Heavy. So fucking heavy. Thats the only way to describe the opening track on British band Raging Speedhorns latest, "Everything Changes. Destroying any doubts fans may have had that they couldnt change a vocalist and a bassist and retain their unique sound, theyve managed to follow up 2004s excellent and wildly underrated How the Great Have Fallen just fine. With their sound firmly intact one somewhere between sludge, punk and deathnroll the band add more haunting melodies and strip things down. "Too Drunk to Give a Fuck is as wonderfully obnoxious as it sounds, and check out "Dignity Stripper for a good example of the band combining all of those influences for something entirely original that you can still bang your head to. Clocking in at an ideal 28 minutes, you barely have time to notice the perfectly raw production sound, the penchant for incredible riff after incredible riff and the general vibe of fucking awesomeness this band dishes out. Wow. Raging Speedhorn need to become better known, and Before the Sea Was Built should be the album to help them do just that.
This album seems more stripped down than your last. How do you think the two differ?
Guitarist Gareth Smith: This album is without a doubt the most musical album weve produced. I think its also the most aggressive and darkest. Its very atmospheric, too. I guess it is pretty stripped down and minimalist but thats really the atmosphere within the band at this point in time. To be honest, I can see us exploring that even further in the future.
Youve got a couple new guys since last time. How has this changed the sound?
The biggest factor has to be [new vocalist] Bloody Kev. I think his voice and the range of different styles he has have had a massive part in the sound of this record. As well as myself and Jay [Thompson] exploring what we can actually do on guitar, as opposed to just churning out Black Sabbath riffs.
With such a hard sound to pin down, where do you guys fit in the heavy music scene currently?
I don't think weve ever fit into any scene. I always think of us as a hardcore band but most other hardcore bands probably dont. Our work ethic, and the way we go about things, is definitely a hardcore way of doing things.
(SPV/Steamhammer)This album seems more stripped down than your last. How do you think the two differ?
Guitarist Gareth Smith: This album is without a doubt the most musical album weve produced. I think its also the most aggressive and darkest. Its very atmospheric, too. I guess it is pretty stripped down and minimalist but thats really the atmosphere within the band at this point in time. To be honest, I can see us exploring that even further in the future.
Youve got a couple new guys since last time. How has this changed the sound?
The biggest factor has to be [new vocalist] Bloody Kev. I think his voice and the range of different styles he has have had a massive part in the sound of this record. As well as myself and Jay [Thompson] exploring what we can actually do on guitar, as opposed to just churning out Black Sabbath riffs.
With such a hard sound to pin down, where do you guys fit in the heavy music scene currently?
I don't think weve ever fit into any scene. I always think of us as a hardcore band but most other hardcore bands probably dont. Our work ethic, and the way we go about things, is definitely a hardcore way of doing things.
