Speedslut- Cimbrian Rites

 "If you are a false, don't entry."
- Wagnar Antichrist, Sarcofago.

I've been thinking a lot about this lyric lately. You can thank my recent diet of war metal for that, I suppose.  Probably thanks to the new Nuclearhammer ep. This is not a review for that record but that will be coming soon. 

I think gatekeeping is largely good. There are certainly bad forms of gatekeeping(I.e. gatekeeping based on race, gender and such) but if you gatekeep based on categories surrounding how the thing is built, I think you're in the right ballpark. 

Most young speed metal bands also come to mind when thinking about this. They largely seem to be 80's LARPers. They construct an image and style about what they THINK is the 80's not what it actually was. They wear skin tight pants with Japanese and British flags designs and wear those wrap around Oakley sunglasses. They also desperately try to produce records that sound like they have the production of classics from 1986. However, this comes across as aesthetic and it feels like they aren't being true to themselves.

Speedslut are different. In band pictures, you get four normal looking dudes in leather jackets, bullet belts and jeans. No ironic mustaches or weird surferglam metal fashions. Just four guys who play metal. So, what does their metal sound like? Let's find out.

What you get here is lightly blackened speed/thrash metal owing as much to Motorhead and Venom as to Sodom and Destruction, all of which you can hear in this well constructed record. The songs are fast and unrelenting, built around great speedy guitar riffs, great solos, thunderous bass and hard hitting drums. All of the songs are incredibly well constructed, showing  a reverence for the 80's speed metal masters but not afraid to throw in their own little song writing twists and turns here and there. I'm thinking of the rock n roll riff of "Dark Knight Riders" or the bass thunder of "Into the Grave". 

It's clear these dudes worked on their song writing chops for this record as each song has its own vibe but is identifiable not only firmly in the speed/ thrash metal genre but also identifiable as Speedslut itself. Each song is fast, heavy and inspires much headbanging and fist banging. The production is rough and clear but never sounds like they were intentionally trying to make it sound like it came from a specific  time period. They just wanted a rough and tumble sound and they achieved it. 

Obviously a young band all readers should check out and, if I ever get to seem them, I will tell them that myself. Highlights: Dark Knight Riders, Into the Grave, Whores of Speed but through and through a record worth checking out and one I've listened to a bunch since encountering it. Look forward to more reviews, headbangers. Bang your heads!


https://www.facebook.com/speedslut/

An apology + Killer- The Grand Finale

 First, I would  like to apologize for my absence. While I explained my absence earlier, my summer got harder in the month of August and I just wasn't thinking about this blog. I wasn't even really listening to new music but instead finding comfort in old classics for a bit. But I have returned to give you my thoughts on various headbangers. Ain't you lucky?

So, speed metal? Well, I've always distinguished speed metal from thrash in one way. Thrash is punk rock and hardcore injected with a little more technicality. Speed metal is traditional heavy metal played at punk rock speeds with a more rock n roll attitude. That's how I've always separated, say Exciter from Slayer. Some people may disagree and that's fine, it's my own explanation. 

Killer, well now, they're Belgian speed metal royalty. I heard of them, like, 20 years ago and loved every record since.  This is all thanks to Hartmuth Schindler, who, for the uninitiated, ran Nazgul's Eyrie productions and the excellent Barbarian Wrath. I never met him in person but over the years, he and I spoke often on various online forums and he turned me on to some great shit. Killer is one of those bands. Here we have a release that snuck up on me. It's Killer's final record. While sad, I went into this record hoping it lived up to their legacy. Well, I hear you ask, did it? Let's find out. 

I knew I would love this record from the opening riff of "Loaded Gun". It careens through speed metal riffing, tasteful drum playing and spectacular solos that make you naturally air guitar until the final track, the very Motorhead sounding "What You See is What You Get" The singer even sounds like Lemmy on this song. Hell, even the lyrics on this one sound like Lemmy could have penned them. It appears they did dedicate this record to Lemmy and as a huge fan of the English Bastards, this song definitely brought a smile to my face! Other highlight songs include: "Welcome in the Real World", The 1-2 punch of "Roll the Dice" and "Hard Day Coming" and the mid-paced corker of "In the Eye of the Storm". 

I can't recommend this album enough. This is one of those records where it feels like the band sat down across from me and asked me what I'd like to hear in a record and they hit every note, beat and riff. The year is far from over with lots of great releases having been released and even more to come but this one will be hard to beat. This record is all Killer and no filler( Ha!) Go get this record now and enjoy the hell out of this record. As sad as it is that its their final record very few bands get to go out on such a high note. 

Keep watching this space. More reviews are incoming and bang the head that doesn't bang!