Stephen
Havok was formed in 2004 and a part of thrash revival new generation alongside with names such as Warbringer, Evile, and Gama Bomb. Not to be confused with Sweden's Havok which played death metal, this Denver quartet is unleashing Bay Area style thrash in the veins of of classic Metallica, Testament, Exodus, and Anthrax. They were around for sometimes before finally got signed by Candlelight Record and "Burn" eventually released in 2009.
After the typical thrash intro, "Wreckquiem", Havok throw some old-school riffs carnage in "The Root of Evil" which reminds me of Metallica's Puppet era blending with the glorious early days of Testament. "To Hell" and "Afterburner" got the same classic grips, fierce and brutally beautiful. "Morbid Symmetry", like a flaming inferno balls shot straight out of hell, this one is a huge drum blasting track and make a strong headbang tune. "Scabs of Trust" was quickly added to the string of my fave tracks with its Sepultura's Beneath The Remains' wickedness, and to hear Sanchez's vocal alternating between a normal scream and furious growl, is surely a breathtaking moment. Though I'm sensing that few other tracks here seems incomplete and unoriginal, Havok succesfully delivered a satisfactory debut.
Just like Metallica, Kreator,or Testament, all of them started at the very young of age, and Havok isn't different than them. With this level of achievement, the band got a bright future ahead, let's just hope they can evolve to a better stage by keeping up the speed of improvement and consistency. Should they do that, I'm sure their next release will be in much greater shape, but for now, 3.5 stars is good for their endeavor.