From the earliest occultic bursts of MERCYFUL FATE to the speed-fueled attacks of ARTILLERY, INVOCATOR, and the underrated FURIOUS TRAUMA, the country of Denmark – with a population less than New York City alone – has clearly made its presence known in the realm of heavy music. Thus, it’s safe to say any Danish speed/thrash band has a high bar already set. Enter SPEEDSLUT, last year’s Ferocity Of Steel EP waving the denim ‘n’ leather flag proudly, its 12 minutes less a thoughtfully planned military operation than a wild shot into enemy territory to make clear its malicious intent.

Sharp-tongued and bedeviled, the guitars of vocalist/guitarist Frederik Klitte and lead string-slinger Tomas Dikinis bite with the strength of early SODOM, but more rough around the edges aka KREATOR, Klitte’s voice not unlike Hetfield before the money came calling, mid-range and full of vigor. ‘Pestridden Stallions’, indeed. ‘Asbestos Born Wrath’ does nothing to tame the conflagration, if anything fanning the white heat, and it’s here we realize that SPEEDSLUT, even so early in its life, is crewed by students of the craft quickly on their way to becoming masters, so instantly memorable are the tracks. Drummer Malthe Ørvad pummels ‘Dark Night Riders’ onward, bassist Andreas Reinholt anchoring the assault admirably, gang vocals adding flesh to the bones, and there it is, the shibboleth of this style, the “Unh!” that Tom Warrior shoulda patented oh, so long ago.

‘No One Escapes Death’ charges forth with the intensity of MOTÖRHEAD / thrashed-out BATHORY one-two punch, a bit of Forward Into Battle ENGLISH DOGS shoved in for that punk vibe, while ‘Stench Of Evil’ surprisingly slows the pace but not the zeal which which SPEEDSLUT approaches the searing blood that blazes through its veins. Ørvad’s rhythmic bombardment heralds ‘Armageddon’, the rest of the band a cannonade of sound behind him…a blitzkrieg, if you would.

The title track closes out SPEEDSLUT’s debut, as grime-drenched as anything that’s come before, rusty bolts and cogs clattering and clanging, gears grinding, but still catapulting Cimbrian Rites forward, ever forward, the unstoppable death-bringer that it is from first to last. I haven’t heard anything so heartfelt, so intentional in the realm of speed/thrash for a long fuckin’ time.
Review By: Lord Randall

SPEEDSLUT
Cimbrian Rites
Listenable Records