Reviews list for Havok - Time Is Up (2011)

Pure thrash is a thing that's been done to death, and yet we still get occasional classics because there are those that know how to bring personality and technicality to it long after we've heard all of the tricks.  One of these bands was Havok for a time, before the reviewers started taking them a lot less seriously once their third album came out.  They hadn't had a break for a while, but they made one of the modern thrash classics: Time Is Up, a rare thrash album that captures the oldschool spirit perfectly.

Immediately upon pressing the play button, there's a successful and vicious display of energy with perfectly clean production.  It recaptures the same spirit of thrash from the 80's that made the classics so damn good, and its clean production does a lot for its pure thrash sound.  There are simple but melodic jammers like "DOA" and "Prepare for Attack," complex bangers like "Scumbag in Disguise" and "Fatal Intervention," slow-burners like "Killing Tendencies" and harsh blastbeaters like "No Amnesty," so this album covers multiple sides of what thrash is capable of, and without ever breaking their single genre.  Impressive.  This album kept me on my toes throughout its run because it's so wild and independent, which is a compliment I give to so few thrash albums because so many of them are redundant.  My best examples of wild and independent thrash albums are No More Color, Rust in Peace and South of Heaven, so there's an easy way to compare this album to the classics.

Of course, there is a con that also acts like a pro, but a con more strongly: DAMN is this album stuck in the days of skater dorks and Ninja Turtles.  This is an extremely 80's-sounding album.  I mean, it's cool in the sense that it's nostalgic at least, and they pull it off like the album really did belong there, but this really just means that Havok sounds like they're very stuck in the past.  In other words: in a way we've heard this music for the last 40 years, even those of us who aren't that old.

I do recommend this for anyone who misses the glory days, because this album is all about the glory days.  Havok might not be the absolute best thrash band of the modern age, but they made one of the most fun, powerful and nostalgic albums in the metal world.  I would find myself returning to this next time I get in a thrash mood, because there are a couple songs I might even give five stars.

Wow, this band just keep bringing its A-Game. What a vicious batch of thrash we have here and the drummer is PHENOMENAL. Gives ol' Lombardo a run for his money. Brilliant stuff.

More very well written & executed but thoroughly uninteresting US thrash metal. I've got some shocking news for you people. The "thrash metal revival" is a myth. For a revival to actually take place there has to be bands that are taking the genre forward. If Havok's "Time Is Up" is the best that's out there then I remain unconvinced. This is basically an Exodus tribute album. There is plenty of energy & some good production & musicianship but ultimately I've heard it all done before a thousand times. I have nothing against Havok who are doing what they love & do it very well but I can't rate an album like this higher than three stars. It may be the best of the current pack but I still find I would rather be listening to "Bonded By Blood". Oh ...and for the record gang vocals don't cut it in modern times.