I remember hearing Speedblow’s debut, ‘Fields of Doom’, back in 2010, which was surrounded by positive feedback, but then for some reason I lost their tracks. I am glad that I came upon their third full-length, ‘When Giants Walked the Earth’, especially given the fact that it’s a great effort.
In most sites Speedblow are being described as a stoner/doom band, but upon hearing the record I kept thinking that this label is pretty limiting, and probably doesn’t tell the whole story. The group has really integrated many influences in its sound, without losing in terms of identity or homogeneity. If there is one thing that stands apart, it’s the riffing throughout the album, that touches upon many subgenres. You will come across mid-tempo songs, fast parts, classic heavy metal moments, even welcomed calm bits such as the end of ‘Kingdom of Despair’. There is an analogy that came to mind during ‘Flames of Fear’, and it was with the evolution of Grand Magus; they started off as a doom band as well, but nowadays their style is so epic that it is hard for someone to only put them in that category.
Therefore, independently of your taste, ‘When Giants Walked the Earth’ is worth your time.
