By Andrew Bansal
November 18th 2015, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: After taking a year off from touring due to frontman David Sanchez’ wrist injury, Denver, Colorado thrashers Havok are back in the fold, currently on a US headline tour with a variety of support acts throughout the run. Two weeks into the tour, they arrived at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in West Hollywood last Wednesday November 18th 2015. This is where they played a nearly sold-out show a little over two years ago, and this time they brought with them Black Breath and Witchaven to make for a potentially deadly dosage of violence for those in attendance. An entire year in obscurity is a large amount of time in the modern-day industry, and it remained to be seen whether Havok’s Los Angeles-based fans still remembered the band and cared enough to turn up for this comeback gig.
This had all the makings of a typical thrash event at the Whisky, wherein at least a handful of people are usually ejected for ‘excessive moshing’, although the security staff was surprisingly lenient on this occasion. Even by LA standards, it was not a cold night, so a mediocre performance by any band wouldn’t compel anyone to stay inside the venue and not retreat to the outdoor smoking patio, so the onus was on these bands to deliver the goods.
Southern California tyrants Witchaven took the stage at 9:20 to bring their brand of blackened thrash. These dudes have been pummeling the metal underground around these parts and beyond for a number of years now, but this was one of their rare ‘mainstream’ gigs as I can’t remember ever seeing them at the Whisky prior to this. But the thing with Witchaven is, they bring the thrash underground to these shows, and for that they serve as a valuable addition to a show headlined by the likes of bands such as Havok. The turnout was sizable during Witchaven’s set, and their perfect mix of songs old and new insitigated mosh pits on a regular basis, perhaps far more so than either of the bands that played after Witchaven, and these guys may have won the mosh pit battle of the bands. The band sounded tight, and frontman Henry Montoya was his usual humorous self between songs. The drumming in this set particularly stood out more than it ever has, not just due to drummer Lerby Sanchez’ efforts but also probably because of the positioning of the drum kit, as Havok’s kit was already set up on the main drum riser and Witchaven played in front of it, bringing them closer to the audience as a result. They ended on a high with two of their best songs ‘Empty Chasm’ and ‘Unholy Copulation’, and left the the crowd hungry for more thrash.
Set List:
01. Skinned Alive
02. Terrorstorm
03. Monsanto Death Machine
04. Post Trauma
05. Blood Sacrifice
06. Hyperion
07. Empty Chasm
08. Unholy Copulation
Next up, Seattle, Washington’s finest group of earsplitters and skullcrushers Black Breath hit the stage for a typically devastating performance, once again proving themselves to be an absolutely unmissable live band. With monstrous vocals, ominous guitar parts and a destructive rhythm section, Black Breath came across as decidedly heavier than the other bands on this package, and bringing their elements of doom, sludge, crossover and crust, they added some different flavors to what was otherwise a relatively thrashier show overall. There wasn’t as much moshing during their set because they were by no means straightforward thrash, but hardly anyone left the room, so it was simply a case of first-timers attempting to fathom the enormity of this band’s sound and observing in silence. Even the members of Havok and Witchaven were talking about just how much they were blown away by Black Breath. This is the kind of band that fits as an opening act for someone like Goatsnake just as much as it does for Havok. For the longest time they’ve done mostly stoner/doom tours, but with them opening for Goatwhore earlier this year and now this one, it’s great to see them do more thrash-oriented tours for a change. Their third full-length effort ‘Slaves Beyond Death’, released in September 2015 via Southern Lord Recordings, is an essential item in any heavy music fan’s collection, and witnessing the band live is even more of a must.
Set List:
01. Escape From Death
02. Slaves Beyond Death
03. Feast Of The Damned
04. Sentenced To Life
05. Mother Abyss
06. Home Of The Grave
07. Reaping Flesh
08. The Flame / Spit On The Cross
And lastly, headliners Havok took the stage at 11:25 for an 11-song set that presented the best of their three-album discography, along with a brand new song called ‘Claiming Certainty’ which was preceded by a dosage of social and religious commentary by David Sanchez, as he addressed the crowd to talk about the recent terrorist activites. But he also talked about his injury and having to take the last year off, and how his surgeries left him ‘made of metal’ and ‘android-like’. Based on the performance and energy levels, it was clear that Sanchez as well as his band mates were more than excited to resume touring and thrashing on a regular basis, playing shows on stages they’ve owned in the past.
At first the turnout here didn’t seem as strong as it was at Havok’s Whisky show in 2013, but by the time their set was in full swing, it got very close to the same number of people, and showed that they definitely still have a large enough fanbase to be motivated to continue writing and performing for many years to come. Just like Witchaven and Black Breath boasted of great drumming in their sets here, Havok’s drummer Pete Webber played a prominent role. A subpar drummer can completely ruin any band, and this applies even more to a thrash band, while a great drummer can make the entire band sound top-notch. In Havok’s case it was definitely the latter, and credit also goes to the in-house sound crew for dialing in the drums perfectly. His band mates were also in their element on their respective instruments, and this Havok set garnered an excellent response from the crowd, filled with plenty of moshing and headbanging. When it comes to thrash, Havok have always succeeded in nailing the combination of old-school menace with technical skill, and fans of the genre really can’t go wrong by attending their show. A great performance that reassured everyone that Havok is still here and raring to dominate.
Set List:
01. Unnatural Selection
02. Fatal Intervention
03. No Amnesty
04. From The Cradle To The Grave
05. D.O.A.
06. Claiming Certainty
07. Scumbag In Disguise
08. Point Of No Return
09. Covering Fire
10. Give Me Liberty … Or Give Me Death
11. Time Is Up
Havok remaining US tour dates:
11/19 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room *+
11/20 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar *+
11/21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Club Red +%#
11/22 – Albuquerque, NM @ The Jam Spot %#
11/23 – El Paso, TX @ Mesa Music Hall %#
11/24 – Dallas, TX @ Reno’s Chop Shop %#
11/25 – Austin, TX @ Dirty Dog Bar %#
11/27 – McAllen, TX @ Thirsty Monkey %#
11/28 – San Antonio, TX @ Korova %#
11/29 – New Orleans, LA @ Siberia %#
11/30 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade %#
12/01 – Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway %
12/02 – Nashville, TN @ The End %
12/03 – St. Louis, MO @ Fubar %
12/04 – Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot %
12/05 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
* = w/ Black Breath
+ = w/ Witchaven
% = w/ Black Fast
# = w / Extinction A.D.
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