Built for Speed

Weeping wombats! While randomly patrolling NWOTHM’s pewtube page the other day, I happened upon Speedbreaker’s sole full-length (the Düsseldorf twin-guitar quartet has sadly broken up since), Built for Speed, a downright grimy and gripping nine-track speed metal offering - released in 2014 under the stalwart Dying Victim Productions, the Bavarian label behind gems from Horacle, Iron Kobra, Whipstriker and Witchtrap - which wickedly incorporates the very best elements of much-loved worthies such as Motorhead, Tank, Midnight, Boulder and Iron Maiden...Suffice to say, after hearing the “Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” thematically reminiscent opener, “Shoot, Shoot!”, as well as gleaning TheStormIRide’s highly enthused and praising write-up I was on it like a mongoose after a snake.

Said smoking introduction, complete with cranky engine revving and pistol shot, provides a welcome, though guttural, glimpse of John’s Jim Beam and Lucky Strike scorched rasps and resounding, buck-toothed bass lines compounded by Carl’s potent skins whilst Beda’s jerkily propulsive guitar evokes a paper cut-out “devil” chain gleefully festooned by a demented marionette, notably on the teetering/overt wheelie surging “Night Patrol” and demonically tucking and rolling “Take You To Hell”, which compellingly remind me of Tank’s early days, namely the NWOBHM underdogs’ Filth Hounds of Hades and Power of the Hunter LPs.

As if those weren’t enough to fully reel me in, the incredibly festive, jimmy jangling and razzle dazzling “Fire In The Sky” borrows from similarly gruff, albeit seizing, "I don't give a f*ck-ism" as Midnight and Boulder’s Jamie Walters (aka Athenar) thanks to its slack but paradoxically boisterous and buoyant string-bend capped shuffle and ever debilitating, if not impeccably timed, cowbell triple “tok”! (John’s craggy as Hell yelling also lends credence.)

Leads wise, expansive ax jockey Simon (who also fills in live for fellow countrymen Iron Kobra) let’s ‘er rip with reckless abandon, whether it’s on the aforementioned cuts or, perhaps,the incrementally rampant and somewhat classical sounding, titular mid-point instrumental (also imbued with a mellow, tension building clean progression) alongside late, shit-eating grin game changers such as Enforcer-ish “Black Leather Queen” – a cutting, razor sharp harbinger of evil punctuated by pinched harmonics – and “Unholy Night”, my top track next to “Fire in the Sky”.

Dig how it begins with a sweetly plucked, almost Spanish styled progression before reverting to darker climes with an appropriate black mass evoking downpour complimented by poised and predatory bass line, not to mention Cauldron-esque coming-of-age shuffle, before taking inherent Iron Maiden inspired turn which strongly rings of “Phantom of the Opera”, or maybe “Transylvania”. Additionally, John’s swarthy bass line cements the fact he’s a bona fide instrumental necessity and not just some greasy, run-of-the-mill johnny-come-lately.

Boldly clacking shut the high voltage and nitroglycerine infused bone-crusher which is Built for Speed are yet further electrifying humdingers, “Metal Love” (beats Anvil's ridiculous "School Love" by a long shot) and Speedbreaker’s closing, six-minute namesake track and raucous fist-pumping freeway anthem (a distant, albeit more thorough cousin of Metallica’s “Fade to Black” which also splurges on wondrous syncopating guitar harmonies), the chorus of which verily sums up what these engagingly rampaging Germans are all about; namely, textbook speed metal for both older, wizened farts such as myself and younger open-minded rivet heads looking to get their beak wet (and chairs broken).

As a parting shot, I just remembered another killer genre purveyor, courtesy of my fellow heavy metal correspondent, which hails from Speedbreaker’s neck of the woods, the radically named Nitrovolt – if anything, the outrageous cover art of its latest full-length, Dirty Wings, achieved similar success at reeling me in.

“Fuel is pumping in my veins
The highway is my home
Boozing some gasoline
Speedfreak to the bone!

Speedbreaker
Speedbreaker
The one who drives you insane!
Speedbreaker
Speedbreaker
So shout out my name!”