Only One Mode

To catch everyone up: Australian hardcore band Speed

is putting their foot down on the world. For hardcore kids

from Sydney, which is where Speed's from and what they

represent, this is a first. Everyone in the band has been

going to shows for years-'real moshers,' always up front,

dancing. (The full lineup: Aaron Siow and brother Jem, on

bass and vocals respectively, Josh Clayton and Dennis

Vichidvongsa on guitars, and Kane Vardon on drums.)

During a lull period in their home scene-'there were no

new bands going on'-the guys stepped up and tapped in.

Speed decided to start out hard and traditional-a highlevel aesthetic decision that, every five years, an all-time

hardcore band does. A reset. For their first year, the group

referred to itself on flyers and in interviews as two words,

'Speed HARDCORE,' to make things extra simple. This is

what they're about: hardcore, played hard, played fast, 'for

us, by us'-explicit, immediate, definitive-hinting at all

the crucial bands that have come before them.

Their new debut full-length, Only One Mode, exemplifies

their growth and distillation. It's a concept album in one

sense: a manual that explains, directly, Speed's beliefs,

the five guys' personalities, what they bring to the table,

and what's special about their scene. Topics are sharp:

'Real Life Love,' about the loyalty and realness they've

learnt from hardcore, shows how Speed connected

through showing up; a depth of expression and emotion

set against very punishing music. 'The First Test' is full of

dynamics-held notes, a tasteful flute break-and speaks

on finding oneself as a marginalized individual-in Siow's

case, as an Asian-born Australian: striking out alone and

growing in a beautiful and ugly world. 'Kill Cap' displays

real vulnerability-heartache, regret, spiritual themes, an

homage to the friends and family lost to suicide. Lyrics on

Only One Mode embrace perspectives, pore over big ideas

and small detailed moments. About the tunes on the record:

Harder than the single-more breakdowns, and longer

ones; it's heavy '90s metallic hardcore, in conversation

with HATEBREED, MERAUDER, BIOHAZARD. There are

more groove parts; vocals are tough and emotive, there

are none of the longer melodic parts that hardcore bands

occasionally give in to when they rise to a popular level;

all artistic decisions that are new for hardcore bands from

Australia.

About that popularity: It's new for a hardcore band to be

big, unprecedented for one from Australia. Big in two

ways-for hardcore kids from Sydney, playing good shows

worldwide, proudly representing their scene. And second,

for any band from the scene playing hard music, crossing

over hard into the larger world. It's quick work to find

Speed doing both: headlining shows in England, New York,

Japan, globally, turning in blazing sets at Sound & Fury

and This Is Hardcore, among other massive heavy-music

festivals. Seven-figure viewed videos-their set at S&F,

short films for their songs-and tunes headlining video

game soundtracks. Famous folks wearing their jerseys,

people new to the scene showing up to more gigs. Speed

know that because of these global crossover moments, they

might be some people's first hardcore band; the idea is that

they'll get introduced not only to Speed, but also to the

scene and the people behind it. Find Speed, and you'll find

Sydney hardcore; find a band making hard music, find more

energy back home.

Which is what's happening. Only One Mode, like their

previous records, is being released on Last Ride and

Flatspot Records, their homes from the start. The album

was produced by Elliott Gallart, Siow's oldest high-school

friend. Jack Rudder, a longtime partner and collaborator,

has directed all of Speed's music videos. The cover photo

was taken by James Hartley, the prolific Australian hardcore

photographer from the 2000s, when Speed first started as

young hardcore kids going to shows.

Speed isn't 180-ing, but is going deeper into hardcore, into

Sydney-now the world has caught up. This is a hardcore

band from Australia who surpassed what they thought they

might do at the start, and has since doubled down, Only

One Mode, as fast and as hard as possible. Speed is doing

what they do for the love of their friends, family, and the

culture of Australian hardcore. They're under the global

spotlight for now, bright enough that their whole scene's

right there with them.

TRACK LIST

1. Real Life Love

2. Don't Need

3. No Love But For Our Ow

4. Only Foes...

5. The First Test

6. Kill Cap

7. Send Them 2 Sydney

8. Shut It Down

9. I Mean It

10. Caught In A Craze