Band: Havoc
From: Tayabas City, Philippines
Their formation story:
(Hibi Rea, bass): "Havoc started out as a 4-piece metalcore/hardcore band at around mid 2024. Being from the provinces of the Philippines, we've always wanted to create a side project band that satisfied ourselves and our collective love for heavy music. Aljohn Abelido (guitarist, composer) and Bryle Banuelos (vocals), sends us riffs and vocal samples and we create songs from there during rehearsal sessions.
"Philip Rino (drums) and Gerald Jalbuena (guitars) being the newest additions to our band added a fresh touch to our sound. We're currently a 5-piece band with members mainly from Tayabas and neighbouring towns. This lineup remains to be our strongest."
Their sound in their own words:
"I would say our sound was inspired by genres that we've loved when we were in our teenage scene era, you'll hear it from the breakdowns and riffs, simple yet effective. We've also been highly influenced by modern American hardcore bands like Kublai Khan TX, Knocked Loose, Varials, and Gideon, and metalcore acts of the early millenium like Parkway Drive and Architects.
"We've written our own music that resembles all the great elements of the genre we all love whilst always aiming to discover new ways to bring something new to the table."
Latest release info:
(Bryle Banuelos, vocals) "Our latest release, 'Ignite,' was born out of a period of deep internal struggle, feeling disconnected from who we were and desperate to break free from the cycles that kept us stuck. The lyrics came from a raw place, where survival meant dragging ourselves through every burden, every failure, and still choosing to rise again.
"The song is a reflection of resilience in the face of emotional collapse, of finding strength in pain. This track is our war cry for anyone who's ever felt like a prisoner in their own skin but refused to stay broken."
Future plans:
(Hibi Rea, bass): "Right now, we're halfway in recording our first demo EP and it's set to be released later this year. We've also been in the talks in releasing a music video before the EP release."
What other bands from their region should we check out?
"We strongly suggest Straint, Bended Nails and Banana Is the Bastard, who are also from our hometown. We also suggest these hardcore bands we've met through shows we've played: React, Stick to Die, and Past Forward."
Havoc on social media: Instagram
Tagged: havoc
