Corby hellraisers Raging Speedhorn had something of a cult following in the early noughties, although they never really elevated themselves above the status of support band, touring with the likes of Earthtone9, Will Haven and Skindred. ‘Lost Ritual’ is their first album since 2007, and marks the return of dual vocalists Frank Regan and John Loughlin for the first time since 2005. The band were no strangers to controversy first time around, with riotous live shows, song titles such as ‘Necrophiliac Glue Sniffer’ and their legendary ‘Sniff Glue Worship Satan’ t-shirt, so some may be wondering if the years have mellowed them or if they are still relevant in 2016.
Album opener and lead single ‘Bring Out Your Dead’ confirms that the band have not lost their knack for writing sludgy metal, and is built on a hulking riff and a chorus that bores its way inside your skull, while Regan and Loughlin attempt to cough up their larynxes. It’s a strong opening after so long away, and easily stands up against their classic material. ‘Halfway to Hell’ continues the frantic early pace with another insistent riff which has a more classic rock feel to it, although the elongated and largely instrumental sludgy breakdown which closes the last minute of the song feels unnecessary.
Having two vocalists may be a throwback to the early 2000s, when a screamer and a melodic singer were all the rage, but Speedhorn use both vocalists to their strengths, each having a distinctive style and complementing one another well. New guitarist Jamie Palmer makes his presence felt by bringing more of a stoner vibe to proceedings, previous axeman Gareth Smith having taken the more hardcore punk riffs of the band’s earlier works with him to join Swedish D-beaters Victims. The band’s recent slot at stoner/doom oriented Desertfest also hints at where they are aiming to fit in with their latest effort.
‘Motorhead’ pays homage to the band it is named after, with a rock ‘n’ roll riff, another memorable chorus and hints of melody, and it is this type of track that stands out throughout the album, the band sounding more urgent and vital when they play hard and fast as opposed to slow and sludgy. The rest of the album reveals itself to be something of a mixed bag – ‘Shit Outta Luck’ is the sort of metallic hardcore Speedhorn have always been known for, while the likes of ‘Ten of Swords’ and ‘The Hangman’ are overlong and have a tendency to stray into self-indulgent stoner territory. Several other songs also outstay their welcome at close to six minutes, and struggle to keep the attention.
Closing track ‘Unleash The Serpents’ is the album’s most disappointing effort, featuring a spoken word vocal over a doomy Sabbath riff, which is intended to be menacing but rather falls flat. This is a disappointing way to end, with the album petering out with a whimper rather than ending on a high.
While it’s good to have Messrs Regan and Loughlin back, Lost Ritual can’t quite make its mind up whether it’s a stoner or a hardcore metal album, and as a consequence ends up falling disappointingly between the two. Speedhorn will need to decide which camp to go for if they hope to retain or even build on their previous status in the UK metal scene.
TOM DANIEL