Croatian true metallers Speedclaw premiere the new video „Allnighter“ at the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWOTHM) YouTube channel. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s debut album, Stardust, set for international release on November 14th via Dying Victims Productions: Speedclaw – Allnighter (Official Video)
Speedclaw are a Croatian metal band that have been delivering raw heavy metal since 2015. First came the aptly titled Iron Speed EP in 2016, and the Beast in the Mist EP followed the next year. Between the two short-lengths, Speedclaw wielded exuberant-yet-reverent steel of early ‘80s vintage, an era when the NWOBHM was in full steam and speed metal was in its nascent days. The uptick in professionalism and POWER from one EP to the next certainly heightened expectations for what the Croatians could do on a full-length.
At last here, Stardust is that full-length, and Speedclaw show everything – and MORE – they’re capable of. Taking all the electricity and excitement of those two EPs and amplifying ‘em with a certain starpower, Stardust is indeed aptly titled. That aforementioned uptick in power & professionalism play out to its fullest extent across this eight-song / 33-minute stick of dynamite, all whilst retaining Speedclaw’s early edge. Stardust is actually a semi-conceptual album: four of the eight tracks are thematically connected, forming a narrative, while the remaining songs stand independently. The conceptual “Night Side” features four songs that tell a story inspired by the band’s life on the road and everything that comes with it.
Keeping their original sound but just ramping it up – truly, you can imagine the band slaying huge stages to this – on Stardust do Speedclaw dependably deliver melodic, bursting-at-the-seams riffs and an authentically old-school flair, still heavily rooted in classic heavy metal traditions but with a raw edge that reflects their own identity. Just clear enough, never overdriven by crunch, and with an ancient earthiness, Stardust was recorded at the GIS studio in Croatia by none other than Let 3’s Matej Zec, a well-established Croatian musician. Mixing and mastering were done by Enforcer’s Olof Wikstrand, who also makes an appearance on one of the songs on the album. Get showered in Stardust and prepare to be ensnared by Speedclaw!
