An otherwise entity, SPEEDKILLER hail from Brazil, arguably THE South American country with the richest history of extreme metal. A quartet, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Spellcaster, fellow guitarist Summoned, bassist Evilspirit, and drummer Hellkrätus. A full-length album, Midnight Vampire is the SPEEDKILLER’s first public recording…but HOLY FUCK is it a first statement!
Unapologetically, SPEEDKILLER hail the old gods of their homeland, both the massively influential cult scene of the ’80s – Vulcano, Sarcofago, Mutilator, Holocausto, and earliest (and best) Sepultura – but also Mystifier’s classic first album, Wicca. As such, Midnight Vampire is a work of both aggression and atmosphere. But unlike so many past and especially present who endlessly try to replicate the OTT violence of Sarcofago’s INRI, SPEEDKILLER possess a patience in their songwriting which allows bewitching atmosphere to play equal footing as belligerent aggression – the song to take precedence over style. In fact, much of Midnight Vampire charges forward at a brisk, enjoyably headbanging tempo, allowing their largely traditionalist constructions to breathe full, foul breaths: undeniably sulfurous, but firmly rooted in ancient values. Thus, here could one raise a gleaming sword as freely as drink black blood, and indeed do SPEEDKILLER’s primary inspirations run the gamut of street fights, vampirism, all-caps HEAVY METAL, perversion, and of course DEATH.
Hearty and hale, Midnight Vampire doesn’t waste any time, either: it gets in and gets out in a swift yet deeply satisfying 27 minutes. Suitably, the rich ‘n’ resoundingly analog production is completed by mixing from now-labelmates INCULTER’s Remi Nygård, and cover art by Jean Nightbreäker of Brazil’s Murdeath is everything it should be for a work like this. If you want ARGH, you got it with SPEEDKILLER!
(LP)