I’d be lying if I said I was an expert in the field of Colombian metal. What I do know is what I’ve heard from this South American country I’ve enjoyed A LOT (Shoutout to those maniacs in Witchtrap!). Maybe it’s the political unrest. Maybe it’s the tropical climate. Maybe it’s that grade A nose snow us Americans have literally killed each other over. Or maybe it’s a combination of all 3 and then some. Whatever it is, there’s something that pushes Colombian metal over the edge, and that “something” is all over today’s release.
Meet Reckless. No, not this one. Not that one either. Today’s Reckless in question is an up and coming quartet out of Colombia. Not gonna lie, when I first saw their name and logo, I assumed this album would be yet another semi-entertaining, mostly pedestrian entry in the never-ending NWOTHM rat race. Boy was I wrong. Reckless are full blown speed metal monsters. I’m sure the average traditional metaller will go gaga over this album. In the same breath, the aptly titled Sharp Magik Steel is guaranteed to blow the heads of your favorite NWOTHM band clean off.
Similar to fellow 21st century speed kings Vulture and Stälker, Reckless lays down their metal with lethal precision and zero compromise. This is made evident from the first few seconds of the ripping opener, “Kneel Before the Gods”. Breakneck guitars, nasty vocals, killer drum sounds (Those toms!): Yeah, this bad boy checks off ALL the speed metal boxes. Unrelenting speed is what this band deals in, and there’s no shortage of it on cuts like “Glittering Death”, “Neutralized”, and “Unholy Odyssey”. They so effortlessly fall into that “too extreme to be traditional, not moshy enough to be thrash” territory that few bands explore today.
When Reckless does explore other areas heaviness, it’s never outside of the confines of ’80s metal romanticism. The title track and “Wake Up Screaming” serve as midtempo palette cleansers, the former boasting a punkish motörcharged vibe while the latter sounds like Di’Anno era Maiden with the production values of Venom. Contrasting these moments of pseudo-traditionalism are mystical curios like “Crimson Obsession” and “Behind the Mist”: Eerie outbursts of power/speed from hell. If that description isn’t clear enough for you, think Jag Panzer or Armored Saint possessed by the spirit of black metal’s first wave. You have to hear it to believe it.
While I can go on for days praising Reckless’ ability to balance all things fast and heavy, I have to hand it to them first and foremost for creating an album of memorable songs. Sure, the core writing, musical, and production tropes are all things us headbangers are familiar with. Reckless manages to take said tropes and turn them into something fresh and ferocious. If I spun this album in between Exciter’s Heavy Metal Maniac (1983) and Venom’s Welcome to Hell (1981), it would just feel right. I better pick up a copy so I can do so sooner than later.
8 out of 10
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Genre: Speed Metal
For fans of: Vulture, Stälker, Cruel Force