Speed Metal

Savaged – Night Stealer Review

Savaged – Night Stealer Review

“Sometimes a band offers exactly what you want. One glance at Night Stealer by Savaged gave me all I needed to choose it from the promo dump. A roaring space panther scratching a moon in front of an exploding planet? This is exactly the volume-upping, beer-downing, old man-moshing palate cleanser that I needed after a black metal review. Though Spain may not be known for such loutish behavior, Savaged are keen to stake a place for it at heavy/speed metal’s dinner table.” Wild days, Savaged nights.

Show N Tell – The Ritual Has Begun Review

Show N Tell – The Ritual Has Begun Review

“I’m a child of the maelstrom that was 80s metal. I was learning what I enjoyed musically during the embryonic days of MTV, and in those early years that channel force-fed me a steady diet of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, and Def Leppard videos. The 80s metal sound is encoded into my DNA and if you hit me hard enough, old fanzine ink leaks out. This makes me the demographic for what Phoenix Arizona’s Show N Tell are selling on their The Ritual Has Begun debut. This is 100% unabashedly retro metal with a carbon date of 1983-84, when American metal acts were taking the NWoBHM sound and speeding it up.” Show me the METAL!

Ruthless – The Fallen Review

Ruthless – The Fallen Review

Ruthless have ancient roots in the metal scene but haven’t been active enough to gain much notoriety. Their Discipline of Steeldebut was released way back in 1986 when a young undisciplined Steel was living for exactly the kind of US power they deliver, but tragically, our paths never crossed. Turns out they didn’t release a follow-up until 2015 and The Fallen is their fourth full-length.” Tough and Ruthless or rough and toothless?

Knife – Heaven Into Dust Review

Knife – Heaven Into Dust Review

“On Heaven into Dust, Knife have done what many bands refuse to do: grow. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still heaps of Motörhead and Venom worship; plenty of gang chants and blackened vocals; oodles of speed metal chugging, heavy metal galloping, and thrash riffing; almost everything endearing about their debut still applies here and the changes are relatively minor, but they’re impactful.” Stab or prod?

Tyranex – Reasons for the Slaughter Review

Tyranex – Reasons for the Slaughter Review

“What is a successful retro-thrash record? Why would anyone even attempt one? If you lean too much on the old masters, you’re just gonna come off as tired and derivative. Try and diversify, and you lose what makes it retro-thrash. I like the occasional thrash just fine, but when I saw fate had bestowed upon me Tyranex, I breathed a weary sigh and rolled my eyes. Rarely does a promo sheet take this much pride in being retro-thrash, stuffing the short blurb with old school and 80’s speed metal to the point where it felt like managing expectations rather than hyping up the album. But I stuffed my bias in my back pocket and opened my mind to the best of my abilities. Does Reasons for the Slaughter give me reason for a slaughter?” Bring your daughter.

Cruel Force – Dawn of the Axe Review

Cruel Force – Dawn of the Axe Review

Cruel Force released two back-to-back albums in 2010 and 2011, both showcasing a blackened thrash style—and both pretty awesome—but after a decade’s hiatus, the band apparently felt the need for speed, morphing into more of a traditional US-style speed-infused heavy metal project a la Jag Panzer or Omen.” Wiolence and Cruel Force.

GraveRipper – Seasons Dreaming Death Review

GraveRipper – Seasons Dreaming Death Review

“When I saw the beautiful artwork for Seasons Dreaming Death, the debut album from Indianapolis thrashers GraveRipper, I had high hopes that it would inject some spice into my love affair with the riff, and when I discovered that GraveRipper’s members have been involved with projects sporting distinguished names like Partiac Arrest and Car Door Dick Smash, I figured that I was in store for a good time. Let’s see if these guys managed to leave me satisfied and smiling.” Grave developments.

Violent Sin – Serpent’s Call Review

Violent Sin – Serpent’s Call Review

“Like labelmates Lucifuge and fellow Flemings Bütcher, Violent Sin play relatively unadorned blackened speed metal tinged with thrash. That means raw riffs, drunken drumming, and especially raspy blackened vocals with falsetto flourishes. Altogether, Violent Sin are an amphetamine-addled amalgamation of Hellhammer and Mercyful Fate.” Sins of the elders.