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Release Date: March 06th 2025. Record Label: Spinefarm Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Night Wolf - Track Listing:
1. Blood Red Sky
2. Buzz Killa
3. The Blood Code
4. Can't Stop
5. Every Night's Alright for Fighting
6. Night Wolf
7. DOA
8. Comin' In Hard
9. Dead Men Can't Dance
10. Dead Reckoning
Members
Frank Regan (vocals)
Dan Cook (vocals)
Gordon Morison (drums)
Jim Palmer (guitar)
Andy Gilmour (bass)
Daf Williams (guitar)
Review
Night Wolf is the new album from UK Doom/Sludge Metal legends Raging Speedhorn and sees Dan Cook establishing himself as the co-lead vocalist after John Loughlin left the band. Daf Williams makes his first album appearance with the band since joining back in 2022. Other than that, it’s business than usual from the iconic band with their seventh album being their catchiest, aggressive, riff-centric and testosterone fuelled record in years.
Night Wolf only lasts thirty three minutes but the album contains a great blend of Sludge, Doom, Stoner, Psych and Speed Metal grooves that has seen the band be mainstays of the UK for the best part of twenty five years. The record does have it’s fair share of Hardocre and Blackened Metal based moments but that’s outpaced by the sublime and non-stop Sludge/Southern Metal energy that has served the band brilliantly well over the years.
There’s a “PARTY” type atmosphere going on with the record with Raging Speedhorn keeping up the “DESTRUCTIVE” and “PISSED OFF” quality of Heavy Metal life on tracks such as Blood Red Sky, Buzz Killa and The Blood Code. With sounds having a passing resemblance to bands such as QOTSA, MOTORHEAD, MASTODON and CLUTCH with this still being Raging Speedhorn’s show.
The vocals from Frank Regan and Dan Cook work brilliantly well together with different styles having a different approach to each other whilst keeping up with their DESTRUCTIVE and MUSCULAR appearances. There’s some fantastic Psychedelic melodies appearing out of nowhere which gives the album a refreshing modern day sound with Raging Speedhorn still keeping with their trademark vintage HEAVY METAL sound.
The Groove Metal aspect of the album is quite melodic without losing the “HARDCORE” or “HARSH” focus of that sound. The lyrics are quite playful and menacing at the same time. Look at the amazing album cover drawn by Dominic Sohor which gives a cool insight on what to expect on the album. The record lives and breathes from the 1980’s and 1990’s Heavy Metal scenes with a killer modern day sound that develops at it’s own pace on tracks such as: Can’t Stop, Every Night’s Alright For Fighting, Night Wolf and Dead Men Can’t Dance being the other standout tracks on the record.
Can’t Stop has some wonderful beatdowns and breakdowns that feels like from the NU METAL scene but with the right HEAVY METAL attitude appearing from all angles. Night Wolf comes across like a Heavy Metal Festival MOSHPIT in full on party mode with a collection of absolute bangers that have a demented and violent Stadium Rock sensibility from start to finish. This is RAGING SPEEDHORN at their most charismatic best unleashing a torrent of heavy Doom/Sludge Metal grooves that once again solidifies their reputation as one of the true greats from the UK Heavy Metal scene.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Polymath PR for the promo.
Night Wolf will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Spinefarm Records from Friday 07th March 2025.
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