I'm back with another interview and this time I had the fortune of interviewing the frontman of Denver, Colorado's own, Havok. I recently did a review for their newest album, "Time is Up" and I absolutely loved the record so I got in touch with David to get a little more insight on all things Havok. I hope you guys enjoy it.
SFM - First off, I want to say that your new album, "Time is Up" is fantastic and the best album of 2011 so far. One key reason for that is because this album is heavier, faster and all around, much more intense than the predecessor, "Burn." Was upping the intensity on this record something that was planned before writing it or did it just happen that way naturally as you went along?
David - Thank you very much for the kind words! We definitely made an effort to make an album that ripped peoples’ faces off! At the same time though, we were naturally getting faster as time went on. So even though we planned on making it more aggressive, it was only natural to get more in your face.
SFM - You guys definitely succeeded with that mission as "Time is Up" serves as perfect proof of that. This record also features a new lead guitarist and drummer. The drums on this one are amazing and are definitely an integral part of that heaviness and the lead work is also better. How is it having these two guys in the band now?
David - Pete Webber (drums) and Reece Scruggs (guitar) are great assets to this band! I love having them in the group and I feel like their contributions only make us better. There is no doubt that our next album will showcase their abilities even more. We’re only getting better…
SFM - Good to hear, I will certainly be looking forward to those guys' future output. You recently did a tour with Death Metal veterans Malevolent Creation. How did the crowds react to you guys, being the only thrash band on the bill?
David - We had a blast on that tour and the crowd reactions were great! It’s pretty rare that there’s a death metal fan that doesn’t appreciate thrash metal. We’ve been on some pretty mismatched tours and the crowd response is always awesome. I think we have pretty good crossover appeal to almost any form of metal.
SFM - I'm sure that also helps building the fanbase quite well by touring with other bands from different genres, but back to thrash, I definitely feel that you guys have made some serious noise with this new release in the metal community and have put many bands on notice, as well as risen to the top of the NWOTM. What are some of your favorite newer bands?
David - Again, thank you for the kind words! I have a huge list of newer thrash bands that I like – too many to name. But to name a few: Vektor, Warbringer, Revocation, Witchaven, Lazarus AD, Bonded, Mutant, Evile, Savage Messiah, Lich King, Violator, Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Decapitator, etc.
SFM - Do you have any more tours coming up in support of this album?
David - We will be touring through all of 2011 in support of "Time Is Up", so keep an eye out for us. Touring is what we love to do, so don’t expect to see us slowing down any time soon.
SFM - That's great, I would love to see you guys tear it up over here in Los Angeles. Now being from LA, I really have no idea what the scene is like over where you're from. How is the metal scene in Denver, or Colorado in general?
David - Colorado’s metal scene is thriving! There is probably a metal show happening on any given night in this state. There are lots of metal bands and lots of fans for it, so I can’t complain.
SFM - Gotta love having a lot of fans from your hometown. What has been your favorite place to play while touring?
David - We have LOTS of favorite places! But one place that stands out is Quebec City. Quebec was one of the best times I’ve ever had on the road. It was on the Primal Fear tour and the show was packed. Nobody really knew who we were yet or knew what to expect, but after 2 songs, the entire venue was chanting "HA-VOK! HA-VOK!" That was an amazing experience. I can’t wait to go back there!
SFM - Well now I'd like to thank you for your time, and do you have any words for your fans?
David - I’d like to tell the fans to pick up "Time Is Up" and get ready to bang their fuckin’ heads! Also, thank you for all the support over the years. Without the fans, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, so from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!!!
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