Speedfreaks
Out For Kicks
4.6
Speedfreaks has been around since 1998, however, the release of Out For Kicks marks the first full-length effort from these Gothenburg rockers. They’ve had a slew of splits and compilation appearances, however this is my first exposure to the quartet’s brand of bar-friendly hard rock. Much like melodic black metal isn’t what comes to mind when I think of the southern California scene, I don’t typically think of bar rock when I think of the Gothenburg music scene, and although The Funeral Pyre had me fairly convinced of the former, Speedfreaks are much less convincing of the latter.
Out For Kicks is a mixed bag of various rock and roll styles that, instead of sounding diverse, comes off as a bit indiscriminate. There are bits and pieces of seemingly everything, including garage rock, grunge, southern rock and a bit of a stoner influence without any overextended jamming, while vocalist Tomas Modig does a spot-on impersonation of The Cult’s Ian Astbury; I’ll let you decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. The songwriting herein isn’t horrible per se, but is lackluster for the most part, although the nifty soloing in “Violent Breed” and the high-energy riffing of “Money?” are notable exceptions.
If you’re looking for a modern, high-octane rock and roll killing machine, I’d stick with Clutch’s most recent effort. If you’re looking for something to merely pound some beers to with your friends and rock out a little in the process, Out For Kicks is adequate but nothing too special.
