19th June 2022

Review: “Gang Called Speed” by Speed

Formed in 2019, Sydney-based Australian Hardcore crew Speed have built for themselves a reputation for a no holds barred approach and an incendiary live show, inciting fans into stage dives, high fives and crowd surfing while they rip it up on the stage. Speed showcase a tough exterior, but amplify their sense of identity and community in everything they do, as is the Hardcore way. Following their 2019 demo they inked a deal with Flatspot Records and a year later dropped their debut EP. Now in 2022 they prepare for the next chapter with their first trip to North America with an appearance at Sound and Fury Festival in Los Angeles, alongside labelmates Scowl, Zulu lined up, it seems like the perfect time for a sophomore record with the label.

As with their previous offerings, Speed draw influence from old school acts like Biohazard and Merauder just as much as bands and peers like Trapped Under Ice as they make what we can only describe as Mosh pit inciting music. Recorded with Elliott Gallart at Chameleon Studios, the six songs on the EP are centered around recognizing who you are in this world, taking ownership of that identity and not letting anyone tell you otherwise, a message that hits home like being broadsided by a truck. “Not That Nice” sees the band hit the ground running with classic Crossover Thrash moments including a whammy bar drop and a tasteful solo all wrapped in venom spitting fire brand fury. Keeping everything short and sharp with cleverly executed tempo changes and all those classic hallmark Hardcore moments which somehow don’t come across as cheesy despite being used plenty of times before the “Gang Called Speed” has a great flow as the band do everything in their power to maintain the energy levels. The only drop in that is the extended breakdown of “Move” which suffers a little bit as the band allow it to get repetitive at the back end, however you can see them doing something different with it live that will lift it. Elsewhere the Lions roar on “Big Bite” is an absolute master stroke, as is the instrumental “Every Man For Themself” which is a call for the two step lovers using the whammy bar to immitate the sound of sirens. It’s dark and sinister, conjuring mental images of people running from a violent crime in the mean streets before the Cops turn up, making it the perfect introduction to “Know Your Foe“. There is no sex in their violence, no glamorisation, just grit and integrity weighted in perfect balance upon the scales of justice. “Gang Called Speed” is exactly what you’d expect from a modern Hardcore record so expect to see them set it off when they reach the US [7.5/10]

Track Listing