Havok - Time Is Up review
| Band: | Havok |
| Album: | Time Is Up |
| Style: | Thrash metal |
| Release date: | March 29, 2011 |
| Guest review by: | K✞ulu |
01. Prepare For Attack
02. Fatal Intervention
03. No Amnesty
04. D.O.A.
05. Covering Fire
06. Killing Tendencies
07. Scumbag In Disguise
08. The Cleric
09. Out Of My Way
10. Time Is Up
11. Postmortem/Raining Blood [Slayer cover] [iTunes bonus]
"Damn, damn, damn. Talk about a schizophrenic reaction to music...I was really stoked on hating this. In fact, even as I sit and listen to it, something in my brain is telling me I should hate this...but I have to admit, this is actually pretty solid."
Doc Godin
Doc Godin
One of the most praised thrash releases of 2011, Time Is Up is indeed an album that instantly infects one's brain with its catchy songs and almost lives up to the hype created around it. After this album, Havok will certainly need no introduction, but as of now, let me give you some basic info. Havok come from Denver and are part of the new wave of thrash. They already have one album under their belt, which received a lot of positive feedback, too.
Havok play a fairly melodic blend of thrash reminiscent of Megadeth's first album. It is quite angry and pissed off as thrash should be, but this is still the type of thrash with a sense of melody in it, not the pounding early Kreator type. This was the case on Burn and it is the same here. Nothing has really changed. Havok again are offering us plenty of catchy riffs and have a great command of their instruments playing them fast and loud. That's by-the-book thrash. What else do you need?
The problem that I have always had with this band, though, is that they fail to bring anything new to the table. While on the first album Havok wanted to prove they are not worse than their peers and show some skill, Time Is Up sounds like a product by a band that realized what the market needs and gave it exactly that. And it is actually hard to criticize a band for that - after all you play your music for someone, but at least Burn felt real; the new album simply sounds like a plastic overproduced soulless toy to play with just once.
I would not give this a low rating, though, because all the songs sound more than decent and some are actually exceptional (like "DOA," "The Cleric" or "Out Of My Way"). Nevertheless, the replay value of Time Is Up is quite low, and I never really want to go back to enjoy it. Beyond the fifth listen, I personally was trying to find some missing link between me and this album rather than listening for pleasure. I can see though why people like this album, and if you are into thrash, chances are high you will like Time Is Up, too.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by K✞ulu | 15.09.2011
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 10
Visited by: 170 users
| wormdrink414 Elite Posts: 1295  |
The Cleric isn't just exceptional, it's easily song of the year. Get your facts straight, dude.
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| K✞ulu Seeker of Truth Posts: 2573  |
Written by wormdrink414 on 15.09.2011 at 22:18 well, not for me, and it's too much of a subjective concept to talk about facts.
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099  |
Don't agree with this review at all, this album has me regularly going back for repeated listens, very addictive Thrash. "the new album simply sounds like a plastic overproduced soulless toy to play with just once." Bloody hell that's a bit harsh don't you think? That's a description I'd reserve for some of the worst music I've heard. It seems to me overly critical in light of what else you say. This album, for me at least, has a lot of character, it isn't just a carbon copy and offers much beyond the first listen. But maybe I just derive far too much entertainment from that one "plastic overproduced soulless toy". A well written review in any case, just not one I agree with.
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| K✞ulu Seeker of Truth Posts: 2573 |
Written by R'Vannith on 16.09.2011 at 05:25 yeah, it's a bit harsh, but while I don't exactly hate this album, the words I used do reflect my attitude towards it, and I do not think it has lots of character. As the Wolf in Pulp Fiction said, "Just because you are a character doesn't mean that you have character." 
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099 |
Written by K✞ulu on 16.09.2011 at 16:45 Well put, I guess I'd agree about that, it's certainly not an entirely original album by any means. 
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| Aebsi Posts: 71  |
Well I totally agree with your review (well written by the way) but I pretty damn enjoy this album so much, probably no surprise since I love thrashy thrash metal.
---- Just be Yourself
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| K✞ulu Seeker of Truth Posts: 2573 |
I seem to kind of like Time is Up a bit more now; one hell of a rocking record this is, and it is seems like this one is the best thrash album this year by quite a margin.
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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| K✞ulu Seeker of Truth Posts: 2573 |
I have just listened to the Postmortem/Raining Blood cover, and the way they sound perfectly justifies my description of the album as "plastic overproduced soulless toy." Maybe the slick production does not ruin the covers completely, but it definitely strips them of the original heaviness and morbid atmosphere. That is why when I was listening to them, I immediately felt a desire to check the original versions once again.
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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| Soulhole Posts: 119  |
Havok does what they set out to do very well. Time Stands Still is teeming with lightning fast riffs, razor sharp production, and overloaded aggression. Sign me up for their next album please.
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| FatherOfBodom Posts: 7 |
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