Colorado-based thrash crew Havok are back in a big way. The quartet have announced their forthcoming fifth album, simply titled V, unleashed the LP’s ripping lead single “Phantom Force” and dropped the song’s accompanying music video, which comes with a well-earned seizure warning.
“‘Phantom Force’ is about the mysterious deaths that happen during sleep paralysis in the Hmong people,” vocalist-guitarist David Sanchez commented on the single and its fast-paced, assaultive video. “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 …”
Lead guitarist Reece Scruggs added, “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.”
V is scheduled for release on May 1st via Century Media Records. It will be available in an array of limited-edition packages, including digipak CD and as LP on 180-gram vinyl with poster. In addition to an unlimited black vinyl version, the album will be pressed in the following limited colored editions, which are up for pre-order now:
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 track listing:
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
