#speedmetal — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.europesays.com/es/549023/ EVIL INVADERS y DOMINUM se incorporan a Z! Live Rock Fest de Zamora tras caerse dos bandas #Entertainment #Entretenimiento #ES #España #HeavyMetal #Music #Música #Spain #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Z!LIVEROCKFEST

♬️ Just announced: Sun Jun 14, 6pm: UNHOLY SABBATH: GÜRSCHACH
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/06-14.html?utm_source=sp_ma
#dnalounge #unholysabbath #gürschach #gurschach #noxsinister #barbarous #crepuscle #metal #thrash #speedmetal #extrememetal #livemusic #concert #sanfrancisco

♬️ Just announced: Sun Jun 14, 6pm: UNHOLY SABBATH: GÜRSCHACH
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/06-14.html?utm_source=sp_ma
#dnalounge #unholysabbath #gürschach #gurschach #noxsinister #barbarous #crepuscle #metal #thrash #speedmetal #extrememetal #livemusic #concert #sanfrancisco

♬️ Just announced: Sun Jun 14, 6pm: UNHOLY SABBATH: GÜRSCHACH
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/06-14.html?utm_source=sp_ma
#dnalounge #unholysabbath #gürschach #gurschach #noxsinister #barbarous #crepuscle #metal #thrash #speedmetal #extrememetal #livemusic #concert #sanfrancisco

♬️ Just announced: Sun Jun 14, 6pm: UNHOLY SABBATH: GÜRSCHACH
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/06-14.html?utm_source=sp_ma
#dnalounge #unholysabbath #gürschach #gurschach #noxsinister #barbarous #crepuscle #metal #thrash #speedmetal #extrememetal #livemusic #concert #sanfrancisco

♬️ Just announced: Sun Jun 14, 6pm: UNHOLY SABBATH: GÜRSCHACH
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/06-14.html?utm_source=sp_ma
#dnalounge #unholysabbath #gürschach #gurschach #noxsinister #barbarous #crepuscle #metal #thrash #speedmetal #extrememetal #livemusic #concert #sanfrancisco

Darkthrone Pre-historic metal

Darkthrone Pre-historic Metal: il ritorno della vecchia scuola
Scopri "Darkthrone Pre-historic metal", un disco che celebra il metal vecchia scuola in tutte le sue forme: black, doom e speed metal. Imperdibile per gli amanti del genere. #Darkthrone #PreHistoricMetal #MetalVecchiaScuola #BlackMetal #DoomMetal #SpeedMetal #MetalEstremo

iyezine.com/darkthrone-pre-his…

DARKTHRONE (Noruega) presenta nou àlbum: "Pre-Historic Metal" #Darkthrone #DeathMetal #BlackMetal #DoomMetal #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #Maig2026 #Noruega #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

DARKTHRONE (Noruega) presenta nou àlbum: "Pre-Historic Metal" #Darkthrone #DeathMetal #BlackMetal #DoomMetal #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #Maig2026 #Noruega #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

THE GREAT KAT (Estats Units) presenta nou àlbum: "Bangers" #TheGreatKat #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Shred #Maig2026 #EstatsUnits #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

THE GREAT KAT (Estats Units) presenta nou àlbum: "Bangers" #TheGreatKat #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Shred #Maig2026 #EstatsUnits #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

Hiding in my dark and hidden music cave !!!

DORSAL ATLANTICA - Divider & Conquistar LP (Die Hard)
KLÄPTRÄP - Same LP (Coloured)
MEM//BRANE - Same LP (Coloured)
RETORSION - Rosszabb, Mint A Halal LP (Coloured)

#thrashmetal #speedmetal #dbeat #crustcore #stenchcore #grindcore #dorsalatlanticaband #kläpträpband #membraneband #retorsionband #vinyl #ListeningToVinyl #boringsaturdayafternoon #weirdsoundtrackofmylife #noiseforthemasses #neighbourhoodnightmare #giveemhellmailorder

Iron Kobra – Eternal Dagger
#EpicMetal #HardRock #HeavyMetal #Metal #SpeedMetal #german #Gelsenkirchen
CC BY-NC-SA (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike) #ccmusic
https://ironkobra.bandcamp.com/album/eternal-dagger

MAD BUTCHER (Alemanya) presenta nou àlbum en directe: "Metal Lightning Attack Strikes Live - The Reunion Show" #MadButcher #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #Maig2026 #Alemanya #NouÀlbumEnDirecte #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

MAD BUTCHER (Alemanya) presenta nou àlbum en directe: "Metal Lightning Attack Strikes Live - The Reunion Show" #MadButcher #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #Maig2026 #Alemanya #NouÀlbumEnDirecte #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

Iron Kobra – Dungeon Masters
#EpicMetal #HardRock #HeavyMetal #Metal #SpeedMetal #german #Gelsenkirchen
CC BY-NC-SA (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike) #ccmusic
https://ironkobra.bandcamp.com/album/dungeon-masters

VENOM (Regne Unit) presenta nou àlbum: "Into Oblivion" #Venom #Nwobhm #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #BlackMetal #Maig2026 #RegneUnit #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

VENOM (Regne Unit) presenta nou àlbum: "Into Oblivion" #Venom #Nwobhm #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #BlackMetal #Maig2026 #RegneUnit #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

THE GREAT KAT (Estats Units) presenta nou single: "Purcell's Trumpet Tune" #TheGreatKat #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Shred #Abril2026 #EstatsUnits #NouSingle #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

THE GREAT KAT (Estats Units) presenta nou single: "Purcell's Trumpet Tune" #TheGreatKat #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Shred #Abril2026 #EstatsUnits #NouSingle #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

THE GREAT KAT (Estats Units) presenta nou Video: "Down Peasant! Down!" #TheGreatKat #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Shred #Abril2026 #EstatsUnits #NouVideo #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

THE GREAT KAT (Estats Units) presenta nou Video: "Down Peasant! Down!" #TheGreatKat #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Shred #Abril2026 #EstatsUnits #NouVideo #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

CÖUNTESS (Mèxic) presenta nou recopilatori: "Hellrocking the Night Away" #Cöuntess #BlackMetal #SpeedMetal #Abril2026 #Mèxic #NouRecopilatori #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

CÖUNTESS (Mèxic) presenta nou recopilatori: "Hellrocking the Night Away" #Cöuntess #BlackMetal #SpeedMetal #Abril2026 #Mèxic #NouRecopilatori #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

Sunday afternoon wasn´t silent !!!

LORD CRUCIFIER - Cataclism 2 x LP (Die Hard)
PRESCRIPTIONDEATH - Rabies LP
VIETNAM - Bad Symptom Discography Pt. 1 LP + CD (Die Hard)

#thrashmetal #speedmetal #hardcore #fastcore #metalpunk #lordcrucifierband #prescriptiondeathband #vietnamband #vinyl #ListeningToVinyl #boringsundayafternoon #weirdsoundtrackofmylife #noiseforthemasses #neighbourhoodnightmare #giveemhellmailorder

MENACE (Itàlia) presenta nou àlbum: "Wheel of Spikes" #Menace #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #Abril2026 #Itàlia #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

MENACE (Itàlia) presenta nou àlbum: "Wheel of Spikes" #Menace #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #Abril2026 #Itàlia #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

TOXIKULL (Portugal) presenta nou àlbum: "Turbulence" #Toxikull #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #Abril2026 #Portugal #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

♬️ PARABELLUM: RECORD RELEASE at DNA Lounge starting now!
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/04-19d.html?utm_source=sp_ma
#dnalounge #parabellum #haraldbellum #backstabbath #jesuscrisis #metal #thrashmetal #speedmetal #livemusic #concert #sanfrancisco

♬️ PARABELLUM: RECORD RELEASE at DNA Lounge tonight: Sun Apr 19, 7pm!
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/04-19d.html?utm_source=sp_ma
#dnalounge #parabellum #haraldbellum #backstabbath #jesuscrisis #metal #thrashmetal #speedmetal #livemusic #concert #sanfrancisco

DARKTHRONE (Noruega) presenta nou àlbum en directe: "As Wolves Among Sheep… Live in Oslo" #Darkthrone #DeathMetal #BlackMetal #DoomMetal #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #Abril2026 #Noruega #NouÀlbumEnDirecte #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

DARKTHRONE (Noruega) presenta nou àlbum en directe: "As Wolves Among Sheep… Live in Oslo" #Darkthrone #DeathMetal #BlackMetal #DoomMetal #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #Abril2026 #Noruega #NouÀlbumEnDirecte #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

THE GREAT KAT (Estats Units) presenta nou single: "Lisztomania" #TheGreatKat #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Shred #Abril2026 #EstatsUnits #NouSingle #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

THE GREAT KAT (Estats Units) presenta nou single: "Lisztomania" #TheGreatKat #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Shred #Abril2026 #EstatsUnits #NouSingle #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

IRON KOBRA 2026 – The Eternal Dagger Era

Ela – Six String Slaying & Haunting Screams from Sto'Vo'Kor
Björn – Thundering Drums of Doom
Steffen – Guitar Carnage on the Altar of Harmony
Matze – Four Strings of Apocalypse

📸 Kai Ski of The Serpent Sun Tattoo
#HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #EpicMetal #IronKobra #EternalDagger

TREMBLING DUNGEONS

We're proud to introduce the first single TREMBLING DUNGEONS off of our upcoming album ETERNAL DAGGER in conspiracy with Dying Victims Productions and presented by DEAF FOREVER!

ETERNAL DAGGER will be out June 19th and is up for pre-order at Dying Victims Productions now! #HeavyMetal #SpeedMetal #EpicMetal
https://youtu.be/modFaAVuKiQ?si=Q6L6Md5Y8mK6SLt3

#Metal-Konzerte im Schwarzen Keiler sind wahrscheinlich deshalb immer so überzeugend, weil sich die auftretenden Bands offenbar ganz besonders freuen, überhaupt in so einem authentischen Laden vor einem motivierten Fachpublikum spielen zu können – so auch beim teutonischen Speed-Doppelschlag mit #Warrant und #Knife.

https://www.gig-blog.net/2026/04/03/knife-warrant-01-04-2026-schwarzer-keiler-stuttgart/

#Konzert #Konzertbericht #Concert #LiveMusic #LiveMusik #Konzertfotografie #ConcertPhotography #SpeedMetal #Stuttgart

Accuser – Taste Of Steel
#Metal #heavymetal #powermetal #speedmetal #thrashmetal #uspowermetal #Arlington
CC BY-NC-ND (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives) #ccmusic
https://accusertx.bandcamp.com/album/taste-of-steel

THE GREAT KAT (Estats Units) presenta nou Video: "On your Knees and Bow to The Great Kat" #TheGreatKat #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Shred #Abril2026 #EstatsUnits #NouVideo #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

THE GREAT KAT (Estats Units) presenta nou Video: "On your Knees and Bow to The Great Kat" #TheGreatKat #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal #Shred #Abril2026 #EstatsUnits #NouVideo #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

♬️ Just announced: Sun Apr 19, 7pm: PARABELLUM: RECORD RELEASE
https://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2026/04-19d.html?utm_source=sp_ma
#dnalounge #parabellum #haraldbellum #backstabbath #jesuscrisis #metal #thrashmetal #speedmetal #livemusic #concert #sanfrancisco

Clouds of smoke obscure your view of the stage, where amps are littered with empty glass bottles. The scents of sweat and spilled beer dance in your nostrils as five long-haired reprobates clad in denim and leather walk onto the stage, a swagger in their step and street tough bravado oozing from their pores. Looking to take in a show whilst sitting on your ass? Get fucked. Total Maniac expects you to be on your feet and moving, and if you’re not ready for that, why are you even here? These boys from Baltimore play a raucous brand of classic rock-meets-speed metal that lives somewhere between Motörhead, Mötley Crüe, and Ted Nugent, delivering no-frills cheap thrills on sophomore effort Love Overdrive. So slap on your battle vest and steel-toe boots—when adrenaline starts to flow, and you’re thrashing all around, you’ve gotta be prepared to act like a Total Maniac.

Compared to Total Maniac’s self-titled debut, Love Overdrive veers more into the trad metal/rock ‘n’ roll lane than Total Maniac’s thrash ‘n’ roll stylings. While both albums showcase Total Maniac’s snotty disregard for authority and decorum, Total Maniac dedicated more attention to thrashy chugs and barked vocals. On Love Overdrive, the focus centers on sticky leads and hooky riffs over palm-muted riffing and abrasive grit. Love Overdrive also tones down what passed for technicality on their debut. Not that Total Maniac doesn’t host capable musicians, but there are moments across the album where guitars and vocals sound like they’re pushing just past their ability. Despite that, Love Overdrive features an enthusiastic embrace of freewheeling sin-dealing that’s easy to appreciate.

What Total Maniac lacks in virtuosic prowess, they make up in impish pluck. With only twenty-seven minutes on tap, Love Overdrive never feels phoned in. Each moment sounds crafted to maximize fist-pumping carnage, from the “Panama”-meets-“Wild Side” riffing in “Love Overdrive” to the Phil Campbell-inspired soloing toward the end of “Flatline.” It’s unclear which of Total Maniac’s guitarists takes the lead at any given point, but both Mike Brown and Nick Etson lay down earworm after earworm, frequently breaking away for a quick solo before snapping back to let vocalist Diamond Dustin regale you about hard living, hard loving, and hard rocking. Double-D doesn’t lack conviction, although his upper range sometimes gets away from him. It’s not a deal-breaker, as this sort of rowdy street metal lends itself to imperfect performances that enhance its DIY charm, but piercing falsettos occasionally hit like a sour King Diamond. As for the rhythm section, drummer Vaughn Volkman does a commendable job keeping Love Overdrive’s eight tracks on the rails, but it’s bassist Ben Martin who steals the show. His beefy grumbles and well-mixed countermelodies offset Total Maniac’s dual-guitar attack, creating a well-balanced stringed menace that defines my favorite aspect of Love Overdrive.

Though Total Maniac bleeds authenticity and fun, Love Overdrive does little to stake an identity that hasn’t already been claimed. Many of the riffs seem like variations on Mötley Crüe’s 80s heyday, with “Early Grave” echoing the main motif from “Kickstart My Heart” and the intro from “Set Fire to the Sun” hitting the same mid-paced groove and brief bass sustains as “Shout at the Devil.” The mid-song break in “Drinkin’ Our Way to Hell” even reminds me of Nugent’s crackpot rant towards the end of “Wango Tango.” In this way, Love Overdrive feels like a step back from Total Maniac, which was rougher around the edges, but better defined a unique voice for the band.

Total Maniac does a fantastic job of harnessing the spirit of the music I grew up listening to, but Love Overdrive rarely captures moments that achieve the promise of their inspirations. Fun abounds, and the music encourages beer-chugging shenanigans with a shit-eating grin, yet in the end Total Maniac leaves me wanting to revisit songs I already know rather than learn these new ones. Even so, it’s a quick listen worthy of a spin for anyone craving new material harkening to simpler times. I look forward to hearing where Total Maniac ventures next, and I hope they find a way to continue celebrating the glory of the past while sending their future into Overdrive.



Rating: Mixed
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

SPITFIRE (Alemanya) presenta nou EP: "Devour the Light" #Spitfire #ThrashMetal #SpeedMetal #Març2026 #Alemanya #NouEp #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

SPITFIRE (Alemanya) presenta nou EP: "Devour the Light" #Spitfire #ThrashMetal #SpeedMetal #Març2026 #Alemanya #NouEp #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

Evolution. It’s one of those principles that seems to undergird just about every aspect of existence in this universe. As students of our most favorite of genres, we often speak about the “evolution of heavy metal” and how it has birthed a plethora of subgenres of varying degrees of viability. While some of these subgenres carry enough useful traits to become long-lasting pillars in the monument of heavy metal, others seem to serve the role of transitional forms or “missing links” between more well-known styles. Case in point: speed metal. Often seen as a momentary stop on metal’s journey from traditional to thrash, relatively few bands have built a career on speed alone. Acts who start with speed metal (many early thrash bands and power metal bands, especially) often incorporate other elements or transition to something else entirely. While this may be the general trend in metal’s history, Germany’s Cruel Force says, “Fuck that.”

Formed back in the late aughts as a blackened thrash/speed metal band, Cruel Force regrouped after a long hiatus, reinventing themselves as a pure and simple speed metal band with 2023’s Dawn of the Axe, an album that impressed me enough to earn a spot on my list of honorable mentions for that year. Well, if that was the dawn of the axe, 2026’s Haneda is the reign of the axe, an axe that has been meticulously honed and polished to the point of being as beautiful as it is lethal. I’d suggest doing a proper warmup before pressing play on the embedded “Whips-A-Swinging,” because severe neck damage is all but inevitable.

Haneda by CRUEL FORCE

In fact, Haneda should have come with a warning from the surgeon general stating something like, “May cause permanent stank face. May cause carpal tunnel syndrome secondary to excessive involuntary air guitar. May cause the user to run through walls, laugh maniacally at inappropriate times, or punch strangers in the face. Do not use while operating motor vehicles, as dangerous and irreversible acceleration has occurred. User may also feel the urge to destroy said vehicle with their bare hands, Street Fighter style.” And that’s just my experience with the record these maniacs have produced. Guitarist Slaughter absolutely lives up to his name, slaying all before him with unbelievable rhythm skills and classic metal leads, while Spider’s fingers crawl across his bass fretboard in an effort to keep up. Carnivore feasts, delivering a timeless, thrashy vocal performance that suits the music oh so well, but MVP honors go to drummer GG Alex, whose incessant fills have managed to become a hallmark of Cruel Force’s sound.

The prospect of 42 minutes of speed metal probably doesn’t sound all that special or exciting, but in Cruel Force’s capable hands, Haneda has managed to transcend the genre’s ham-fisted, beer-guzzling stereotype to create something truly special. The compositions are incredible, ranging from 4-minute rippers like “Whips-A-Swinging,” “Savage Gods,” “Sword of Iron,” and “Black Talon,” stretching into more complex work like “Warlords” or the album’s instrumental centerpiece “Crystal Skull,” and finishing in grand fashion with the epic, 9-minute, Song o’ the Year-frontrunning title track. Every song features wild, yet somehow graceful transitions and killer grooves, and the production is simply beautiful, proving that an album can sound authentically old and brutal while simultaneously feeling cultured and refined. I’m honestly still in shock from how hard this album hit me; what on first listen felt like just a really good speed metal album has revealed itself to be utterly excellent.

To finish my musings on evolution, Haneda sounds like a handful of speed metal bands become isolated on an island that drifted away from mainland Metal millions of years ago (let’s call this island ‘Metalgascar’) and whose progeny have spent the intervening time adapting and mutating without any other external musical influence. Where mainland Metal achieved heaviness through ever more extreme vocalization, down-tuning, and genre bastardization, Metalgascar developed its heaviness through ever-increasing speed and compositional quality. Far from being some hunched-over figure towards the beginning of heavy metal’s March of Progress, speed metal, in the form of Cruel Force, has achieved its final form, becoming Homo deus, the Übermensch, the Gigachad, or as the kids say these days, “he’s him” (or “she’s her,” or “they’re them,” if you prefer). This fantastic record will undoubtedly be on my year-end list (if not atop it), because I doubt that 2026 can produce something that’s more quintessentially metal.

Rating: 4.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Shadow Kingdom Records
Websites: cruelforce.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/cruelforce
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

Evolution. It’s one of those principles that seems to undergird just about every aspect of existence in this universe. As students of our most favorite of genres, we often speak about the “evolution of heavy metal” and how it has birthed a plethora of subgenres of varying degrees of viability. While some of these subgenres carry enough useful traits to become long-lasting pillars in the monument of heavy metal, others seem to serve the role of transitional forms or “missing links” between more well-known styles. Case in point: speed metal. Often seen as a momentary stop on metal’s journey from traditional to thrash, relatively few bands have built a career on speed alone. Acts who start with speed metal (many early thrash bands and power metal bands, especially) often incorporate other elements or transition to something else entirely. While this may be the general trend in metal’s history, Germany’s Cruel Force says, “Fuck that.”

Formed back in the late aughts as a blackened thrash/speed metal band, Cruel Force regrouped after a long hiatus, reinventing themselves as a pure and simple speed metal band with 2023’s Dawn of the Axe, an album that impressed me enough to earn a spot on my list of honorable mentions for that year. Well, if that was the dawn of the axe, 2026’s Haneda is the reign of the axe, an axe that has been meticulously honed and polished to the point of being as beautiful as it is lethal. I’d suggest doing a proper warmup before pressing play on the embedded “Whips-A-Swinging,” because severe neck damage is all but inevitable.

Haneda by CRUEL FORCE

In fact, Haneda should have come with a warning from the surgeon general stating something like, “May cause permanent stank face. May cause carpal tunnel syndrome secondary to excessive involuntary air guitar. May cause the user to run through walls, laugh maniacally at inappropriate times, or punch strangers in the face. Do not use while operating motor vehicles, as dangerous and irreversible acceleration has occurred. User may also feel the urge to destroy said vehicle with their bare hands, Street Fighter style.” And that’s just my experience with the record these maniacs have produced. Guitarist Slaughter absolutely lives up to his name, slaying all before him with unbelievable rhythm skills and classic metal leads, while Spider’s fingers crawl across his bass fretboard in an effort to keep up. Carnivore feasts, delivering a timeless, thrashy vocal performance that suits the music oh so well, but MVP honors go to drummer GG Alex, whose incessant fills have managed to become a hallmark of Cruel Force’s sound.

The prospect of 42 minutes of speed metal probably doesn’t sound all that special or exciting, but in Cruel Force’s capable hands, Haneda has managed to transcend the genre’s ham-fisted, beer-guzzling stereotype to create something truly special. The compositions are incredible, ranging from 4-minute rippers like “Whips-A-Swinging,” “Savage Gods,” “Sword of Iron,” and “Black Talon,” stretching into more complex work like “Warlords” or the album’s instrumental centerpiece “Crystal Skull,” and finishing in grand fashion with the epic, 9-minute, Song o’ the Year-frontrunning title track. Every song features wild, yet somehow graceful transitions and killer grooves, and the production is simply beautiful, proving that an album can sound authentically old and brutal while simultaneously feeling cultured and refined. I’m honestly still in shock from how hard this album hit me; what on first listen felt like just a really good speed metal album has revealed itself to be utterly excellent.

To finish my musings on evolution, Haneda sounds like a handful of speed metal bands become isolated on an island that drifted away from mainland Metal millions of years ago (let’s call this island ‘Metalgascar’) and whose progeny have spent the intervening time adapting and mutating without any other external musical influence. Where mainland Metal achieved heaviness through ever more extreme vocalization, down-tuning, and genre bastardization, Metalgascar developed its heaviness through ever-increasing speed and compositional quality. Far from being some hunched-over figure towards the beginning of heavy metal’s March of Progress, speed metal, in the form of Cruel Force, has achieved its final form, becoming Homo deus, the Übermensch, the Gigachad, or as the kids say these days, “he’s him” (or “she’s her,” or “they’re them,” if you prefer). This fantastic record will undoubtedly be on my year-end list (if not atop it), because I doubt that 2026 can produce something that’s more quintessentially metal.

Rating: 4.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Shadow Kingdom Records
Websites: cruelforce.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/cruelforce
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

Evolution. It’s one of those principles that seems to undergird just about every aspect of existence in this universe. As students of our most favorite of genres, we often speak about the “evolution of heavy metal” and how it has birthed a plethora of subgenres of varying degrees of viability. While some of these subgenres carry enough useful traits to become long-lasting pillars in the monument of heavy metal, others seem to serve the role of transitional forms or “missing links” between more well-known styles. Case in point: speed metal. Often seen as a momentary stop on metal’s journey from traditional to thrash, relatively few bands have built a career on speed alone. Acts who start with speed metal (many early thrash bands and power metal bands, especially) often incorporate other elements or transition to something else entirely. While this may be the general trend in metal’s history, Germany’s Cruel Force says, “Fuck that.”

Formed back in the late aughts as a blackened thrash/speed metal band, Cruel Force regrouped after a long hiatus, reinventing themselves as a pure and simple speed metal band with 2023’s Dawn of the Axe, an album that impressed me enough to earn a spot on my list of honorable mentions for that year. Well, if that was the dawn of the axe, 2026’s Haneda is the reign of the axe, an axe that has been meticulously honed and polished to the point of being as beautiful as it is lethal. I’d suggest doing a proper warmup before pressing play on the embedded “Whips-A-Swinging,” because severe neck damage is all but inevitable.

Haneda by CRUEL FORCE

In fact, Haneda should have come with a warning from the surgeon general stating something like, “May cause permanent stank face. May cause carpal tunnel syndrome secondary to excessive involuntary air guitar. May cause the user to run through walls, laugh maniacally at inappropriate times, or punch strangers in the face. Do not use while operating motor vehicles, as dangerous and irreversible acceleration has occurred. User may also feel the urge to destroy said vehicle with their bare hands, Street Fighter style.” And that’s just my experience with the record these maniacs have produced. Guitarist Slaughter absolutely lives up to his name, slaying all before him with unbelievable rhythm skills and classic metal leads, while Spider’s fingers crawl across his bass fretboard in an effort to keep up. Carnivore feasts, delivering a timeless, thrashy vocal performance that suits the music oh so well, but MVP honors go to drummer GG Alex, whose incessant fills have managed to become a hallmark of Cruel Force’s sound.

The prospect of 42 minutes of speed metal probably doesn’t sound all that special or exciting, but in Cruel Force’s capable hands, Haneda has managed to transcend the genre’s ham-fisted, beer-guzzling stereotype to create something truly special. The compositions are incredible, ranging from 4-minute rippers like “Whips-A-Swinging,” “Savage Gods,” “Sword of Iron,” and “Black Talon,” stretching into more complex work like “Warlords” or the album’s instrumental centerpiece “Crystal Skull,” and finishing in grand fashion with the epic, 9-minute, Song o’ the Year-frontrunning title track. Every song features wild, yet somehow graceful transitions and killer grooves, and the production is simply beautiful, proving that an album can sound authentically old and brutal while simultaneously feeling cultured and refined. I’m honestly still in shock from how hard this album hit me; what on first listen felt like just a really good speed metal album has revealed itself to be utterly excellent.

To finish my musings on evolution, Haneda sounds like a handful of speed metal bands become isolated on an island that drifted away from mainland Metal millions of years ago (let’s call this island ‘Metalgascar’) and whose progeny have spent the intervening time adapting and mutating without any other external musical influence. Where mainland Metal achieved heaviness through ever more extreme vocalization, down-tuning, and genre bastardization, Metalgascar developed its heaviness through ever-increasing speed and compositional quality. Far from being some hunched-over figure towards the beginning of heavy metal’s March of Progress, speed metal, in the form of Cruel Force, has achieved its final form, becoming Homo deus, the Übermensch, the Gigachad, or as the kids say these days, “he’s him” (or “she’s her,” or “they’re them,” if you prefer). This fantastic record will undoubtedly be on my year-end list (if not atop it), because I doubt that 2026 can produce something that’s more quintessentially metal.

Rating: 4.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Shadow Kingdom Records
Websites: cruelforce.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/cruelforce
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

Today is a great day for #metal as is the release day for the new #Hellripper 🤘🐐🤘

#Hellripper #Coronarch #goatcvlt #thrashmetal #speedmetal #blackenedthrash

https://hellripper.bandcamp.com/album/coronach-24-bit-hd-audio

Tired? Irritable? Prone to bouts of melancholy that leave you feeling listless and unfocused, particularly as the weather changes? It could be seasonal affective disorder, but these symptoms can also typify a diet deficient in vitamin R(iff). If it’s the latter, Hellripper’s Coronach practically hemorrhages the cure for what ails you, parading pulse-pounding riffs, blistering solos, and enthralling grooves with palliative nonchalance. Unleashing Hellripper’s fourth album in under a decade, architect and sole member James McBain maintains a tried-and-true release schedule and, more importantly, a steady evolution of sophisticated songwriting that’s as compelling as it is emboldening. I won’t mince words—Coronach is an undeniable corker and succeeds as Hellripper’s greatest triumph to date. So run down to your local or digital dealer and grab some Coronach posthaste!

Expanding on the achievements of Hellripper’s previous albums, Coronach harnesses the charm of earlier releases and injects them with a lethal dose of vitality. Back in 2017, debut Coagulating Darkness bled its influences on its sleeve, from riffs dripping with warp-speed Venom to the guitar lead from “Bastard of Hades” pulled straight from Metallica’s “Hit the Lights.” The Affair of the Poisons shaped Hellripper’s identity with flurries of licks that, while still laced with influences, exuded a welcome dimension of originality. Three years ago, Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags’ introduced knotted, longer-form compositions that pushed out the runtime while augmenting Hellripper’s arsenal of aural ammunition. With Coronach, Hellripper strikes a balance between the lengthier arrangements of Warlocks and the breakneck blackened bangers of yore, amplified by stellar performances throughout.

Coronach (24-bit HD audio) by Hellripper

Coronach overflows with electrifying instrumentation, and while McBain supplies most of Hellripper’s sonic ingredients, a few guests further enrich its proceedings. Searing leads and scorching solos set Coronach’s eight tracks aflame, boasting some of the hookiest guitar-playing I’ve heard this year. “Hunderprest” and “Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm” crackle with flashy fretwork, buoyed by longtime six-string contributor Joseph Quinlan (Desert Heretic). Similarly, “Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite)” rumbles with snappy Motörheadstrong riffs before an acoustic guitar cuts in to transition the song into slinky grooves and heavy half-times. After some interplay, the pace ramps back up to close out on the intro riff. Hellripper has never lacked for earworms, yet Coronach unveils a mature understanding of dynamic songwriting that endows depth and complexity while never sounding forced or unnatural. Besides Quinlan, Jess Townsend contributes violin on “Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned),” while singer Marianne returns to lend her vocals on a few tracks and Antonio Rodriguez reprises the bagpipes on closer “Coronach.” Vacuous’s Max Southall even bestows some percussive flair on “Mortercheyn.” Between himself and the talented musicians he’s assembled, it’s clear that while McBain is comfortable with his supporting cast, he’s determined not to put out the same album twice.

What impresses me most with Coronach is that McBain manages to broaden Hellripper’s auditory palette without ever losing the band’s core identity. “Hunderprest” and “Coronach” brim with the band’s trademark rippin’ riffs, yet the solos recall southern rock shredding à la Lynyrd Skynyrd or The Outlaws played at one-and-a-half speed. “Sculptor’s Cave,” meanwhile, channels what El Cuervo affectionately dubbed ‘Motörhead on cocaine’ energy during its “Rock ‘n’ Roll”-informed solo. A pervasive punk attitude also shimmers beneath the surface of Coronach, where the unadorned guitar refrains from “Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite),” “Sculptor’s Cave,” and “Mortercheyn” evoke more technical versions of Bad Religion and The Offspring. Tying it all together and allowing the myriad influences to coalesce, the mix ensures this is the best Hellripper has sounded, retaining their raw edge while dialing back the ‘everything louder than everything else’ approach that afflicted past albums—The Affair of the Poisons in particular.

Doubtlessly, Hellripper has dropped their finest release so far with Coronach, though a few small adjustments could have boosted it to undisputed excellence. “Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned)” runs a tad too long, and although I like “Mortercheyn,” it doesn’t quite live up to the heights of the other tracks. Even so, I unapologetically return to Coronach again and again with no signs of slowing down. Just remember—Coronach must be taken while driving or operating heavy machinery. If lethargy creeps in or your mouth runs dry from a chronic deficit of Vitamin R, just take one to two doses of Coronach (by ear) and wait for Hellripper’s restorative fix to kick in.1

Rating: Great!!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Century Media Records
Websites: Website | Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

Tired? Irritable? Prone to bouts of melancholy that leave you feeling listless and unfocused, particularly as the weather changes? It could be seasonal affective disorder, but these symptoms can also typify a diet deficient in vitamin R(iff). If it’s the latter, Hellripper’s Coronach practically hemorrhages the cure for what ails you, parading pulse-pounding riffs, blistering solos, and enthralling grooves with palliative nonchalance. Unleashing Hellripper’s fourth album in under a decade, architect and sole member James McBain maintains a tried-and-true release schedule and, more importantly, a steady evolution of sophisticated songwriting that’s as compelling as it is emboldening. I won’t mince words—Coronach is an undeniable corker and succeeds as Hellripper’s greatest triumph to date. So run down to your local or digital dealer and grab some Coronach posthaste!

Expanding on the achievements of Hellripper’s previous albums, Coronach harnesses the charm of earlier releases and injects them with a lethal dose of vitality. Back in 2017, debut Coagulating Darkness bled its influences on its sleeve, from riffs dripping with warp-speed Venom to the guitar lead from “Bastard of Hades” pulled straight from Metallica’s “Hit the Lights.” The Affair of the Poisons shaped Hellripper’s identity with flurries of licks that, while still laced with influences, exuded a welcome dimension of originality. Three years ago, Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags’ introduced knotted, longer-form compositions that pushed out the runtime while augmenting Hellripper’s arsenal of aural ammunition. With Coronach, Hellripper strikes a balance between the lengthier arrangements of Warlocks and the breakneck blackened bangers of yore, amplified by stellar performances throughout.

Coronach (24-bit HD audio) by Hellripper

Coronach overflows with electrifying instrumentation, and while McBain supplies most of Hellripper’s sonic ingredients, a few guests further enrich its proceedings. Searing leads and scorching solos set Coronach’s eight tracks aflame, boasting some of the hookiest guitar-playing I’ve heard this year. “Hunderprest” and “Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm” crackle with flashy fretwork, buoyed by longtime six-string contributor Joseph Quinlan (Desert Heretic). Similarly, “Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite)” rumbles with snappy Motörheadstrong riffs before an acoustic guitar cuts in to transition the song into slinky grooves and heavy half-times. After some interplay, the pace ramps back up to close out on the intro riff. Hellripper has never lacked for earworms, yet Coronach unveils a mature understanding of dynamic songwriting that endows depth and complexity while never sounding forced or unnatural. Besides Quinlan, Jess Townsend contributes violin on “Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned),” while singer Marianne returns to lend her vocals on a few tracks and Antonio Rodriguez reprises the bagpipes on closer “Coronach.” Vacuous’s Max Southall even bestows some percussive flair on “Mortercheyn.” Between himself and the talented musicians he’s assembled, it’s clear that while McBain is comfortable with his supporting cast, he’s determined not to put out the same album twice.

What impresses me most with Coronach is that McBain manages to broaden Hellripper’s auditory palette without ever losing the band’s core identity. “Hunderprest” and “Coronach” brim with the band’s trademark rippin’ riffs, yet the solos recall southern rock shredding à la Lynyrd Skynyrd or The Outlaws played at one-and-a-half speed. “Sculptor’s Cave,” meanwhile, channels what El Cuervo affectionately dubbed ‘Motörhead on cocaine’ energy during its “Rock ‘n’ Roll”-informed solo. A pervasive punk attitude also shimmers beneath the surface of Coronach, where the unadorned guitar refrains from “Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite),” “Sculptor’s Cave,” and “Mortercheyn” evoke more technical versions of Bad Religion and The Offspring. Tying it all together and allowing the myriad influences to coalesce, the mix ensures this is the best Hellripper has sounded, retaining their raw edge while dialing back the ‘everything louder than everything else’ approach that afflicted past albums—The Affair of the Poisons in particular.

Doubtlessly, Hellripper has dropped their finest release so far with Coronach, though a few small adjustments could have boosted it to undisputed excellence. “Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned)” runs a tad too long, and although I like “Mortercheyn,” it doesn’t quite live up to the heights of the other tracks. Even so, I unapologetically return to Coronach again and again with no signs of slowing down. Just remember—Coronach must be taken while driving or operating heavy machinery. If lethargy creeps in or your mouth runs dry from a chronic deficit of Vitamin R, just take one to two doses of Coronach (by ear) and wait for Hellripper’s restorative fix to kick in.1

Rating: Great!!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Century Media Records
Websites: Website | Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026