Colorado-based thrashers Havok are back! On the heels of the announcement about the new album V (scheduled for release worldwide on May 1, 2020 via Century Media Records), the band has dropped a video for the debut single “Phantom Force.” The video, complete with a seizure warning, is a sensory barrage of visuals that matches the punishing sound Havok is known for and was directed by K. Hunter Lamar / Digital Myle. “Phantom Force” can be seen here:
Havok lead guitarist Reece Scruggs commented about the song: “Somewhere in the middle of writing ‘V’ we all came together and made the decision that we needed a full-blown face peeler track. I remember David saying, ‘Reign In Blood tempo,’ so I came up with something almost immediately and sent it over to the guys. And aside from some subtle stylistic details, it stayed pretty true to that original concept. ‘Phantom Force’ as a first single will assure our fans and skeptics that we haven’t lost a step in making vicious, straight forward, non-gimmicked heavy metal.”
And Havok guitarist/vocalist David Sanchez added the following about the lyrics of the track: “’Phantom Force’ is about the mysterious deaths that happen during sleep paralysis in the Hmong people. These people fled their war-torn homeland and could not seem to escape a terrifying fate. The goal with this video was to visually represent the fear and panic that people must’ve felt just before their sudden nocturnal demise. Watch at your own risk…”
The track has now also been added to the “Thrashers” playlist on Spotify, which features Havok on its cover: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWZdFtcHGe8ED.
V, Havok’s 5th studio album and relentless follow-up to 2017’s Conformicide effort, was engineered, mixed, mastered by Mark Lewis (Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, etc.) and showcases stunning artwork by Eliran Kantor (Testament, Hatebreed, etc.). V will be available as limited edition Digipak CD and as LP on 180gr.vinyl with poster. Next to the unlimited black vinyl version, there will also be the following limited colored editions of the release as follows:
White vinyl: 200x (Revolver Magazine USA)
Transparent yellow & transparent blue splatter vinyl: 300x (Band exclusive in North America)
Crystal clear and coke bottle swirl vinyl: 200x (CM Onlineshop USA)
Sea glass vinyl: 300x (Indie Stores via CM USA)
Clear vinyl: 300x (CM Distro / Webshop Europe)
Light blue vinyl: 200x (EMP & Nuclear Blast in Europe)
Neon yellow vinyl: 200x (Band exclusive in Europe)
V is now available for pre-order in its various formats globally here: https://havok.lnk.to/-V.
The track listing for V is:
1. Post-Truth Era
2. Fear Campaign
3. Betrayed By Technology
4. Ritual Of The Mind
5. Interface With The Infinite
6. Dab Tsog
7. Phantom Force
8. Cosmetic Surgery
9. Panpsychism
10. Merchants Of Death
11. Don’t Do It
Havok – Live 2020:
30.07.2020 Tolmin (Slovenia) – MetalDays
05.08.2020 Jaromer (Czech Republic) – Brutal Assault
08.08.2020 Leeuwarden (The Netherlands) – Into The Grave
09.08.2020 Kortrijk (Belgium) – Alcatraz Festival
15.08.2020 Dinkelsbühl (Germany) – Summer Breeze
16.08.2020 Saint Nolff (France) – Motocultor
Many more dates are to be announced very soon…
Photo credit: Mark Maryanovich
