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Exploding out of Denver, Colorado comes the mighty Havok. Arguably the leaders in this resurgence of thrash metal and one of my personal favorites as well. This is the band's fourth album to date and one that I was eagerly anticipating.

I have been a fan of this band since the Time is Up album and I had already heard a few of the tracks that were released to hype up the album before its release. Needless to say, my expectations were pretty high. When "F.P.C." started, I have to admit I was a little taken aback. The first three minutes of the song seem like a straight homage to Infectious Grooves. I have no problem with Infectious Grooves but it is not what you think about when you think of Havok. The song itself is a perfect example of my overall feeling when it comes to this album. When they do what they do best and play some face-melting Thrash metal this album is absolutely stellar. When they experiment with this slap bass-style funk and drawn out intros that add nothing to the overall song it just falls flat. "F.P.C." and "Ingsoc" are the worst offenders here and to a lesser extent "Masterplan". All three suffer from a seemingly pointless intro that seems to go nowhere and all three would be better songs if those sections were simply cut out. There are things to like on this album. The production is absolutely crystal clear with each instrument easily shining through. Pete Webber puts on a veritable drum clinic. I have to say as a drummer myself I have a fanboy crush on this guy. He is hands down one of the best drummers in metal and it really seems like he is getting better with each album.

This is the second time I have written the review on this album. Unfortunately, the album suffers from repeated listens and especially if you follow it with Time is Up. The lyrics sound childish, the slap bass comes off as annoying and you just get this overwhelming feeling of disappointment. This band is WAY better than this and I was hoping for more. Maybe they are suffering from being held up as the leaders of this new Thrash Renaissance...heavy is the head that wears the crown? I don't know but hopefully this is just a bump in the road.