Speed Metal

Thunderslave – Unchain the Night Review

Thunderslave – Unchain the Night Review

By Holdeneye on June 23, 2020 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 66 comments

“I really should know better by now. I thought that I’d learned early in my career as an unpaid music journalist, back when I was known simply as Nameless_n00b_11, that Steel Druhm and his gifts are not to be trusted. Don’t get me wrong. He’s a fair master, to be sure, but he also has a tendency to entertain himself by being overwhelmingly cruel. During one of our recent socially distant AMG staff Zoom chats, he told me that he had a promo picked out just for me, one that “sounds like Skelator if they actually tried.”” Steel gifts are for closers.

Sölicitör – Spectral Devastation Review

Sölicitör – Spectral Devastation Review

By Holdeneye on April 27, 2020 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 93 comments

“2019 was a dream for me when it came to reviews: nearly 20% of the albums I covered were released by bands within 150 miles of my house, and of those several can be found in my own Puget Sound area of Western Washington. Quayde LaHüe and Mortiferum impressed me, and the now infamous “Skelator Incident” induced heretofore unseen levels of arousal and nearly resulted in my actual firing from this site. Naturally, I couldn’t resist the temptation to grab the debut of Seattle’s Sölicitör.” Criminal sölicitatiön.

Traveler – Termination Shock Review

Traveler – Termination Shock Review

By Huck N Roll on April 24, 2020 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Speed Metal, 44 comments

“We here in Calgary have the reputation of being a bunch of gas-guzzling, oil-loving, separatist-bent, racist rednecks (95% incorrect 92% of the time), but we also have some excellent bands. Woodhawk, Wake, Chron Goblin, and Gone Cosmic, to name a few. Local upstarts Traveler look to join this exalted pantheon of local heavy music gods, and their debut, last year’s Traveler, was a fine first step.” Olde trails.

Kvaen – The Funeral Pyre Review

Kvaen – The Funeral Pyre Review

By Cherd on February 26, 2020 in 2020, Black Lion Records, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Speed Metal, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Speed Metal, 43 comments

“Kvaen is the solo project of Swedish musician Jakob Björnfot (The Duskfall), although he employs a number of guest musicians to flesh out his vision. With The Funeral Pyre, he joins acts like Sun of the Sleepless and Spectral Wound as artists who play throwback melodic black metal with such verve and venom that it sounds as fresh as when it first emerged from the primordial forests.” Higher, higher, feel the pyre!

Stallion – Slaves of Time Review

Stallion – Slaves of Time Review

By Huck N Roll on February 25, 2020 in 2020, German Metal, Heavy Metal, High Roller Records, Reviews, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, 32 comments

“This Stallion album may have arrived at just the right time for the band’s review fortunes. Having made my way through middling (at best) retro metal albums from TerrifianT and Slaughter Messiah over the past month, my standards for this style of music may be lower than normal. That, or Stallion have managed to address the main complaints I had with their 2017 release, From the Dead.” Slaves of good timing.

TerrifianT – Terrifiant Review

TerrifianT – Terrifiant Review

By Huck N Roll on February 17, 2020 in 2020, Belgian Metal, Gates of Hell Records, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Speed Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 27 comments

“Nothing lasts forever. Despite having a very sweet opening run to 2020, I knew that I’d come back down to earth. Three ‘very good’ albums in a row, featuring strong songwriting, production, and vocals, was honestly more than I could have hoped for. Eventually, the system will reset itself, and something mundane will drip down the basement pipes to my desk. Enter TerrifianT, who, yes, capitalize that last ‘T.'” Terror with a capital T.

Anvil – Legal at Last Review

Anvil – Legal at Last Review

By GardensTale on February 12, 2020 in 2020, AFM Records, Canadian Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Speed Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 38 comments

“Not to say Anvil has no semi-classic records to their names, but those were over a dozen albums ago. By now they’ve recorded more than AC/DC, in a shorter time span, yet their sound also shows as much growth as their Australian counterparts. Is the new pro-weed romp another carbon copy or have the fumes brought some inspiration to the geezers?” Anvil is Anvil.

Bütcher – 666 Goats Carry My Chariot Review

Bütcher – 666 Goats Carry My Chariot Review

By Steel Druhm on January 29, 2020 in 2020, Belgian Metal, Black Metal, Osmose Productions, Reviews, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Speed Metal, 58 comments

“Did you ever stop and wonder what a collaboration between Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, Agent Steel and Darkthrone circa Transilvanian Hunger would sound like? You probably didn’t, but Belgium blackened speed metal deviants Bütcher certainly did, and then they created 666 Goats Carry My Chariot to see if such a crazy musical time heist was even possible. It is, and I for one welcome our new time warping speed overlords, even as I flee from the super weapon of mass destruction they’ve wrought.” Goat show.