Dart - Speed Days (LP) (2025 Agipunk Records)

Dart from Finland have chosen to mix speed metal and hardcore punk and have churned out quite the record. It comes off sounding like an amped-up-on-meth version of Motorhead with frantically performed vocals and nonstop speed. One wild thing that they do from time to time is mix in some Hammond organ to add some melody, like in the song "Sick Game," and it's a wonderful addition that adds a whole new layer to their punked-up metal music. Often they have one guitar playing a melody overtop the main riff, in a very punk style, and it also reminds me of the early days of Finnish death metal. The bassist is particularly impressive on this album, laying down a constant low-end barrage for the rest of the music to rest upon. If you are at all a fan of early speed metal, punk like Discharge or Anti-Nowhere League, or just solid thrash, this is probably something you should seek out and hear. I know it's on my "to-buy" list.

www.agipunk.com

dartpunk.bandcamp.com

Speedslut--Cimbrian Rites (CD/LP/CS) (2026 Listenable Records)

This band from Denmark has blown me away, just flooring me with their black speed metal attack. From the '80s Metallica- and Slayer-isms to the Germanic speed metal influence to the little Bathory nods, this is entirely entertaining and metal as fuck. This is all gas and no brakes, just full speed ahead the entire time, full of attitude and powerful riffs. One thing they have that not a lot of black speed metal acts do is quality guitar solos, they're fresh and searing every time. These guitarists can play, often adding amazing little runs in their riffs that whip by at light speed. Vocally, the singer is somewhere between Running Wild and Bathory or Venom, and it's a perfect fit for the music. The vocals just bleed metal atmosphere. I thought the shouted gang vocals in a couple of the songs were a really nice touch as well. This is an excellent record that deserves mountains of praise heaped upon it, and I'll be picking this up at the first opportunity.

www.listenable.eu

Iron Kobra--Eternal Dagger (CD/LP/CS) (2026 Dying Victims Productions)

The fantastically absurd science fiction cover of this record caught my attention immediately. A woman with a laser gun riding a tiger on a mountain with a spaceship in orbit above her, at night, no less. I just hoped the music was that awesome. And it's not too far off. Germany's Iron Kobra play an excellent hybrid of heavy metal and speed metal that reminds me of Thor and Running Wild. I was surprised to see this is their first full length in eleven years. I'll have to seek out their back catalog and investigate those albums as well. The vocalist isn't especially gifted with range, but he makes up for this by using what he's got smartly, emphasizing his unique tone and ability to craft a decent melody. He turns in an excellent performance overall. The rest of the band is equally talented, and the songs are well-crafted and catchy, which is quite important for traditional metal. More so than other forms of this music, even. Dying Victims is another one of those labels that seems to release killer after killer, and I applaud their efforts in finding all these great bands. It's remarkable to me how some labels just seem to have my musical tastes in mind when it comes to their releases.

www.dying-victims.de