Speed Limit - Cut a Long Story Short Review

Not a long ago, we covered Speed Limit’s EP “Hit the Wall” which left us with a great impression. It’s tittle track “Hit the Wall” was one of the most enthusiastic and exciting songs we had heard so far. The band maintains the same keep the faith attitude here in this album with energetic songs covering a ample part of Metal music history. To some extent, “Cut a Long Story Short” delivers a myriad of moods and atmospheres all of them inspired on the 1980’s. Sometimes, as in “The Lady Is on Fire,” it’s possible to feel some 1970’s influences. The ballad “The Wind Blew in a Memory” has also a 1970’s grip from UFO, for instance. The last part of “Cut a Long Story Short” is this EP with two re-recordings of “Ways and Means,” a 2019’s version, and “Head Over Heels” with seven new unreleased songs.

As I wrote in the last review, Speed Limit’s history is full of ups and downs, backs and forths and line-up changes. Of course, all of this compromises a band’s music and direction. It’s impossible to keep the same sonancy with all the changes. But, somehow, Speed Limit were able to do it. Interestingly, vocals are in charge of drummer Hannes Vordermayer. There are very few bands whose vocals are in charge of the drummer. By heart right now, I only remember Exciter. Out of Metal there is Genesis’ Phil Collins, but he soon left the drumming to do vocals only. It’s such a hard task to do both. By the way, the vocals are the thing that called my eye about the album. There is something that sounds a little off about them and I can’t tell what it is. Maybe the mixing. However, as each album has its own charm, I confess that this is the charm of this album.

Musicwise, as I aforementioned here “Cut a Long Story Short” pays a tribute to many bands from the 1970’s and the 1980’s. Kiss, as I wrote in the other review, are an influence that arises in tracks as “Hit the Wall” and “Destiny’s Calling” whose guitars follow the gentle and sweet spirit of the decade. I admit that this nostalgia present in the album is one of the things that attracted me the most. The pulsating atmosphere of the album is really something that might attract fans as well. There are high doses of adrenaline and energy here as album opener “Shine Brigther Than the Sun” delivers. The more melodic vocals is also a thing that contrasts with the immediate pounding giving the songs that treat of aggression and melody.

Still an album to nominate.

Speed Limit “Cut a Long Story Short” will be released on June 16th via NRT-Records.

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