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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
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