Celebrating 20 years of Raging Speedhorn
Written by TotalRocker on October 13, 2018
Raging Speedhorn hit us hard on 6th October 2018 to celebrate their 20-year career by regrouping with their original line up for a special one-off reunion show at the Electric Ballroom, London. Say a prayer and have a beer as Crowbar, Charger and Scurge join tonight’s mayhem.
We missed tonight’s early opener Scurge who sadly played their last gig before disbanding to pursue alternative avenues. We almost missed Stoke-On-Trent’s sludgers Charger. Despite the early set time they played to an ample crowd. Frank Regan‘s vocals created a raging vibe from the onset. The tired-looking Regan certainly warmed up the rowdy crowd and delivered an energetic live performance.
After the utter carnage they caused at the Blackheart recently during a secret intimate gig, I made it my task to catch the pioneers of sludge metal in action. Crowbar made their low key entrance on stage and without delay the Louisiana sludge veterans launched straight into their set with fan favourites “Behind the Black Horizon” and “To Build a Mountain”.
The short, punchy set seemed rushed most likely because of the early curfew and with so many bands on the bill. The mixture of
doom and sludge featuring monstrous drumming and melodic guitars could take anyone into another dimension.
Frontman Kirk Windstein‘s gritty howl still remains strong and his energy was undeniable. The band never lost momentum as Windstein knew how to get a reaction from the fans as they roared with every song and partied in the pit.
Finally, the band that everyone came to see Raging Speedhorn. The kings of sludge destroyed the stage with their aggressive, heavy sound. They ploughed straight into “Deathrow Dogs.” The sextet bounced around on stage that was too small for such big personalities. The unfiltered performance saw John Loughlin and Frank Regan (Charger) share vocal duties. They impacted the crowd with harsh screams and shouted vocals.
Guitarists Gareth Smith and Tony Loughlin laid out abrasive licks which were skillfully filled with Darren Smith‘s thick bass lines.
“Thumper” went down immensely as the audience was enthralled in one big pit party. Loughlin howled “I want to see carnage!” And that’s exactly what we witnessed. The pit was dangerous, full of dips, trips, constant flow of beer showers and a boatload of moshers and crowd surfers.
With 20 years under their belt, songs needed little introduction. Fans went wild when “The Gush” was introduced. The high energy performance fueled by the intensity displayed by drummer Gordon Morrison created a frenzied atmosphere. The legion of fans chanted “Raging f***ing Speedhorn” as the band slowed things down with “Heartbreaker” before finishing their destructive set with the anthem “Highwhore.”
Our aural receptors were completely bludgeoned and personal space violated tonight as Raging Speedhorn took the Electric Ballroom by storm. The unforgettable live show with support from Crowbar, Charger and Scurge was the only way to celebrate two decades of RSH.
Written by Nadira Cee
Photography by Fernando Bonenfant
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