Unnatural Selection
Havok · 2013
48 min · 10 tracks · thrash metal
Razor-sharp riffs and aggressive rhythms collide with politically charged lyrics, creating a relentless thrash metal experience.
Top tracks — play these first
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Give Me Liberty… or Give Me Death — This track combines blistering guitar work with fervent vocal delivery, encapsulating the album's themes of freedom and resistance against oppression.
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Living Nightmare — With its dark imagery and intense musicality, this song captures the existential dread that permeates the album, showcasing Havok's ability to blend aggression with introspection.
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Unnatural Selection — The title track serves as a powerful critique of societal issues, featuring intricate riffs that highlight the band's technical skills while driving home its urgent message.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong riffs and political lyrics but follows familiar thrash structures.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a fast-paced track that sets a relentless tempo, which is maintained through the first half before slowing slightly in the latter tracks.
- Each song features intricate guitar riffs that are often layered, creating a dense soundscape characteristic of thrash metal.
- Lyrically, the album tackles political themes, with verses that often feature rapid-fire delivery, enhancing the urgency of the message.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady pacing for focused listening
- relentless energy for workouts
- cathartic release of frustration
- incisive lyrics for critical thinkers
- in-order immersion experience
Maybe skip if you
- seekers of mellow tunes
- prefer short standalone tracks
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Unnatural Selection is Havok's third studio album and marks a crucial point in their evolution following the success of their sophomore release, Time Is Up. By 2013, the band had established themselves within the thrash metal scene, gaining recognition for their technical prowess and socially conscious themes.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Municipal Waste· Lich King· Toxic Holocaust
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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Give Me Liberty… or Give Me Death
A shift occurs when the lyrics directly confront authority figures, challenging their power in an unflinching declaration of defiance.
This direct address breaks the fourth wall, pulling listeners into a dialogue about personal agency and societal constraints.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 I Am the State 4:06
- 2 Give Me Liberty… or Give Me Death 4:44
- 3 It Is True 4:50
- 4 Under the Gun 4:20
- 5 Waste of Life 6:22
- 6 Living Nightmare 5:00
- 7 Chasing the Edge 5:06
- 8 Worse Than War 5:07
- 9 Children of the Grave 4:39
- 10 Unnatural Selection 4:16
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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