On their latest album, Unnatural Selection, Havok managed to slip a great cover of Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave” in with the new thrash material. It was an intelligent decision to include such excellence.
While lead vocalist David Sanchez’s clean-ish singing may take regular Havok listeners slightly aback, it works with the song. After all, Ozzy Osbourne did not scream in the original version, so why ruin a classic with out-of-place, guttural shouts? It is impressive and gratifying that Havok put forth that manner of respect for the songwriters.
As for the instrumentation, the band offers its complimentary thrash metal influences while remaining within the boundaries of the song’s sound. This version also has an extra raw and gritty feel that makes it that much better on the ears, ironically.
Havok out-did themselves on this cover. They nailed every aspect of the original song and forged their own spin on it. The best aspects of this version were arguably Sanchez’s singing and the guitar solo.
Performing covers of legendary bands’ songs is always a risky matter. Havok were exceptionally ballsy by incorporating these new elements and attacking a Black Sabbath classic, but they seemed to succeed with ease. These guys are sticking around, especially if they continue to pull strings like this.
The MusicTalker 
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