HAVVK - Time Will Kill (VETA Records) 
Release Date: Out Now
So, I've been championing Irish duo HAVVK for a while now and their new album, 'Time Will Kill', certainly lives up to the hype. We get going with the atmospheric squall of 'Happening Again' which then settles into a breathless punk-prog opus that tells you everything you need to know about what to expect from this album. The ferocity of 'On Time' is 93 seconds of frustration delivered through spiralling guitars and thunderous drums before 'Bad Look' settles into a more grunge vibe with a Beatles-esque melody to the vocals.
'Crush' does that lumbering, lurching rock thing that reminds me of Soundgarden or Shihad while 'You Always' picks up the punk baton again with a hint or Sleigh Bells in the vocals. The searing and soaring indie strains of 'The Last' take you back to the 90s before 'Pick Your Poison' delivers a Placebo-esque riff punctuated by the nail-gun accurate drumming. 'Nice To Meet You' has flavours of Reuben in it but 'Idea 21' has a brooding energy like a big cat waiting to pounce and I'm reminded of the much missed Auction for the Promise Club.
On penultimate track 'Backwards' we get the most transatlantically appealing track that could happily soundtrack the breakup scene in a teen focused lo-fi movie (think Juno for the QR code generation). The album finishes with the triumphant wall of noise that is 'This Is It' and you're left staring into the abyss wondering if there is anything else to care about...but then you remember the awesome album you've just listen to and you shake yourself out of your doom laden reverie. This is an intense, eclectic and, frankly, awesome album so make sure you get yourself some, OK?
More information: https://www.instagram.com/havvkmusic/