Havok- Time Is Up

Come, my children! Indulge in this glorious thrash metal! Denver, Colorado isn't exactly a mecca of thrash metal, but Havok still manages to string together some of the genre's best characteristics into one 11-track gauntlet. This LP rarely lets up, and dishes out one hard riff after another.

The songs are kind of limited in their mood and delivery--you know, maybe it could have used a longer or slower song to break things up. Still, Havok writes some really strong and intricate songs within the fast-paced and aggressive ideal they've stuck to.

It's definitely one of the more consistent and energetic metal albums I'll be reviewing this year.

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Havok- "Killing Tendencies"

Denver's Havok isn't the only band reliving the salad days of thrash metal, and let's be honest: For me, the genre's revival hasn't been that glorious outside of a few releases. Havok's Time Is Up might be worth adding to that last, though.

Considering the guitar tone and the drum mix, early Exodus is definitely a reference point for the band, but "this sounds old" isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I listen to this. The style is OLD, but Havok plays with the energy and youth a band would have circa '85. The guitar riffs are perfectly crafted into a groove, and I'm in love with how in-your-face the vocals are.

Havok's Time Is Up is out now via Candlelight.