Stälker-Shadow of the Sword

Napalm Records
2017

Stälker is a (raw) speed metal band from New Zealand that is lead by bassist/vocalist Daif king (Blood Knight) and features two former members of Razorwyre within it's ranks: guitarist Chris Calavrias and drummer Nick Oates (Numbskull). The 10-track "Shadow of the Sword" serves as Stälker's full-length debut. It was released back in November of 2017 and has a run-time of over 38 minutes. In addition to nine original compositions (most of which completely shred!), "Shadow of the Sword" includes a sick cover of Death's "Evil Dead". Primarily influenced by the eighties speed metal scene (think early Slayer crossed with early Exciter!), this New Zealand trio is not for the fate of heart or anyone who might be looking for clean, crisp, and crystal-clear metal. Instead this is rough & raw speed metal that leaves no prisoners and offers no apologies for the damage that it has done! In a very cool way, Stälker brought back fond memories of the underground speed/thrash scene of the late eighties as well as the tape-trading days of old. For those of you who might not be old enough to remember such things, fear not! This album might be geared towards fans of retro speed metal, but it has more than enough muscle to wreck the competition!!

Gatekrashör-Gatekrashör

Hard and Heavy Records
2014

Active since 2008 and made up of musicians with ties to such bands as Fornication, Barbatos, Hrom and Reborn Pariah, Gatekrashör is a (raw) speed metal act from Killgary, Alberta. Managed by Lucifer himself  and influenced by Beer, Sluts, USPM Legends and all the bands who worship the true metal gods! (or mostly just beer!!) this fearsome, four-headed beast unmasked itself and made the scene with a demo in 2010 before terrorizing the public even more by rolling out a pair of splits in "Graveyard Assault" and "Speed Metal Kills" (2010 and 2011 respectively). In 2012 the members of Gatekrashör cranked things up a "notch or two" ( and in the process ended up further exposing the unpredictable nature of their Exciter/Judas priest-infused speed metal anarchy!) when they kicked down the door with "Fear Of Attack". While that five-track EP showed the band's potential to raise holy (heavy metal) hell when the time calls for it the full-length "Gatekrashör" is another story all together! And that is where we (as jovial madmen, fellow drunks, lovers of all things hard & heavy (music-wise you filthy-minded scumbags!!!!) and all around supporters of indie/underground metal) join Gatekrashör. Available on cassette as well as digital download, "Gatekrashör" does it just right in my book thanks to the "all guns blazing" approach of opener/instrumental "Banzai". Reminiscent of not only Canadian greats like Exciter, Razor and Anvil, but the time-honored and well-loved "Venom/Motörhead sound", "Banzai" merges perfectly into "Force Of The Blade" and by that point I was hooked! For this Canadian act excellence starts up front and that is thanks to the (unholy) shrill voice of  metallic screamer/demonic dreamer Speed Metal Enforcer (aka Dan Neild). If his voice (which equally brings to mind Dan Beehler and Cronos!) doesn't motivate you to mayhem then most certainly the backing band of Gatekrashör should! In no way whatsoever should this album be looked at as a cut and paste response to Gatekrashör's choice list of potential musical influences* (Razor, Exciter, Destruction, (early) Sodom, At War, Venom, Judas Priest, Anvil, Motörhead, Raven, Tank, Discharge, Carnivore, Chainsaw (Is the Law), Chainsaw (Hell's Burnin' Up),  Robespierre, Baphomet's Blood, etc.), but that particular list very well could (and maybe even should) be seen as a cheat sheet as far as why I would enthusiastically recommend this band to my fellow (beer drinking and leather jacket sporting!) speed metal junkies! Gatekrashör's self-titled album is a loud and mean, fast and raw, rock metal kick in the nuts. In other words I love this banger of a full-length and I suspect i won't be alone in that assessment for too much longer...
 
* I say potential as half are admitted influences while the other are band's I picked up on. And meanwhile all of these bands are groups that I totally dig anyway so yes, this album slays!

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http://gatekrashor.bandcamp.com/album/gatekrash-r