Havok - Time Is Up [2011]

Havok is riding high in the new wave of thrash metal, and their latest album Time Is Up has recieved quite a bit of attention. Essentially coming from the much maligned "no innovation necessary, just asskicking" classic thrash genre, it features all the components of the 80's thrash giants, only slightly modified with modern production. Bands like Havok obviously don't focus on originality, but when the output is this strong, that isn't much of an issue. Apart from a couple fillers and the qualms I have with modern thrash, Time Is Up is a non stop display of strong riffs, memorable choruses, and some fun lyrics, too.

If Bonded by Blood came out in 2011, this is essentially what it would sound like. Of course, this is dropping the charming raw production necessary and a couple of killer tracks Havok just aren't capable of, so no, I'm not calling it an equal album. I mean only to say that this is pretty much the 1985 Exodus style verbatim: a focus on slower, melodic riffing rather than speedy savagery, a similar style of angered snarling, and even a knack for going for the catchy chorus all make this very comparable. It doesn't match up track for track, though. "The Cleric" and "Out of My Way" are clearly fillers only here to run the playing time up a bit. Any thrash fan would want to hear the highlights, though. "Killing Tendencies" and "Scumbag in Disguise" take no prisoners, but my ultimate favorite is "Fatal Intervention," a badass number with one the best choruses I've ever heard in thrash metal. It all strongly reminds me of the glory of "A Lesson in Violence":

"This is fatal intervention
Violence rages throughout
Thrashing with the intention
Of never letting it stop"

Lyrically, the album isn't exactly breaking philosophical boundaries, but that just goes along with the 80's motif. It has to be about "thrashing," being awesome, and chanting generic cool-sounding phrases or it doesn't truly capture the essence of what it used to be all about. I understand the arguments that these retro bands are a complete waste of space and that they bring nothing new to the table, I really do; but let's face it, the genre started repeating itself a long time ago, and I'd rather hear these fresh bands having fun than the same old ones crashing and burning with each subsequent release. If you can manage to look past these preconceptions you may just find a nice release to fill out your thrash library.

   Overall: 7.5/10 (Good - and then you die!)