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Havok (band)

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Havok
Havok performing in 2013
Havok performing in 2013
Background information
OriginDenver, Colorado, U.S.
GenresThrash metal
Years active2004–present
LabelsCandlelight, Century Media
MembersDavid Sanchez
Pete Webber
Nick Schendzielos
Past membersBrandon Bruce
Shawn Chavez
Marcus Corich
Tyler Cantrell
Justin Cantrell
Jesse De Los Santos
Mike Leon
Haakon Sjoegren
Richie Tice
Ryan Alexander Bloom
Scott Fuller
Reece Scruggs
Websitehavokband.com

Havok is an American thrash metal band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2004. As of 2024, their current lineup consists of frontman David Sanchez, drummer Pete Webber, and bassist Nick Schendzielos. They have gone through a number of personnel changes, with each album featuring a different lineup, and leaving Sanchez as the only remaining original member left in the band.

To date, Havok has released five studio albums – Burn (2009), Time Is Up (2011), Unnatural Selection (2013), Conformicide (2017) and V (2020) – and they are currently working on new music.[1] Along with Bonded by Blood, Evile, Hatchet, Municipal Waste and Warbringer, the band has been credited for leading the so-called "thrash metal revival" scene in the late 2000s and early 2010s,[2][3][4] and their music has been mostly influenced by the 1980s thrash metal scene as well as the New wave of British heavy metal, death metal, hardcore punk and progressive rock/metal.[5]

History

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David Sanchez formed Havok with classmate and drummer, Haakon Sjoegren. The duo searched for a lead guitarist by putting up fliers around the Denver area, and local guitarist Shawn Chavez joined the band.[6] Eventually, they rounded out their first lineup with Marcus Corich on bass, and in 2004, Havok recorded their first demo, "Thrash Can". In 2005, they self-released another EP, "Murder by Metal". By 2007, Tyler Cantrell had taken up the role as bassist, and Rich Tice on drums. On September 19, with this new line-up in place, Havok released their first self-released EP, "Pwn 'Em All".[6] Tyler's brother, Justin Cantrell - also a bassist, replaced him for several tours in support of the EP.

In December 2007, Havok, having just hired drummer Ryan Bloom that fall, sent a copy of their EP and a press kit to any metal label they could find. The EP caught the ear of English extreme metal label, Candlelight Records, and soon after the band agreed to join them. Havok hired new bassist, Jesse De Los Santos, in the fall of 2008. On June 2, 2009, Havok released their full-length debut, Burn.[6] However, Ryan Bloom left the band in April before the release of "Burn".[7] To replace him, they briefly went on the road with Scott Fuller, but they eventually hired Pete Webber as the full-time drummer. Burn was received quite well in the metal community, but it did not yet break them into the global metal scene. The band was set to begin touring with Primal Fear on May 20, 2010, at New York's Gramercy Theater, but guitarist Shawn Chavez quit the band the same day. Instead of jumping ship, Sanchez took up learning all the solos, and Havok toured as a trio.[8] In September 2010, Winchester, VA shredder Reece Scruggs joined the band as their new lead guitarist. Havok then returned to the studio to record their sophomore effort. On March 29, 2011, Havok released Time Is Up.[9] This spread through the metal community, receiving strong reviews from critics and fans alike. It became a defining album in what has come to be known as the New Wave of Thrash Metal scene. The success of Time Is Up has led the band to major tours opening for bands like thrash metal veterans Forbidden, alongside Revocation and White Wizzard; as well as tours opening for Sepultura, Death Angel, Anthrax, The English Dogs, the Casualties, Goatwhore, 3 Inches of Blood, Skeletonwitch, and Exhumed.[10][11] 2012 was wrapped up for the band by playing the first Barge to Hell cruise featuring bands At the Gates, Behemoth, Mayhem, Possessed, Exodus, and Sacred Reich to name a few.

After over a year of heavy touring, Havok returned home to Denver with plans to record their next album. Havok was invited to open for Testament's 'Dark Roots of Thrash' tour at their Denver show after Overkill was forced to drop from the tour due to singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth falling ill.[12] Fans were introduced to Havok's new bassist, Mike Leon (previously of Tampa, Florida metallers the Absence), after Jesse left the band to spend time with family. Havok began recording their newest album in the spring of 2013. Unnatural Selection was released on June 25, 2013, and in its first week charted on the Billboard top 200 at No. 154 selling over 2,500 copies. Shortly after the release, the band went to Bogota, Colombia to play the Rock Al Parque festival, playing to an estimated 45,000 people. The festival also included Cannibal Corpse and Symphony X. The band set out on a 50 plus day headline tour to support "Unnatural Selection" with dates that lead up to the Montreal, Canada festival Heavy MTL on August 11. Unnatural Selection was the band's last release on Candlelight Records[13] and on July 11, the band signed with Century Media Records.[14]

On April 30, 2015, founding lead guitarist Shawn Chavez died at age 30.[15]

On September 22, 2015, the band announced that they had parted ways with bassist Mike Leon (who had joined Soulfly), and had replaced him with Nick Schendzielos from Cephalic Carnage and Job for a Cowboy.[16] That same month, it was announced that Havok had been working on their fourth studio album,[17] Conformicide, which was released on March 10, 2017.[18]

On May 17, 2018, the band announced the dates for the North American tour beginning on July 13 and ending on August 5. Jungle Rot and Extinction A.D. were also seen along.[19]

In a July 2018 interview with Sonic Perspectives, Sanchez stated that Havok was going to "stop touring soon" and begin writing a new album, which he had hoped would be released by the summer of 2019.[20] The album, titled V, was released on May 1, 2020, and is their only release with new bassist Brandon Bruce.[21] On August 2, 2021, Bruce announced via Instagram account that he had left Havok, explaining: "As of a couple weeks ago I have officially left Havok. This is something I thought a lot about and is what I believe is the best decision for myself and the band. I wish them all the best both professionally and personally in the future. I would like to thank everyone that enjoyed what I was able to do with them musically."[22]

On August 3, 2021, Metal Storm reported that Havok had "reportedly" been working on new material.[22] The band embarked on its first U.S. tour in four years during the summer of 2023, and by this time, bassist Nick Schendzielos had rejoined.[23] Miami New Times reported in July 2023 that new music from Havok would be released in 2024.[24]

On July 30, 2024, Reece Scruggs announced that he had left Havok after fourteen years as the band's lead guitarist, citing scheduling conflicts. Brett Rechtfertig of Psychosomatic will be filling in for Scruggs on the band's summer and fall 2024 tour dates.[1]

Band members

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Timeline

Discography

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Albums

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Year Album details
2009 Burn
2011 Time Is Up
  • Released: March 29, 2011
  • Label: Candlelight
  • Format: CD, LP, Digital download
2013 Unnatural Selection
  • Released: June 25, 2013
  • Label: Candlelight
  • Format: CD, LP, Digital download
2017 Conformicide
  • Released: March 10, 2017
  • Label: Century Media
  • Format: CD, LP, Digital download
2020 V
  • Released: May 1, 2020
  • Label: Century Media
  • Format: CD, LP, Digital download

Demos

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Year Demo details
2004 Thrash Can
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Not on Label
  • Format: CD
2006 Murder By Metal
  • Released: May 4, 2006
  • Label: Not on Label
  • Format: CD

EPs

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Year Album details
2007 Pwn 'Em All
  • Released: September 19, 2007
  • Label: Not on Label
  • Format: CD
2012 Point of No Return
  • Released: May 22, 2012
  • Label: Candlelight
  • Format: CD, Digital Download

Singles

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Year Name Album
2010 "Fatal Intervention" Time Is Up
2011 "Scumbag in Disguise" Time Is Up
2013 "Give Me Liberty...Or Give Me Death" Unnatural Selection
2016 "Claiming Certainty" (live) non-album single
2016 "Hang 'Em High" Conformicide
2017 "Ingsoc" Conformicide
2017 "Intention to Deceive" Conformicide
2020 "Phantom Force" V
2020 "Post Truth Era" V
2020 "Fear Campaign" V

Music videos

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  • "Morbid Symmetry" (2009)
  • "Covering Fire" (2011)
  • "D.O.A." (2011)
  • "Point of No Return" (2013)
  • "From the Cradle to the Grave" (2013)
  • "Give Me Liberty... Or Give Me Death" (2013)
  • "Worse Than War" (2013)
  • "Chasing the Edge" (2014)
  • "Intention to Deceive" (2017)
  • "Phantom Force" (2020)
  • "Fear Campaign" (2020)

References

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  1. ^ a b "Havok - Guitarist Reece Scruggs Leaves The Band". Metal Storm. August 1, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "Hatchet: "Fear Beyond Lunacy" Album Review by Jason Z!". skullsnbones.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  3. ^ "Havok - Unnatural Selection". thisisnotascene.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  4. ^ "New Extremes: Deafheaven Play Sold-Out LA Show with Health, Skeletal Remains". metalassault.com. January 16, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  5. ^ "Havok Family Tree — The Metal". givememetal.com. May 6, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "The young men of HAVOK prove their metal". westword. May 14, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  7. ^ "Havok in Search of New Drummer". ThrashUnlimited.com. April 12, 2009. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  8. ^ "HAVOK WREAK HAVOC". May 21, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  9. ^ "Havok Biography". Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  10. ^ "FORBIDDEN, REVOCATION, WHITE WIZZARD AND HAVOK U.S. TOUR = YOU'RE HEADBANGING". April 29, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  11. ^ "EXHUMED/GOATWHORE/CEPHALIC CARNAGE/HAVOK: THIS TOUR IS GONNA BE SSSSSIIIICCCKKK". July 29, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  12. ^ "Join us for Testament, Flotsam & Jetsam & Havok \m/". Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  13. ^ Alice Roques (September 1, 2013). "INTERVIEW: HAVOK'". Rock Revolt Magazine.
  14. ^ "Havok signs with CENTURY MEDIA". July 11, 2014.
  15. ^ "Former Havok Guitarist Shawn Tyler Chavez Dead at 30 - Blabbermouth.net". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. May 10, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  16. ^ "Havok Announce New Bassist, North American Headline Dates". KNAC.COM. September 22, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  17. ^ "Havok: announces new bassist; North American tour dates". centurymedia.com. September 22, 2015. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  18. ^ "Details of New Album "Conformicide" Released By Havok". metalunderground.com. December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  19. ^ "HAVOK, JUNGLE ROT & EXTINCTION A.D. Announce North American Tour". Metal Injection. May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  20. ^ "HAVOK's Front-man David Sanchez: 'We Are Going to Stop Touring Soon and We'll Begin Writing Towards Our New Album, Which Hopefully will be Out by the Summer of 2019'". player.fm. July 20, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  21. ^ "Havok Detail New Album "V"". ThePRP.com. February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Havok - Bassist Quits The Band". Metal Storm. August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  23. ^ "HAVOK, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, I AM & HAMMERHEDD Announce US Tour". March 15, 2023.
  24. ^ "Havok Brings Thrash Metal to Gramps".
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