REVIEW: Speedclaw, "Beast In The Mist"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 01/06/2018

Label: Shadow Kingdom Records

The sound over the six tracks comes on like a revved up version of early Saxon and Dio crossed with “Fistful of Metal” era Anthrax and “Bonded By Blood” era Exodus. The production is 80's to the max, the performances strong and the band sound hungry and dangerous

“Beast In The Mist” CS//CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Prelude

2). Beast in the Mist

3). Faster Than Hell

4). Rising of the Claw

5). Aggression Strikes

6). Evil That You See

The Review:

Croatian Speed Metal! Speedclaw are probably Croatia's finest exponent of the genre... and maybe one of the best in the world. The sound over the six tracks comes on like a revved up version of early Saxon and Dio crossed with “Fistful of Metal” era Anthrax and “Bonded By Blood” era Exodus. The production is 80's to the max, the performances strong and the band sound hungry and dangerous. The instrumental “Prelude” opens proceedings before the title track rips out of the speakers with a vengeance. “Faster Than Hell” lives up to the title's promise. Widdly lead work abounds as riffs come thick and fast.

The latter three tracks deliver more of the same- pleasingly- and the band don't let up. Ranger have got some serious competition here as this is pure metal of the highest quality; nostalgic, referencing what went before and the band makes sure to put their own stamp on things. If anything, “Rising of the Claw” and “Aggression Strikes” go closer towards out and out extreme thrash metal, but that is no bad thing. Better to press the pedal to the metal than ease off down the back stretch!

The impressive EP/mini album closes with “Evil That You See”, which sees the NWOBHM influences come back to the fore. The name of the band tells you almost all you need to know here. Surely a candidate for a Fenriz endorsement (if he hasn't done so already) and high time the band gets offered a slot at Live Evil in London. Raging stuff.

“Beast In The Mist”is available here

Band info: facebook