thrash band. "Ritual of the Mind" feels like it could have been on "...And Justice for All". That doesn't necessarily make that a better track, and is, in fact, probably the weakest on the album other than the decent solo. "Interface with the Infinite" sounds like a mid-90's Megadeth track. "Phantom Force" could very well be a b-side to a more modern Testament release. "Post-Truth Era" sounds like an Anthrax track with it's almost punky bravado. "Merchants of Death" or "Don't Do It" fits along the sound Slayer used on God Hates us All. Overall, they are a little repetitive of their predecessors but for a casual thrash listener, I am mostly pleased with their bits of flair added to a solid thrash base.

Favorite tracks:
-Cosmetic Surgery
-Betrayed by Technology
-Fear Campaign
-Panpsychism

Originality: 52% Technical skill: 82% Song writing: 79% Production: 68%

3 years after the rather disappointing Conformicide, Havok come back with V, an album that shows us a band trying to regain the position they had as leaders of the retro-thrash movement almost a decade ago, while also trying something new with their sound. Thankfully, those experiments aren’t the only thing on offer, as we do end up hearing quite a bit of the Havok we’ve grown to love over the years.

Opening tracks “Post-Truth Era” and “Fear Campaign” are some of the more straightforward cuts on the album, which should honestly have had their positions switched, as the former isn’t much of an exciting or interesting opener to the album. Barring the “Blackened” styled guitar fade-in (one of a couple easter-eggs to Metallica’s seminal ...And Justice For All), it doesn’t have many riffs to maintain the listener’s attention, though the chorus is solid, as expected of Havok at this point. “Fear Campaign” on the other hand oozes excitement and energy, with its frenetic leads and varied riffing, and the gang shouts on the chorus beg you to start shouting along regardless of where you are.

From that point forward we are being treated to the aforementioned “experiments”, which are essentially Havok trying to write some mid-paced thrash in the vein of – you guessed it - ...And Justice For All, to mostly positive results. We’ve got tracks such as “Betrayed By Technology” and “Ritual of the Mind”, which are honestly pretty good, where the band throws a nice amount of catchy riffs at the listener that despite not blazing at Mach 5 still maintain their bite and energy. “Betrayed By Technology” has a very nice section that builds up to a solo around 2:47, while “Ritual of the Mind” has not only one but two AJFA references (the drum intro is redolent of “Eye of the Beholder”, while the syncopated drumming around the 3:14 mark is extremely similar to the drumming in the final leg of “One”). That being said, that’s not all the track has to offer, since it has a pretty sweet melodic riff that kicks in around the 2:40 mark and builds up to yet another great solo.

Sadly, not all of their mid-paced tracks are hits, as there are a couple of misses, such as “Interface With the Infinite”, and “Panpsychism”, which suffer from similar issues, namely the lack of variety in their sections, which makes the riffing feel much more stale than in the previous two tracks. “Panpsychism” in particular clocks at 6 and a half minutes yet it just slogs on, and while the concept of having just the bass and the drums in the verses and having the rest of the instruments kick in during the chorus is kinda cool, the fact that the song chugs along for most of its duration makes it feel like they were just holding him back and not letting him loose like they did on the other tracks.

Thankfully, there are a handful of faster tracks interspersed between the slower ones, such as “Phantom Force” and “Merchants of Death”, with the former being Havok at their most vicious since Time Is Up, with its lightning-speed riffing and solo making for one of the album’s definite highlights. “Merchants of Death” is the shortest track on the album (discounting the “Dab Tsog” interlude), and despite its length it mixes things up quite nicely in terms of pacing, which is always a pleasant sight to behold.

The final track on this album is “Don’t Do It”, which is the longest song Havok’s written to date, beating out “Circling The Drain” from their last album by almost an entire minute. Here, we see Havok trying to write what seems to be a power ballad, making use of an acoustic guitar during the verses and utilising a chugging riff during the chorus, with all that culminating in the band letting loose around the 5:32 mark and hitting us with a fantastic fast riff and solo, which then give way to another acoustic section that ends the album on a surprisingly poignant note.

In terms of individual performances, we are yet again treated to some tight playing with some technical flourishes from the band, with a notable highlight being newcomer Brandon Bruce on bass. His presence can be felt at all times, and if someone pays attention to him during the songs they can clearly see that he's not just following the guitars but also wandering off on his own and giving more character to the music, proving that he's a worthy replacement to Nick Schendzielos . Reece Scruggs' lead work continues to be exciting to listen to, offering us solos that are memorable despite them having quite a bit of technicality to them. David Sanchez has also shown signs of evolution in his singing, using some cleaner vocals alongside his Paul Baloff-meets-Schmier screaming, which is notable on the closer. Drummer Pete Webber is also keeping busy during almost every song, throwing in tasteful fills whenever necessary, but still maintaining his role as the rhythmic backbone of the band.

The production on this album is top-notch as well, as expected of a band of this stature, with a crystal clear mix that allows everything to be heard clearly at all times. The instruments also sound great, but not to the point of sterility, with the guitars being razor-sharp and having plenty of bite to them, supplemented by the bass, which has quite a nice, rumbling tone to it that pops out quite a bit, and the drums don't sound like they're made out of plastic.

In terms of lyrics, the band has decided to stop watching as much of Alex Jones' show as they used to during the Conformicide sessions, and instead opted to write about how information is being manipulated and distorted in order to further nefarious goals (Post-Truth Era, Fear Campaign, Cosmetic Surgery), mental health (Phantom Force, Don't Do It), and also technology, more specifically, our overreliance on it (Betrayed By Technology, Interface With The Infinite, Panpsychism). They aren't anything mindblowing, and one could argue that they're typical thrash metal fare, but they're competently written and not as silly as "F.P.C." and "Dogmaniacal" from the previous offering.

V is an example of a band not only regaining their footing after a misstep, but also bouncing back from it better than before, releasing what is arguably one of their best albums so far, and what some fans might even perceive as their best. In a year that has seen a handful of quality thrash albums from bands like Warbringer, Surgical Strike and Hazzerd, Havok proves that they still have what it takes to maintain their position as one of the scene's leading acts, while also expanding their musical horizons.

Highlights: Fear Campaign, Ritual of the Mind, Phantom Force, Don't Do It

After giving this album its necessary listenings, it's time to talk about my latest deception so far.

Oh, Havok. I still remember when I discovered them with that good "Time Is Up" album. It was aggressive, well performed and the vocals were completely insane. I considered myself as a Havok fan since that moment, and when Conformcide was about to be released, I was excited to listen to it, but we all know the result: an unnecessarily complex and pretentious technical thrash attempt with very few interesting things and longer than it should be.

When the single Phantom Force was released, I was really eager to listen to and talk about this album. I thought that Havok had recovered that strength lost in Conformicide, but when the album was released, my illusions turned into a great disappointment and frustration.

The topic that everyone is talking about on "V" is the plagiarism of songs, and I won't deny it, it's one of the worst problems of the album. Although the "Post-Truth Era" introduction is one of the most notorious and obvious plagiarism, I still consider it as a kind of homage. Which is unforgivable is the total rip off of "Hit the Lights" in the song "Fear Campaign". It's the most obvious and shameless plagiarism of the album, and it's just insulting for the listener. This is one of the worst mistakes in this album, but not the only one.

"V" is plagued by songs that are SIMPLY BORING. From "Betrayed by Technology" to "Interface with the Infinite", the album is insufferable owing not only to the songs' slowness but also to the fact that those songs are devoid of interesting ideas to the listener. There's an attempt of experimenting with different forms to perform their instruments, but it just makes the album feel longer than it should be. "Panpsychism" and "Don't Do It" have the same problem (at least the latter one has a decent ending showing a little of aggressiveness, but it doesn't worth listening to the first 5 minutes of the song for a little good thing). It's just weird for a thrash metal band. It feels pretentious and it shows the little idea that the band has on what they are doing.

On the other hand, there are few good songs that you could extract from the album. Despite the introduction of the song, "Post-Truth Era" is actually a decent song and a good introduction to an album that could have been better. "Phantom Force" and "Cosmetic Surgery" are the best songs from the album as they are brutal and pretty competent. "Merchants of Death" is moderately decent; it can be listened, but don't wait for a marvel.

The album is so bad that it doesn't even deserve a better review than the one I'm writing. It's boring, devoid of interesting ideas and not worthy to listen to. Listen to the songs I already highlighted and run away from here. Don't dedicate more time than the one this album deserves.

Once upon a time, when I was a thrash-obsessed teenager on the hunt for anything that sounded like it could've come out of the San Francisco Bay Area circa 1988, I really liked Havok. Time is Up had either just come out or was relatively new, and they looked like one of the leading forces in the then-thriving thrash revival. Suffice it to say that that was their peak, and it's been a long, slow road downhill in the near-decade since then. I was disappointed by 2013's Unnatural Selection, then amused by the awful lyrics and misguided musical adventures of Conformicide in 2017. It should come as no surprise that my expectations for the recently released V were so low as to be non-existent. I was mostly proven right.

I guess I should start with the few good parts of this album. There's next to nothing original going on with "Phantom Force" and "Fear Campaign", but I can forgive a lack of originality if the riffs elicit some sort of physical, fidgeting reaction from me, like head-nodding or tapping my fingers on my desk. These two songs succeed on both of those counts, especially the latter one, because it's the only song here that has a catchy chorus that sounds like the band's actually into it, and not just four robots programmed to play the world's most generic 21st century thrash metal, with generic plastic-y production to match. The band is obviously made up of really talented players, and special mention has to go to lead guitarist Reece Scruggs, who's been the best part of this band for quite some time now, as pretty much all of his solos genuinely rip it up. Okay, I've said enough nice things about Havok.

Others have noted this already, but goddamn, there's A LOT of ...And Justice for All on V. Done differently, that could be fine, I really like that album. That being said, it's one thing to take influence from a band or specific album and evoke its vibe in your own work, it's something else entirely to take some pretty iconic sections, change a couple of notes, and call it your own. Havok chose the latter path. Pretty gutsy of them to open their album with a faded-in intro that sounds almost identical to the reversed guitar fade-in that introduces "Blackened" on ...And Justice for All. Wait a second, what's that chug fading in at the beginning of "Ritual of the Mind"? Oh yeah, "Eye of the Beholder"!

Even the stuff that Havok can claim as their own just sounds like a band in a creative rut, going through the motions. When they do break out of their box a little bit, such as on the closing track "Don't Do It", it comes off as forced and awkward (the interlude, "Dab Tsog", was a welcome change of pace, I'll grant them that). Honestly, I'd rather listen to Conformicide than V, because at least the former had the unintentional comedy angle going for it. The one leg up that V has is that the band learned to edit their ideas a little bit. The shame of all this, as I mentioned at the beginning of this review, is that Havok was really good once. Time is Up is still an album I return to from time to time, and I still enjoy it everytime I do. No matter how foolhardy it may be, I'll always hold out hope for Havok making a triumphant return to writing and playing kickass thrash.

What exactly is it about this band that seems to divide metalheads so much? I haven't seen review ratings this up-and-down since Machine Head's The Blackening. Sure, they might not be overtly 'original' - which nu-wave thrash act is? - but they've never scraped the bottom of the retro-thrash barrel like Fueled By Fire or Thrash Or Die. Denver's Havok have provided nothing but razor-sharp riffs, pissed-off vocals and a non-stop thrash attitude since the late 2000s. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, and their lyrics can sometimes be tin-foil-hat stupid, but anyone with a calm head can see 0%-10% scores are wildly exaggerated. 2017's Conformicide was the subject of much ridicule, but I was so utterly convinced by the power behind their newest effort, V, I assumed they'd ascended beyond such qualms. I was wrong. Hopefully I can give Havok the praise they're annoyingly lacking - because I love this new LP.

Instantly notable is the improved sense of maturity. Sure, they're still harking on about government conspiracies and the masses of sheeple controlled by fear through mass media yadda yadda yadda. However, it's not rammed down our throats quite as obnoxiously as on Conformicide and never interferes with the stellar thrash metal on offer. The fantastic artwork, too, reflects this maturing. It's no secret that Havok have always put emphasis on the stellar bass work by various talented bassists throughout the years - Nick Schendzielos being particularly crafty - but Conformicide took it to almost Overkill-esque extremes. On V, the bass is still prominent and performed exquisitely by newbie Brandon Bruce, but it slots into its place in the mix well, becoming an integral part of one heavy-ass machine. The mix in general on this album is awesome; crunchy and chunky in equal measure. This is depicted no better than on my favourite cut on the disc: track 9, "Panpsychism". That main riff is the chunkiest thing since they started putting cookie dough in ice cream. Not only is it a great prog-tinged thrash number in general, but Havok are clearly delighting in the chug of that main riff. Me too, bros - me too.

Speaking of chug, the band seem to be thriving in their mid-paced range. Mid-to-slow speed thrash is among my favourite sounds in the world, and Havok pull it off with aplomb on the hammering "Ritual Of The Mind" and the swinging "Interface With The Infinite". When those main riffs come crashing in like a demolition ball, the resulting crush is headbang heaven. Even the thrashiest of songs on V manage to cram in some half-time breaks for ultimate neck-breaking ability. The Megadeth-esque "Fear Campaign" chugs away like a motherfucker in its middle section, and the opening riff of "Cosmetic Surgery" is a relentless grinding machine. So much pure fucking thrash metal attitude laden throughout this record, but all tainted (in a good way) with a pseudo-dystopian atmosphere that suits the vibe and artwork of the CD. Anyone doubting Havok's thrash credentials only needs to hear the one-two punch of opening tracks "Post-Truth Era" and "Fear Campaign", then maybe the brief speed attack of "Merchants Of Death".

The variety of this record definitely works in its favour. Three thrashers kick us off, followed by two slower fist-pumpers, then the eerie interlude, "Dab Tsog", lulls the listener into an uncertain security before the all-out assault of "Phantom Force" knocks them on their ass. The finale, "Don't Do It", works brilliantly as an album closer - building up with melancholy horror before exploding at the last minute with some of the most furious riffage and heart-wrenching vocals in the band's catalogue. David Sanchez & co. are absolutely on fire right now, and it pains me that so many metalheads can't see it. Every time I listen to this album, I wonder exactly what's missing to so many. There are tantalizing twists, frenetic fretwork, shredding solos, vicious vocals and an all-round badass thrash metal spirit. Lyrics are not important when the metal on offer is this good. Pull your heads out of your asses and bang them, hard. Havok are a great band. V is a great album. Everyone's entitled to my opinion.

Havok is one of the most popular modern thrash metal bands. Since the beginning, they have been inspired a lot by the classic American acts. Their first records were more straightforward and contained youthful rebellion. On their fifth full-length, the band wanted to be more mature and ambitious. But unfortunately it came out very mediocre. Sometimes even worse than mediocre.

V starts with a song Post-Truth Era. I think that it’s the only song on the album that sounds a bit outstanding. The intro is without a doubt inspired by Metallica’s Blackened (I’ll share my opinion on it in the following part). Later we hear interesting riffs and melodies. The advantage I spotted even during the first spin is the production. The guitars sound very heavy, bass is audible very well and has a very good tone. Drums hit the listener’s eardrum as they should. But even with such a powerful production, the rest of the songs are weak in a large part.

The second song, Fear Campaign is musically a generic (so to speak) party-thrash. While I was listening to it for the first time I still felt like I’ve heard it many times before. Putting this one after Post-Truth Era makes the album really inconsistent. I find the next song, Betrayed by Technology very uninspiring. Slow tempo, uncreative riffs and a chorus that was forced to be catchy.

Ritual of the Mind is another inspiration from Metallica’s …and Justice for All. In this song the intro sounds like the one in Eye of the Beholder. And this inspiration doesn’t help the songs to be better. It makes them even worse. The rest of the songs is like a festival of long mediocre and generic parts combined with some creative and outstanding moments. But these outstanding moments doesn’t help the whole. In fact, it’s sad that some good ideas were wasted. For example, I find it great that they created an intro track called Dab Tsog to Phantom Force. This part of the album is one of the brightest parts, but it’s covered by all the bad ideas in most of the rest of the songs.

Many would say that bass is a big advantage of the record. Yeah, its tone sounds great and it is audible well. But for me it sounds more like “Hey look! We have a new bassist! He is great! Better than the previous one!”. And the fact that one bass line in the song Panpsychism sounds very similar to the one in Megadeth’s Peace Sells makes it even worse. It all sounds like the band introduced these strong inspirations from early Metallica and Megadeth to help the weak songs and win listeners with well-known themes to them. I’m sorry, it doesn’t work for me.

V ends with a progressive song called Don't Do It. And it’s, like the whole album, a mix of good ideas and bad ideas. Anyway, I feel like it’s too long only to be an “epic ending song” and it doesn’t work. I can’t understand how an album with such a great production could be so mediocre and generic. I also can’t understand what went wrong with Havok, since most of the bands become better when they decide to make more mature and ambitious music.

Anyway, I listened to this record many times to have an opinion and let it grow on me, but it didn’t and I don’t think that I’ll ever come back to it. If you want modern bands that are keeping the old-school thrash metal spirit alive, check out the Norwegian scene: Inculter, Nekromantheon, Deathhammer, Condor and a few more and give up Havok.

Originally written for Tony Blackthrasher on Instagram and Facebook

Better than 15 years to the day since what is stipulated to be the beginning of old school thrash metal’s triumphant rebirth, there is still no sign of this elusive second death that the style was to experience parallel to the one that the original golden age experienced in the 1990s. One might chalk it up to the internet providing instant access to an audience that has always been there and circumventing the tyrannical reign of the RIAA, but there is definitely something to be said for the youthful vigor that continues to ooze out of many veteran acts that have been toiling in the underground of South America, Europe, the continental U.S. and beyond since the mid-2000s. This is doubly the case in Denver’s, and by extension the American thrash revival’s premier act Havok, who have been delivering the goods consistently since their 2007 EP Pwn ‘Em All first made waves with an impressive blend of Megadeth-like versatility, an extreme vocal display that bridges the divide between the German and Bay Area sounds, and enough electricity to replace the Hoover Dam.

Coming off what could be best described as one of their most musically adventurous and lyrically controversial outings in 2017’s Conformicide, this frenetic quartet have opted to shift things in a slightly more conventional direction, all the while still offering up a host of intricate twists and turns to sate the hunger of those looking for more than just another Slayer imitation. Consequently, one would be remiss to suggest that their extreme yet also quirky and semi-progressive blend of past thrash precedents as displayed on their latest studio outing, dubbed V, doesn’t have an occasional Metallica-like flourish. At its very onset, the opening anthem of socio-political discontentment “Post-Truth Era” could almost be mistaken for said pioneering outfit’s opening anthem of their seminal 1988 classic …And Justice For All as it builds from a dense harmonized guitar fade-in to a jarring, neck-breaking crusher of a riff-machine to shake the pillars of any unsuspecting arena, and while this opening anthem is one of the highlights of the lot, it’s definitely not alone in smashing the speed of sound.

Those expecting a complete 180 from the mixed up, occasionally funky demeanor of the recent past will no doubt find their prediction mistaken, but there is definitely a sense of return to the more driving and flashy character that typified Burn and Time Is Up. Crushing bangers served up at full speed such as “Fear Campaign”, “Cosmetic Surgery” and “Merchants Of Death” definitely reminisce upon the faster fair that one would hear out of Mustaine and company’s recent string of albums, but also touched up with a wilder bombardment out of the rhythm section that dredges up memories of early work out of Death Angel and Vio-Lence, to speak nothing for the bass gymnastics of the newly recruited and unknown Brandon Bruce. His slap-happy, glassy-toned handiwork proves even fancier than his Claypool-like predecessor Nick Schendzielos, injecting a further Blind Illusion character to both the aforementioned cookers and also more rhythmic, mid-paced blazers such as “Betrayed By Technology” and “Interface With The Infinite” and inches things ever so closer to progressive territory.

But for all of the intricacies and detailing that paints over this album, it is ultimately a true to form thrash extravaganza that gets the job done by offering up a truly raw and vicious collection of mosh pit fodder. Selecting the most intense moment of the lot is a daunting task, as even the more down-tempo material spares no expense in projecting rage and fury towards the ear drums and the occasional insight into the screwed up system under which humanity subjects itself. But putting aside the Metallica-like nostalgia of “Post-Truth Era” and the auspicious twists and turns of the long-winded closer “Don’t Do It”, the most memorable songs of the bunch are the ones that cut to each extreme noted previously, with the longer and multifaceted nightmare trip “Panpsychism” showcasing the chops of the entire band, most particularly Bruce’s popping bass runs and Reece Scruggs’ Marty Friedman-like lead extravaganzas, while the “Phantom Force” hits the hardest in the straight up thrashing department while still including the occasional stop and start for maximum vertebrae-misalignment.

With the year less than half over and tempers flaring over current events, Havok proves once again to be the right band at the right time, though the jury may be out as to whether they have taken the crown of thrash in 2020 given an already impressive showing by contemporary rivals Warbringer and Hazzerd, to speak nothing for the promising outings from some of the veterans of the style’s golden age. V is a more predictable beast than Conformicide, which is likely what the thrash faithful have been hoping for given the general nature of the aforementioned competing albums and their correspondingly warm reception. It presents an air of getting back to basics, especially when looking at some of the obvious homage moments to past greats, yet it straddles the fence into more inventive territory quite often and provides some occasional nods to the funky days of Suicidal Tendencies’ run with Robert Trujillo. Basically there’s a bit of something in here for the extreme thrash junkies and the tech nerds, and those who question authority in as loud of a voice as inhumanly possible.

Originally written for Sonic Perspectives (www.sonicperspectives.com)