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Havok - V



7.7 | 190 votes |
Release date: 1 May 2020
Style: Thrash metal

Owners:

81 have it
16 want it


01. Post-Truth Era
02. Fear Campaign
03. Betrayed By Technology
04. Ritual Of The Mind
05. Interface With The Infinite
06. Dab Tsog
07. Phantom Force
08. Cosmetic Surgery
09. Panpsychism
10. Merchants Of Death
11. Don't Do It

Additional info
Artwork by Eliran Kantor.

Staff review by
omne metallum
Rating:
6.7
One of the leading lights in the thrash revival scene, Denver's Havok have rode their talents to the tip of the resurgent wave of thrash. Following up on 2017's mis-fire Conformicide is V, a return to form of sorts, but not the return to their place atop the wave they rode as their personal vehicle for much of their career thus far. Keeping the lyrical focus of prior, the band rein in their experimental aspects somewhat and streamline them to create an album aimed at their fans of old, as well as those who were picked up following Conformicide, with the resulting V. An album that is still expansive by thrash standards, but for Havok it is a more concise sonic attack.

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published 23.06.2020 | Comments (9)

Found in 29 lists
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Comments

Comments: 30   Visited by: 451 users
28.02.2020 - 16:52
Rating: 5
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
New song looks dull.

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28.02.2020 - 21:22
Rating: 6
JOPE OF STEELE
Steelemeister
Written by Cynic Metalhead on 28.02.2020 at 16:52

New song looks dull.

Hard to say will I be on the release date based on this song.
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My vision is augmented
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27.03.2020 - 17:04
Rating: 5
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
Another new song online.

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17.04.2020 - 10:53
Rating: 5
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
3rd new song looks better than all released tracks so far.

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Album Release day (May 01, 2020)
01.05.2020 - 13:15
Rating: 8
CakeN7
I really liked it, with the impossible task of following up Conformicide... any band was going to fall arse over head.
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01.05.2020 - 17:41
HyperDrifter
It has some good moments but doesn't stand up to Conformicide and found it underwhelming/forgetful at times.
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01.05.2020 - 20:18
Nejde
Havok is everything that Metallica hasn't been for the last 30+ years. There is no other thrash band out there that plays old school thrash and still manages to make it sound so fresh and modern. The aggressiveness combined with the political lyrics is the perfect combo. For me this is already AOTY
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Liebe ist für alle da.
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01.05.2020 - 21:58
Rating: 5
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
Written by Nejde on 01.05.2020 at 20:18

Havok is everything that Metallica hasn't been for the last 30+ years. There is no other thrash band out there that plays old school thrash and still manages to make it sound so fresh and modern. The aggressiveness combined with the political lyrics is the perfect combo. For me this is already AOTY

With all due respect, I found none of it relevant to Havok. Having one good record in arsenal, I don't think you can't shred Metallica's last 30+ history. It's totally fucking amusing.

There are tons of thrash bands that still delivers old school thrash records pertaining to the aggressiveness with a fresh and modern sound. All you need is a good Bandcamp search. Some of them can be found here on MS.

Just finished my 2nd spin, and as expected, I found nothing short of Metallica worshipping tracks like "Don't Do It" and "Interface With The Infinite" or recycling riffs of Time Is Up in "Cosmetic Surgery", " Panpsychism" and "Merchants Of Death". For the same, I'd drop a message to Havok on FB prior to recording that I hope you folks won't recycle Time Is Up and reaction was inevitable - I was blocked. I knew subconsciously they will pull the content from TIU. Also, I found this album was badly bruised in parts due to extreme detachment of song structures. The flow was bruised.
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01.05.2020 - 22:25
The Witchfinder
Account deleted
Holy hell this is boring.
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02.05.2020 - 01:20
Aries Rising
Those vocals are so grating.
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02.05.2020 - 11:02
Nejde
Written by Cynic Metalhead on 01.05.2020 at 21:58

With all due respect, I found none of it relevant to Havok. Having one good record in arsenal, I don't think you can't shred Metallica's last 30+ history. It's totally fucking amusing.

There are tons of thrash bands that still delivers old school thrash records pertaining to the aggressiveness with a fresh and modern sound. All you need is a good Bandcamp search. Some of them can be found here on MS.

Just finished my 2nd spin, and as expected, I found nothing short of Metallica worshipping tracks like "Don't Do It" and "Interface With The Infinite" or recycling riffs of Time Is Up in "Cosmetic Surgery", " Panpsychism" and "Merchants Of Death". For the same, I'd drop a message to Havok on FB prior to recording that I hope you folks won't recycle Time Is Up and reaction was inevitable - I was blocked. I knew subconsciously they will pull the content from TIU. Also, I found this album was badly bruised in parts due to extreme detachment of song structures. The flow was bruised.

Metallica hasn't felt relevant when it comes to releasing albums since the black one and I wouldn't really call that album thrash either. Death Magnetic was enjoyable but that's about it. Live is a whole different thing though. Saw them in 2009 at Sonisphere here in Sweden and again in Gothenburg in 2011 when they played The Big Four and they're still one of the best live bands out there.

I can admit I'm kinda biased when talking about Havok. I've loved their sound since the Pwn 'Em All EP back in 2007 and they are one of my favourite bands. For me V doesn't sound nearly as repetitive as Megadeth's last 6-7 album for example and we still love Dave. The extreme detachment of song structure you're talking about is what makes the album less reptitive in my eyes. "Phantom Force" doesn't sound like anything they did before and "Post-Truth Era" is a phenomenal follow up to "Hang 'Em High" from Conformicide.

But this is of course just my humble opinions
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Liebe ist für alle da.
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02.05.2020 - 11:58
Rating: 5
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
Written by Nejde on 02.05.2020 at 11:02

I can admit I'm kinda biased when talking about Havok. I've loved their sound since the Pwn 'Em All EP back in 2007 and they are one of my favourite bands.

Big fan too. I was instantly hooked to Time Is Up which is by far one of the best albums Havok recorded, but I don't see the improvement. All three mainly disappointed me cause of the fact that they haven't come out of TIU material. Every album succeeded post- TIU is fucking TIU when in fact other thrash bands evolving more into newer direction keeping thrash traits intact.

Quote:
The extreme detachment of song structure you're talking...

This was infuriating. Those big annoying gaps when Havok was changing the momentum sounded odd.
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04.05.2020 - 13:32
Rating: 6
Daniell
_爱情_
Elite
The vocals...
The singer can't sing, so he does this ridiculous harsh parody of vocals. And he kills the songs with his voice, just like Tom Araya kills the otherwise very good album that is "God Hates Us All" (Cue the outrage, but please keep in mind that Slayer is my favourite band). I think that a cleaner vocal approach works best for thrash metal.

But still, even minus the vocals, this album is disappointing. Havok, in a way, suffers from what I call the Testament Disease. The riffs are re-cycled endlessly (hello "Time Is Up", my old friend), and most of the songs are unremarkably similar. After 3 listens I can only remember "Phantom Force" (because it captured my attention each time I played the album), and "Don't Do It" (because it's much worse that the rest of the album, which I was reminded of every time I listened to the album. Also, blatant Metallica worship doesn't make it any better).
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04.05.2020 - 16:10
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Its weird album, they try play progressive, technical music , it works, but somehow they can not create one killer song what makes you play it all day long. Its album album for metsalheads and people what listens albums.
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I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens.

Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"

I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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04.05.2020 - 20:33
Rating: 5
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
Written by Bad English on 04.05.2020 at 16:10

Its weird album, they try play progressive, technical music

You sure listening to Havok?

I don't find them even remotely close to playing prog or tech note in their whole discography.
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04.05.2020 - 20:53
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Cynic Metalhead on 04.05.2020 at 20:33

Written by Bad English on 04.05.2020 at 16:10

Its weird album, they try play progressive, technical music

You sure listening to Havok?

I don't find them even remotely close to playing prog or tech note in their whole discography.

Its not pure thrash so what is it
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I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens.

Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"

I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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05.05.2020 - 04:27
Rating: 5
ChapuLviz
Tropical Goat
Contributor
Holy shit! I listen Metallica and Megadeth in this album... strange copy like Greta Van Fleet with Led Zeppelin...
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06.05.2020 - 08:56
Rating: 6
BCI
I was never a big fan of this type of thrash metal and I guess that's still true... 😂
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Black Crown Initiate have ruined a lot of bands for me...
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06.05.2020 - 20:35
FlagellumDei
Opening track is like the opening of and justice for all album. same structure, a reverse melody then a similar riff, similar drum partition... I guess I am not the only thinks like that. Maybe it is a respect to that album, I don't know...
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06.05.2020 - 21:26
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by BCI on 06.05.2020 at 08:56

I was never a big fan of this type of thrash metal and I guess that's still true... 😂

neither do I, but I listen it, seems nothing can be more technical as Midas Touch lol, but I enjoy Anacrusis actually they knew how make it teck, write good music and so on
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I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens.

Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"

I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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15.05.2020 - 15:58
Rating: 7
LeKiwi
High Fist Prog
Those intros
Post-Truth Era = Blackened
Ritual Of The Mind = Eye Of The Beholder
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25.05.2020 - 22:47
Rating: 8
Murder
It's all I was expecting from the boys: their signature is still there, I'm pleased.
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25.05.2020 - 23:15
Rating: 6
JOPE OF STEELE
Steelemeister
Hmm I forgot to check the album on release date and now after seeing the comments I'm not too eager to check it at all.
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My vision is augmented
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06.07.2020 - 14:53
Rating: 8
blackwreath13
Greatly enjoyed it much more than expected.
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08.07.2020 - 20:53
Rating: 6
tintinb
Really like Don't do it and the grooviness of Panpsychism but that's about it.
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Leeches everywhere.
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12.07.2020 - 18:53
Rating: 7
metalbrat
Recycled....Recycled....Recycled....Only 3 tracks received my interest. Ritual of the mind, Interface with the infinite and Don't do it. Ritual of the Mind reminds more of Metallica than Havok. All over it's a big let down.
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In the beginning I was made of clay. Then I bit the apple and they changed me to metal 🤘
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30.09.2020 - 21:26
Rating: 5
sgtrobo
Written by Nejde on 01.05.2020 at 20:18

Havok is everything that Metallica hasn't been for the last 30+ years.

considering their liberal borrowing of AJFA that is obviously what they are aiming to be

Written by LeKiwi on 15.05.2020 at 15:58

Those intros
Post-Truth Era = Blackened
Ritual Of The Mind = Eye Of The Beholder

ok, so it's not just me.

Written by JOPE OF STEELE on 25.05.2020 at 23:15

Hmm I forgot to check the album on release date and now after seeing the comments I'm not too eager to check it at all.

just listen to AJFA.
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01.10.2020 - 19:08
Rating: 6
JOPE OF STEELE
Steelemeister
Written by sgtrobo on 30.09.2020 at 21:26

just listen to AJFA.

I'd never listen to AJFA, if you know me I would go always with Victims of Deception by Heathen instead I think I'm gonna listen "V" soon, thanks for reminding about the album btw I had forgotten its existence already.
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My vision is augmented
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03.10.2020 - 19:34
Rating: 6
JOPE OF STEELE
Steelemeister
Gave it a couple of listens and I definitely am not highly impressed. The band can play, that's for sure, but there aren't any markedly great songs, there's some decent ones and some not so good. I also don't hear that many great riffs on the record like the band used to have in their glory days. Some of the lyrical themes do hit home, and it's a shame that they're not accompanied by some more interesting song writing. In my opinion the band should keep it simple, like the more straightforward songs, such as Post-Truth Era and Merchants Of Death show that this is what Havok does best.
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My vision is augmented
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28.11.2023 - 12:55
Rating: 8
miekka18
I liked this album a lot. Good thrash metal. though it's nothing compared to Time's Up record which is my favorite from them. This is not really original and sounds like Megadeth but I like it nevertheless
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