Live Review: Havok – The Fleece, Bristol
15th September 2026
Support: Blood Red Throne, Xonor, Eradikated
Words: Rich Oliver
Colorado thrashers Havok brought carnage to Bristol on a Tuesday evening with a stacked line up of thrash and death goodness.
Thanks to the joy that is traffic in Bristol city centre, I arrived at the venue late and missed the vast majority of openers Eradikated. It was a shame as I enjoyed their latest album “Wiring Of Violence” but the brief part of the set I did get to see I did enjoy. The young Swedish thrashers had plenty of energy on stage and tore it up with some very speedy thrash.
Swiss thrashers Xonor were the band on the line up that I was not at all familiar with. Decked out on stage with balaclavas, Xonor played a more hardcore infused style of thrash with a lot more modern elements as well as old school influences. The hardcore influences could be heard in the vocal style employed by frontman Donagh Ramsauer as well a few breakdowns dotted about in their songs. The band also embraced their silly side with ‘Monkey Mosh’ having a guy in a banana suit and an ape suit going at each other in the pit. Xonor were solid thrash but their songs lacked memorable riffs and licks. Their performance was a bit rough and sloppy at times but I’m sure more experience on stage will iron these issues out.
The jump in quality as Norwegian death metallers Blood Red Throne hit the stage was astronomical but compared to the two opening bands, Blood Red Throne have decades of experience behind them and are a well oiled metal machine. They were the odd band out on the bill being the sole death metal band in a sea of thrash but Blood Red Throne took it in their stride and won over the crowd with the only way they know how – sheer bludgeoning violence. This strategy definitely got a seal of approval from the Bristol crowd as the pit activity increased tenfold. The performances from the band were ultra tight and the sound was fat and chunky and best of all the band looked like they were having the time of their lives on stage especially Stian Gunderson who was difficult to take your eyes off with his unbridled enthusiasm and hysterical beard shaking instead of headbanging. Blood Red Throne were as heavy as anything and absolutely left their stamp on Bristol but the best was still to come…
It had been a couple of years since Havok performed in the UK and this show was, I believe, their first ever in Bristol. The venue had become steadily more busy as the night progressed and by the time that Havok hit the stage it was nice and full. Any worries that the crowd had tired themselves out during Blood Red Throne were quickly put to bed as the pit barely stopped all night and there were a healthy amount of crowd surfers and stage divers. Havok were loud, tight and a vicious thrashing machine playing a nice mix of brand new and vintage material. New songs ‘Fifth Generation Warfare’ and ‘The Ultimate Weapon’ were well received and sounded good but it was the old stuff that everyone lost their shit to with relentless thrashers such as ‘Prepare For War’, ‘Give Me Liberty…Or Give Me Death’, ‘No Amnesty’ and ‘Phantom Force’ testing the strongest of neck muscles. Havok live is an experience any self respecting thrash metal fan should witness as they play with lightning fast precision, face ripping aggression and ear shredding volume.
Special mention has to go to whoever was responsible for playing the Bill McClintock mash ups over the PA whilst Havok were setting up. Never have I laughed so much when waiting for a band to start.
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