Speedkiller – Midnight Vampire (Castlevania Blackened Death Metal)
Yeaaaahhhh get it. You ready for some Vampire: The Masquerade mattafakkas? You’ve got to be careful of vampire stuff, and this is coming from someone who teaches a course on vampires, so like, I know. Vampire aesthetic is of polar opposites: totally cool or totally drool. The cool variety often carries that 18th century feel, as you see above. I’m talking puffy shirt cuffs, sweeping capes, and most definitely a frilly cravat. That’s right, I’m full-on Castlevania life folks, and if you can’t ride that action whilst swapping into your riding habit before a jaunt, I don’t want to hear you talking that metal shit. Brazil’s Speedkiller, who rise from a history of blackened evil, are going that cool vampire route with Midnight Vampire.
Midnight Vampire looked full drool before I popped it in. I’m telling you, that art by Jean Nightbreäker is representative of one direction or the other, there’s simply no middle ground. Thankfully, Speedkiller have tradition behind them that’s crafted into a sinister speedrun of under thirty minutes. This is the kind of stuff you’ve got on loop while switching into the inverted castle in Symphony of the Night, and man it slams for that. If you understand what these guys are doing, the sound is perfect for it. Just remember, the frills and chills come with a certain aesthetic, and here it works in Speedkiller’s favor. Beyond that, we’ll see, but it’s definitely a fine opener for a band with only two tracks to their name before this. Let’s see if they can rock that 18th century shit beyond this moment, or if they have something else in mind.
Speedkiller – Midnight Vampire
Edged Circle Productions, Helldprod Records
Cover Art: Jean Nightbreäker
4.1 / 5
