Label: Vicious Witch Records
Genre: Black/Speed Metal
Length: 16:20
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They hail from Romania, a country I'm particularly fond of although my memories of its metal scene are brief... but striking. Leather Brigade are a black/speed metal band founded in 2020, who released their first and only EP to date, Pray to the Knife, in 2023 via the Mancunian label Vicious Witch Records, in both CD and digital formats. Right from the cover, this record instantly drew me back into the nostalgia of old speed and thrash metal album artworks.
Pray to the Knife features 5 tracks totalling 16 minutes and 20 seconds. The artistic direction is straightforward: fast, sharp black/speed metal with a strong punk attitude. The whole thing exudes a raw, furious energy. The guitars are razor-sharp and fast, the drums pound relentlessly, and the vocals are screeching, possessed, filled with authentic anger. The solos are hard-hitting and well-felt, and the old school influences are omnipresent, with recurring tempo changes that energise the listening experience. The backing vocals, in a more punkish style, reinforce this savage soundscape.
The themes dealt with? Drugs, alcohol and sex. Nothing too shocking nowadays, but the band manages to evoke these subjects with an intensity that recalls the days when talking about sex or Satan could still disturb people's minds. Leather Brigade succeeds in reviving the provocative carefree spirit of the 80s.
Among the EP's highlights is the vocal performance on Alcoholic Night at 2:21, followed by an attention-catching solo. On title track Pray to the Knife, the track kicks off with a heavy, headbanging riff, before a more raw and savage change of pace at 1:00. At 1:48, the drums kick in and propel the song into a frantic guitar solo. Mistress of Hell is a must: its frenetic rhythm and majestic solo from 1:06 make it a real standout. I Am the Night evokes typical 80s songwriting, with vocals reminiscent of first-wave black metal bands, particularly from 2:21 onwards. Finally, Sex with Satan closes the EP in apotheosis, with a relentless instrumental outburst from start to finish, and a vocal that's as endless as ever.
An excellent debut from Leather Brigade, showing that Romania too has some very convincing representatives on the black/speed scene. A name to keep an eye on for all fans of uncompromising metal.