Aptly named, V, Havok’s fifth full length album offers a sort of, audio outlet for these troubling times. Tracks titled “Post Truth Era,” “Fear Campaign,” and “Merchants of Death,” fallow a warranted theme of fear and distrust of the powers that be, and one can’t help but notice the appropriate timing in which these songs were released. This Thrash Metal group exhibits slight hints of Hardcore Punk in both their lyrics and in style. The raw, unenhanced sound of V, and the feeling of righteous rage emitting from lead singer, David Sanchez’s voice, give credence to the band’s topical lyrics. The album, in certain places has more of a skeleton or groundwork, of something more. The themes of these songs; government lies, fear mongering, and death profiteering could have benefited from instrumentals that were a little less derivative and lyrics that expanded a little more. That being said, the album truly touches on some relevant subject matter and there is heart in the recording. Three places where the group steps outside of their comfort zone and taps into something with more heart and creativity are “Dab Tsog,” a heady instrumental that shows the band can be much more than a loud thrash group; “Phantom Force,” that sees prominent bass and a little more complexity from Reece Scruggs’ guitar work, and “Don’t Do It.” “Don’t Do It,” honestly is the reason to buy the album. The last track on the album shows this band has something real underneath all the Thrash Metal rage, a new genre, even. The opening of this song is eerie and beautiful, and the lyrics are the best of the entire album and are delivered with an honest emotion from Sanchez and Bruce. “Don’t Do It” captures the complexity of one’s struggle to decide whether or not to end his life, with varying styles, blended into a seven-minute epic that ends with a hauntingly ambiguous ending.
This album is currently available on digital, cd and vinyl. Be sure to check for local record stores that are offering curbside pickup, as they both need and deserve our help in these most troubling times.
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Review by RockRevolt journalist Ted Darden
