Review by Felix on August 20, 2019.

A ghost sneaks through the thrash metal scene. Its perfidious mission is to make actually good music completely emotionless by stealing its soul. Suicidal Angels fall victim to this mean phantom again and again and some people say that Havok are also lost. Well, their last album was maybe no milestone and yes, a certain lack of emotions occurred. Yet the straightforward double bass and the jagged riffing of the programmatically titled opener "Prepare for Attack" shows that Havok once had heart and soul. Here they do not play thrash by the numbers and the equally configured, double bass driven and chorus-crowned "Fatal Intervention" is another well designed kick in the teeth. 

Nevertheless, the ghost does its deeds in the background and his diabolic work shimmers through when it comes to songs such as "D.O.A.". Is it a bad song? No. Does it trigger any emotions? Again: no. This is the problem of the less convincing pieces on this album: they pass by more or less smoothly, they do not hurt the flow, but they forget to mark their territory. The consequence is that it takes some time until the opening riff of "Killing Tendencies" draws me back into the full-length. Its Testament-inspired chorus does not score with a really impressive vocal line, but the guitar work during the verses and the bridge ensure a very robust basis. I have mentioned Testament and maybe I should add that Havok play typical US American return-to-the-Bay thrash. Dirty elements are missing, technical precision forms the material. The voice of lead vocalist and guitarist David Sanchez is aligned with this musical approach. He sounds vigorous, but he is never at risk to lose control or to convey some grains of filth. Needless to say, that all is framed by a clear production that avoids inappropriate sounds. No problem, I don't speak of an entirely sterile appearance, but at the same time the mix is not able to lend Havok more individuality. Shitty ghost.

"In this world of efficiency, there's no room for mediocrity". That's not my finding, but Havok surprise with this line. It describes their own problem pretty well, because too many average parts show up after the exciting beginning. "The Cleric", a mid-tempo headbanger, introduces itself with truly mighty guitars, but they get lost as the song progresses. Thank God, at the end they reappear and even a gloomy atmosphere is created by the solos, while the rasping six strings do their work unswervingly. It is getting clear that this band, in particular main composer Sanchez, is too competent to pen worthless tunes, but the here shown form of consensus thrash - the level of harshness can be located between Testament and Exodus - fails to feature special or even unique qualities of the formation. No doubt, Time Is Up has its moments of glory. The two openers remain the best tracks, even though the finishing title track combines pinpoint riffs with accurate drumming. By the way, the double bass of the closer sounds almost mechanized - is this you, Ghost?

Rating: 7.2 out of 10

Review by Adam M on May 8, 2011.

Crisp riffs with a solid sense of tempo and crunch highlight this old school influenced Thrash platter. A couple of bands that immediately pop to mind when listening to the disc are Coroner and Kreator, as the music sounds like a combination of the two. The guitar licks are scalpel like in precision and complemented by pristine solos. Musically, this is really solid stuff throughout. It might not appeal to fans of the Bay Area Thrash style as the more aggressive type of Thrash that Kreator perform, however.

The vocals don’t display the more straight ahead singing of the Bay Area scene, but are rather shouted out. This is my least favourite element of the disc because in terms of song-writing and instrumental prowess, the album is about as tight as they come in the Thrash genre. An interesting bridge or solo is always inserted when it seems the music might be dying down slightly. Also, the main riffs in the rhythm section crush. It might not quite be my particular favourite style of Thrash, but there’s no denying the quality of the music on display here. Not a single track on "Time Is Up" isn’t of the highest standard of the Thrash genre. There are plenty of highlights here. Amongst them are 'D.O.A' and especially 'The Cleric'. The latter has some of the most melodic and intricate portions on the entire disc. This album isn’t exactly my style, but I can’t deny the quality to found on this release.

Anyone that’s looking for a Thrash album that is powerful and well-constructed should look no further than this disc. This is great material, but not quite at the level of last year’s "The Evolution Of Chaos" by Heathen or even "Ironbound" by Overkill. It’s still far superior then most Thrash you’ll hear these days by a longshot, however.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8.5
Originality: 7
Overall: 8.5

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on August 20, 2019.

A ghost sneaks through the thrash metal scene. Its perfidious mission is to make actually good music completely emotionless by stealing its soul. Suicidal Angels fall victim to this mean phantom again and again and some people say that Havok are also lost. Well, their last album was maybe no milestone and yes, a certain lack of emotions occurred. Yet the straightforward double bass and the jagged riffing of the programmatically titled opener "Prepare for Attack" shows that Havok once had heart and soul. Here they do not play thrash by the numbers and the equally configured, double bass driven and chorus-crowned "Fatal Intervention" is another well designed kick in the teeth. 

Nevertheless, the ghost does its deeds in the background and his diabolic work shimmers through when it comes to songs such as "D.O.A.". Is it a bad song? No. Does it trigger any emotions? Again: no. This is the problem of the less convincing pieces on this album: they pass by more or less smoothly, they do not hurt the flow, but they forget to mark their territory. The consequence is that it takes some time until the opening riff of "Killing Tendencies" draws me back into the full-length. Its Testament-inspired chorus does not score with a really impressive vocal line, but the guitar work during the verses and the bridge ensure a very robust basis. I have mentioned Testament and maybe I should add that Havok play typical US American return-to-the-Bay thrash. Dirty elements are missing, technical precision forms the material. The voice of lead vocalist and guitarist David Sanchez is aligned with this musical approach. He sounds vigorous, but he is never at risk to lose control or to convey some grains of filth. Needless to say, that all is framed by a clear production that avoids inappropriate sounds. No problem, I don't speak of an entirely sterile appearance, but at the same time the mix is not able to lend Havok more individuality. Shitty ghost.

"In this world of efficiency, there's no room for mediocrity". That's not my finding, but Havok surprise with this line. It describes their own problem pretty well, because too many average parts show up after the exciting beginning. "The Cleric", a mid-tempo headbanger, introduces itself with truly mighty guitars, but they get lost as the song progresses. Thank God, at the end they reappear and even a gloomy atmosphere is created by the solos, while the rasping six strings do their work unswervingly. It is getting clear that this band, in particular main composer Sanchez, is too competent to pen worthless tunes, but the here shown form of consensus thrash - the level of harshness can be located between Testament and Exodus - fails to feature special or even unique qualities of the formation. No doubt, Time Is Up has its moments of glory. The two openers remain the best tracks, even though the finishing title track combines pinpoint riffs with accurate drumming. By the way, the double bass of the closer sounds almost mechanized - is this you, Ghost?

Rating: 7.2 out of 10

Review by Adam M on May 8, 2011.

Crisp riffs with a solid sense of tempo and crunch highlight this old school influenced Thrash platter. A couple of bands that immediately pop to mind when listening to the disc are Coroner and Kreator, as the music sounds like a combination of the two. The guitar licks are scalpel like in precision and complemented by pristine solos. Musically, this is really solid stuff throughout. It might not appeal to fans of the Bay Area Thrash style as the more aggressive type of Thrash that Kreator perform, however.

The vocals don’t display the more straight ahead singing of the Bay Area scene, but are rather shouted out. This is my least favourite element of the disc because in terms of song-writing and instrumental prowess, the album is about as tight as they come in the Thrash genre. An interesting bridge or solo is always inserted when it seems the music might be dying down slightly. Also, the main riffs in the rhythm section crush. It might not quite be my particular favourite style of Thrash, but there’s no denying the quality of the music on display here. Not a single track on "Time Is Up" isn’t of the highest standard of the Thrash genre. There are plenty of highlights here. Amongst them are 'D.O.A' and especially 'The Cleric'. The latter has some of the most melodic and intricate portions on the entire disc. This album isn’t exactly my style, but I can’t deny the quality to found on this release.

Anyone that’s looking for a Thrash album that is powerful and well-constructed should look no further than this disc. This is great material, but not quite at the level of last year’s "The Evolution Of Chaos" by Heathen or even "Ironbound" by Overkill. It’s still far superior then most Thrash you’ll hear these days by a longshot, however.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8.5
Originality: 7
Overall: 8.5

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Adam on May 22, 2002.

All the Soilwork fans who have felt alienated with their latest efforts will definitely find solitude in the new Terror2000! This disc has enough intensity and aggression to tide over anyone thirsting for more speed in their metal. However, those looking for a mix of melody to seep in through the assault will have to look elsewhere since this CD is even harsher than their debut.

A little has changed within the Terror2000 camp since we last heard of them. They have a new drummer by the name of Erik Thyselius, who just obliterates his drumkit. The band have gone for a more raw and straight-forward approach on “Faster Disaster” as well. The band likes to use the term "retro" to describe the new material and I am not one to disagree. Some of this stuff sounds right out of the 80s. The biggest indication of this nod to the old school are the horridly cheesy lyrics. This inevitably lowers the originality score a tad bit more than on their debut, but if there is one thing that shines through more than anything with these guys it would be their undeniable musical talent.

Terror2000 have enlisted some of the talents of other well known metal friends to play on this release. Peter Wichers from Soilwork, Christofer Malmstrom from Darkane, and Mattias from The Defaced all contribute some awesome guitar solos. It really sounds like everyone really had a fun time making this CD, which makes the listening process that much more enjoyable.

If you were a fan of the last album, then you will probably like this one as well since not very much has changed. A lot of it sounds a bit more old school and retro than the debut, but it still has a bit of a modern feel to it as well. Again, if you love thrash metal, then I would highly recommend that you buy this CD when it comes out in stores. It may not be that original, but it seriously kicks ass, and that is definitely the most important thing to consider when purchasing a metal record.

Bottom Line: If you like well played thrash metal, then this will make a nice addition to your metal collection!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 8
Originality: 2
Overall: 8

Rating: 7 out of 10

Review by Alex on May 1, 2018.

I'm sure at some point in our lives we have been warned about provoking the elderly man or woman next door due to rumors of him/her being a witch or something vile in nature. However, because we are young, dumb, inquisitive, and extremely eager to discover the next best thing as our hormones spiral out of control we ignore all warnings and foolishly venture forth with our mischievous deed. Then, one late evening while our parents are away, we hear a knock on our door. We rush downstairs with much joy to answer, only to discover with horror radiating from our eyes: it's not the pizza delivery we all expected. Need I say more?

Void Meditation Cult's Utter the Tongue of the Dead possesses that odious presence, which enthralls and engages the listener. This is one of the most demonic albums I have ever heard. The artwork is simplistic, but it drives across the point of what is to be expected. Utter The Tongue of the Dead is catchy, groovy, gloomy and mysterious. Void Meditation Cult paces the music on the album conscientiously and gracefully. Nothing on here sounds rushed or hastily implemented just for the sake of doing so. No, this is 35-minutes of baleful, doomy, lo-fi black metal. The vocals sound like a prowling animal calculating, pondering and predatorily planning the attack on its next prey. The vocalist sounds similar to when I first attempted death metal growls after hearing them. For me, it came out as a tiresome painful grunt which I got better doing after much practice. The difference here is that the vocalist is able to maintain a deep gurgling grunt throughout the album. There are also segments in which the vocalist (under the pseudonym of "Desolate Defiler") uses extremely low-pitched gasping whisper-like chants. The vocals invoke an atmosphere of utter dread, and the lyrics are no exception on this malevolent beast of a release. The lyrics are definitely some of the most intelligent and cryptic lines of blasphemy I have ever read on an album. Only a handful of bands have ever challenged me lyrically in terms of meaning and structure; bands like Impetuous Ritual and Inquisition fall along that line. The demonic lyrics on Utter the Tongue of The Dead are beautifully crafted, hence I may quote one of my favorite excerpts taken from 'Alms for the Eyeless Idol';

"O', glorious emissary of the devil 
Beneath your dreadful wings
No seed of Christ shall thrive
Before your rancid sight
The flock shall wither as rotting meat"

The drumming and guitars are done exceptionally well. They both aid each other in magnifying the demonic atmosphere being fostered. The guitars are very audible, while the drums are very lo-fi in the mix. I hail this approach taken to have the guitars guide the listener as the drums conjure a ritualistic state of being. The synths and keyboards utilized are a welcome addition to the atmosphere. They provide much ambiance to an already somber and wretched album overtone. The bass is somewhat audible to a certain degree when the guitars are played at lower levels on tracks such as 'Defile and Devour' and 'At The Door of an Infernal Realm'. Closing the album is the track 'Goddess of the Waking Dead' (how sick is that for a song title?) which combines all of my favorite elements and highlights throughout the course of the album: the lo-fi drumming, sudden shrieking guitars, synths along with the whispering and grunting vocals of "Desolate Defiler". 

Rating: 10 out of 10