Havok – “Time Is Up”

Let us put a stop to using the horribly banal phrase, “old school thrash metal revival”. Sure, Havok definitely sound like the old thrash metal titans here and there, but then again, which musician doesn’t copy from another who came before him or herself? The thing is that if you want to be remembered as an original musician, you have to copy intelligently, and by that I mean being derivative, yet creative in how you manipulate your musical influences to come up with something so fresh that it knocks the socks off first-time (and experienced) listeners. Well, hello there “Top 10 Thrash Metal Albums of 2011” list. Here is your latest nominee!

Frontman David Sanchez’s constipated, high-pitched shout-screams (in the style of Death Angel’s Mark Osegueda) will gleefully command your body against your will and submit it to his desire for you to mosh or die, while the technical but catchy blasts of polyrhythmic patterns and blazin’ fast riffing will grip you by the neck and make you hold your breath almost constantly, threatening to asphyxiate you until that virtuosic guitar solo comes on and snaps you out of the dangerous daze, allowing you to heave a sigh of blissful relief. Every track is of non-filler quality, but the most interesting ones are “Prepare For Attack”, “D.O.A.” and “Time Is Up”.

Perhaps it’s time we started calling this new thrash metal revivalism movement “new school thrash metal”. After all, with excellent bands like Havok and Revocation manipulating the old school style of thrash metal into something so creative and fresh, they deserve to be the next batch of “thrash pioneers” since they have pretty much redefined what it means to be playing “thrash” in the modern era of metal. “Havok” is sure to replace the ubiquitous “Slayer” comparison in metal album reviews from now on!

Track Listing:

01. Prepare For Attack
 [3:57]
02. Fatal Intervention [4:28]

03. No Amnesty [3:30]

04. D.O.A. [3:43]

05. Covering Fire [4:15]

06. Killing Tendencies [5:32]

07. Scumbag In Disguise [
4:34]
08. The Cleric
 [4:46]
09. Out Of My Way [3:20]

10. Time Is Up [4:00]

Run Time: 42:00
Release Date: March 29, 2011 (USA, Worldwide), March 28, 2011 (UK)

Check out the song: “Covering Fire”