Havok – Time Is Up | Metal Pulse

Havok – Time Is Up

10 November 2011

1.Prepare for Attack
2.Fatal Intervention
3.No Amnesty
4.D.O.A.
5.Covering Fire
6.Killing Tendencies
7.Scumbag In Disguise
8.The Cleric
9.Out of My Way
10.Time Is Up

Thrash metal is in the best shape it’s ever been thanks to bands like Havok. These Coloradans might not be reinventing the steel, but they do a good job of celebrating an art form. Since thrash is basically riffs and fast percussion, a simple formula Havok indulge for the duration of the present material, expect to be served a plus-sized entrée of the pure stuff for about 40 odd minutes. “Time Is Up” is the quartet’s fervently anticipated successor to “Burn” from a couple years back. Not having listened to the previous release, this writer still believes “Time Is Up” is a better effort for a lot of good reasons. First is the aggression that boils across the album’s ten blistering tracks. Second is the songwriting talent shining among a handful of memorable songs. Third and last is the discernible passion that invigorates every single note and lick these guys play.

The forceful brunt of these verities come into play during the opener “Prepare for Attack,” which showcases the band’s tutelage in the classics from the Bay Area scene. Every single thrash staple is featured on the album’s opening salvo, whether it’s the obligatory vocal snarls or the intricate guitar work. “Time Is Up” pushes all the right buttons for a specific type of metalhead, specifically the denim-clad diehards who hailed the rise of Municipal Waste some time ago, dug Gama Bomb’s irreverent humor, and continue to enjoy the retrogressive trend seeping across the underground. Havok are all this and more thanks to the occasional surprises that disrupt the album’s edge of your seat pace. The sonic firestorm may never let up on such scorchers as “Fatal Intervention,” “Covering Fire,” “The Cleric,” or the relentless title track and album closer “Time Is Up,” but there’s more than enough sweet variety when it comes to the real standouts like “Killing Tendencies” or the wonderful apocalyptic tune “The Cleric.”

The final verdict on “Time Is Up” is the same as a lot of albums these last few years. It’s pure thrash metal steeped in the classical influences with nary a modern edge to give it 21^st century appeal. “Time Is Up” doesn’t ask you to like it, it demands total submission. Nothing more, nothing less.