Speed Metal

The Anthrax thread I started got me thinking about Speed Metal, since Anthrax's first album is Speed Metal.

Speed Metal is a genre I really like, but I don't have much of it in my collection.

I guess my favorite Speed Metal band in my collection is Venom. I hate their lyrics, but love their music.

What other Speed Metal bands would you guys recommend? I don't mean Thrash Metal, I have a ton of Thrash Metal in my collection. But it dawned on me today that I don't have much Speed Metal.

Stuff like Venom, the first Anthrax album, early Helloween, early Blind Guardian!



Also, does anyone know of any Christian bands who play Speed Metal? Besides early Deliverance of course (they mixed a bit of Speed Metal with their Thrash Metal).

Speed metal is a difficult genre to discern. If you vary at all in one direction, you're power metal. Vary the other and you're thrash.

Not Christian but the first song I thought of when reading your post.

metaldude, that's true about Speed Metal. It's a very delicate genre. I think that's why it was only during a certain period of time when this sound was really purely Speed Metal. The early 80s.

I know of bands like Hallow's Eve. Speaking of which, that would be a good band to pursue in this direction. Exciter I think is another one. But I don't have any albums from either band.

And you're right about that Manowar song. Most of their stuff isn't Speed Metal, but that song surely is!

I love Manowar. They are my one of ALL TIME favorite bands! Good call!

How about Divinefire?

Can't argue with Razor.

Or Early Hirax...

Stender! That is exactly what I'm talking about! Thanks for posting those. I'll add both bands to my list! Great stuff!

Metaldude, thanks for posting that Divinefire. I'm not a fan of Narnia or Christian Rivel's vocals though ... is the only drawback for me regarding that band.

Glad you like em, both those bands get more aggressive as their catalog progresses, but some of that early stuff from both is some proper speed metal. I'll try to think of some other bands, I used to listen to a lot of thrash and speed like 5 years ago and there are some sick bands in the genre.

Thanks Bro!

Oh yeah, this era of Riot was sick. 

Haha, I'm kinda fired up on this thread right now. I haven't really put in time with music like this for a bit so it's a refreshing to revisit some of this stuff!

I just remembered a couple Christian speed metal bands I used to have albums from. Seventh Avenue and Lightmare. Can't really remember if they were any good or not, but I remember Lightmare had kind of an early blind guardian type sound. Seventh avenue seemed to be a bit more unique, then again...who knows haha.

This is on The Decline of Western Civilisation Part II - The Metal Years soundtrack. I've always thought of it as more speed than thrash.

Toxik and Forte are pretty awesome.

Stender wrote:Oh yeah, this era of Riot was sick. 

Dude, I'm really starting to like you! You have excellent taste!



Yeah, I'm a HUGE Riot fan!!! HUGE! "Thundersteel" is by far my favorite Metal album ever released! Riot never topped this album - before, or after it's release. I like all of Riot's stuff, but "Thundersteel" is music of the Gods. Seriously. Though there certainly are a few Speed Metal songs on that album, by and large I'd call it a Power Metal album with Speed Metal undertones.



I've not heard Lightmare. I did buy an album from Seventh Avenue, but I wasn't impressed and got rid of it. Too generic sounding to me.

Also, thanks for the recommendations of Toxik, Forte and Rigor Mortis! I have taken note.

RavenWolf wrote:

Stender wrote:Oh yeah, this era of Riot was sick. 

Dude, I'm really starting to like you! You have excellent taste!



Yeah, I'm a HUGE Riot fan!!! HUGE! "Thundersteel" is by far my favorite Metal album ever released! Riot never topped this album - before, or after it's release. I like all of Riot's stuff, but "Thundersteel" is music of the Gods. Seriously. Though there certainly are a few Speed Metal songs on that album, by and large I'd call it a Power Metal album with Speed Metal undertones.



I've not heard Lightmare. I did buy an album from Seventh Avenue, but I wasn't impressed and got rid of it. Too generic sounding to me.

Haha, I was worried you were going to call that track flower metal or something. But yeah, the distinction between speed and power is definitely a fine line. Great Riot album though. 

I had the same problem with Seventh Avenue actually. I just listened to Lightmare on youtube and I must have forgot how much they sound like euro power metal. Unless yer looking for that sort of thing, I would pass them up for now.

Thanks dude! Yeah, I'm not really looking for Power Metal at this point. I do like Power Metal but I have a lot of that already. Same with most genres of Metal. But I'm tracking down something right now ... I'm hunting if you will. For some tasty, razor sharp riffed, raw Speed Metal.

Tonight I'm cranking some Anvil. They've got some stuff that kinda hits on this particular sound if you know what I mean. It's a wicked and raw sound. Heheh. It's not for everyone ...

Here's some Toxik

Machine Fish wrote:Here's some Toxik

Now that kicks ARSE!!! That's what I'm talking about! This is some killer Speed Metal! Thanks!

It kinda sounds like early Anthrax too!

It sounded like pre Cowboys Pantera to me.

Hey Ravenwolf. If you liked Toxik you will definitely like Forte

Holy Batman and Robin!!!

Forte RULETH!!! I like that even better than Toxik!!!

That's the kind of band I will buy every single album they put out! Possible contender for favorite Speed Metal band right there!!!

Thought you would like it. Good news is that Forte is still around and making metal

Great thread. For some reason the The Exploited album "beat the bastards" came to mind, give it a listen. Good looking out metaldude, I can always go for manowar. Hirax is a great...always will be. Lol.

Machine Fish wrote:Hey Ravenwolf. If you liked Toxik you will definitely like Forte

I generally don't like genre debates, but Forte is straight-up thrash.