Vila Franca de Xira is the exotic sounding hometown of Portugal based foursome SPEEDEMON. The band name itself says it already; they play a style of aggressive Speed Metal, spiced with some Thrash and Heavy metal influences. Formed in 2011 and having released a couple of singles through the years, they have now come out with a debut EP called "First Blood".

The first impression you get is that they don't play around; they immediately get off to a very fast and speedy start with the first song, called "Feeding The Storm", with a cool guitar riff, and then another one, even before the vocals come in. A great warming up round for what is yet to come. Singer Bruno Brutus doesn't know the meaning of the term 'holding back' either, not to mention the enthusiasm of drummer Luis Meco. They finish with a very Speed Trash sounding guitar solo.

Without getting a chance to breath they follow up with "Messenger of God", with an equally fast and breathtaking intro guitar riff. By then you know what to expect from this band, and they deliver it as well. With "Blood Runs Cold" they keep going the way they started, and no doubt the way they'll finish as well. Nothing groundbreaking going on here, but they do grip you by the throat and don't let you go until a couple of minutes after the last song, "Road To Madness" is finished.

In the end there's not much left to say about this band. Speed, aggressiveness, brutal singing and piercing guitar riffs and solos are what SPEEDEMON is all about. Before you know it, the EP is over, and you'll be so much in the mood that you'll want to play it again immediately after it ends, just to be able to take it in a little better.
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