Known for ten years as one of Finland's premier industrial / metal outfits And Oceans decided a shift in musical direction as well as a name change was necessary in order to move forward. Rising up out of the ashes of And Oceans comes the debut effort h.IV + (Hoarse Industrial Viremia) under their new moniker, Havoc Unit. All of the principle players from And Oceans remain and there are six of them, but what seemingly differentiates the two is Havoc Unit's desire to outdo its predecessor through an increased focus on sheer nastiness and aggression. If we were comparing the two based on the above premise alone then I'd have to say h.IV + (Hoarse Industrial Viremia) is a roaring success.
One thing I was constantly reminded of as I listened to repeated playbacks of Havoc Unit's lethal combination of ferociously technical metal riffage and mechanical industrial mayhem was just how much has changed in the genre since bands like Ministry, Godflesh, Skinny Puppy etc… first ventured out into these waters in the mid to late 80's. Havoc Unit certainly isn't the first band to attempt to pick up the industrial metal torch but all the key ingredients certainly seem to be in place here. The band utilizes a dizzying array of abrasive samples and sound effects, first class death metal style vocals (which do not escape the odd distortion treatments) and enough industrial style electronic percussion to pummel you into submission. The massive wall of sound on this slickly produced gem engulfs the listener right from the onset and absolutely revels in it's gloriously no holds barred apocalyptic nature. Is the music fractured and discordant? Sure it is, not to mention the lyrics can be equally as disturbing (see "Kill All Nations" and "Rape Scene Act 1" for confirmation of this), and it's for these reasons alone that h.IV + (Hoarse Industrial Viremia) succeeds in its overall intent. Consider it mission accomplished.
Havoc Unit's endless barrage on the senses may be a little to much for some to digest in one sitting, so tread carefully, otherwise sit back and use this disc to contemplate mankind's inevitable demise.
Track Listing
1) مبيد الدّيدان [Vermicide]
2) I. esus [The Liturgy of Inhumanity]
3) When Children Are No Longer Enough [C.oitus O.rgasm C.atholic K.ids
4) Generation Genocide [Humanitarian Vivisection]
5) Viremia [Regime HIV+]
6) Kyrie Eleison [Totalitarian Libertarianism]
7) Nihil [Operation Blitzkrieg]
8) Man vs. Flesh [Structured Suicide
9) Ignoratio Elenchi [Reversed Genesis
10) Kill All Nations [The Manual of Terrorism]
11) Kristallnacht [From Revolution to Reconstruction]
12) Klan Korps [Volkssturm & Erregung]
13) Rape Scene Act I [The Fine Art of Quality Time]
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