HAVOK – “V” Album Review

ALBUM SUMMARY

REVIEW

HAVOK have carved out a small space in the thrash community since their debut album in 2009, but has been moslty trapped in opening act status. That could begin to change with “V“. HAVOK’s fifth album, appropriately titled, brings back the aggressive sound that faded on their prior album, “Conformicide“. It also showcases improvements for the band across nearly every category. The music and lyrics on “V” show maturation and aren’t always turned to 11. The band has found a more dynamic approach to song writing by including layered guitars, vocals, and tempo-changes. And needless to say, the musicianship is thrash perfection. Reece Alan Scruggs and David Sanchez perform some of the most polished guitars you’ll hear in thrash metal, and Pete Webber’s drums rival that of the legendary Gene Hoglan.

The album is “…And Justice For All” meets “Rust in Peace” with an added surge of aggression (and very prominent bass from new member Brandon Bruce). Listen to “Ritual of the Mind” and try to convince me it doesn’t give off vibes of “…And Justice For All”-era METALLICA. The album even starts off eerily similar to “…And Justice For All”. Don’t misunderstand, this album is absolutely not a METALLICA rip off, but the influences are certainly noticeable.

David Sanchez, who doubles as HAVOK’s vocalist, shows the most improvement on this album. Sanchez’s vocals have historically been the weak link for the band with a one-style-fits-all approach: scream and shout as angrily as possible about political and societal frustrations. While the content of the lyrics remains the same on “V”, the vocal approach has changed. Sure, there are still tracks of pure anger and aggression. But more often than not, the vocals showcase subtleties and use layering and backing vocals very well – see “Interface with the Infinite” as an example. The epic album closer “Don’t Do It” is the best HAVOK vocal performance to date, in terms of expressing a range of emotions. It is also my new favorite HAVOK song.

If you’re like me and were underwhelmed by the first singles, “Phantom Force” and “Fear Campaign”, I highly encourage you to give the rest of the album a chance. “Phantom Force” is the weakest song on the entire record, so I’m surprised it was released as a single. Nearly every other song, however, has a chance to be regarded as a classic in the coming years – and “Panpsychism” is going to be a new favorite among many lifelong HAVOK fans. Now, this is not HAVOK’s “Black” album, and will not grab the attention of the popular crowd, but it deserves to gain HAVOK a much larger following in the metal community. “V” is one of the best thrash metal albums of the 21st century, and sets the standard for thrash in the new century. The album feels familiar and cozy, yet fresh and inspired. It has everything you want in a thrash record. HAVOK’s “V” is a must-buy for thrash fans.

FAVORITES

“Interface with the Infinite“, “Ritual of the Mind“, “Betrayed by Technology“, “Panpsychism“, “Don’t Do It“