• Toxic Holocaust — An Overdose Of Death (Relapse)
• Cursed — III: Architects Of Troubled Sleep (Goodfellow)
• Lords — Fuck All Y'All Motherfuckers (Metal Blade)
• Arson Anthem — Arson Anthem (Housecore)
• Fuck the Facts — Disgorge Mexico (Relapse)
• Motorhead — Motorizer (Steamhammer/SPV)
• Iron Giant — Creator Of Scars (Diminished Fifth)
• Voetsek — Infernal Command (Selfmadegod)
• KEN mode — Mennonite (Arctodus)
• Ramming Speed — Brainwreck (TDB Records)
http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/music/music-features/forged-in-metal-3111/
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METAL HAMMER - Incoming:
"The Most Explosive Bands You'll Hear This Month"

THRASHING SPEED
Ramming Speed: The Real Thrash Revival Arrives!

Boston's
Ramming Speed have just released their Brainwreck album on TDB Records.
For anyone who has yet to have their love of real speed and real
aggression sated by the thrash revival, this quintet bring a fuck-off
great raft of pile-driver thrash, chock to the gills with bleed-speed
riffs, sledgehammer heaviness and lyrical dystopia. Oh, and the band were also arrested at gunpoint for suspected kidnapping!
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Exclaim! Canada's Music Authority
By Keith Carman

Municipal Waste are heralded as heroes of thrash's recent resurgence due to their D.R.I.-meets-Nuclear Assault onslaught. However, Ramming Speed may very well usurp the kings thanks to the sheer brutality and assault of debut full-length Brainwreck. With its thrash riffing, crustcore blast beats and death metal gurgling (circa Entombed's Left Hand Path), it's a veritable cesspool of extremities fornicating in their own filth and vomit. And just when it seems as if they couldn't become any more disgustingly brutal, a wave of Black Flag-ish hardcore washes over the sullen mess with epic chant-along choruses. Naturally a few solos pilfered from Cryptic Slaughter meander their way into the fold, rendering Brainwreck a pretty descriptive title. It's redeeming to see this whole gutter-swine element coming back into the world of heavy metal/crossover and with these 13 tracks of overbearing cacophony ("Shane Embury Is The Brad Pitt Of Grindcore" is brilliant in title alone), Ramming Speed deserve to lead the charge. (TDBR)

http://www.exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid1=127&csid2=846&fid1=34273
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Lambgoat.com
By: Nick

Boston's Ramming Speed has it all figured out. Right in the face of what many have labeled as a thrash revival, these five dudes from Boston compacted a few decades of metal, grindcore, and punk influences into a half hour of highly energetic and entertaining classic thrash worship. So what's the trick to rising above other bands when a style of music is enjoying a swell of popularity within the metal community? It's simple: just prove that you love it more than anyone else. And thanks to this product of the thriving Boston DIY scene, listeners will be hard-pressed to find another band more enthusiastic about every corner of the thrash, grindcore, and punk genres.

First there are the hearty helpings of Bay Area Thrash in the lead off one-two punch of "Speed Trials" and "The Threat." And then there's the Slayer-esque dive-bomb soloing in "Immigrant Song." Forefathers of grindcore Napalm Death get a well-earned nod in "Shane Embury Is the Brad Pitt of Grindcore," a sub-minute track packed with all of the grind riffs, blasts, and vocal styles that made the UK act so revolutionary. Tack on some slight crust punk influences in jams like "A Modern Myth" and "Political Party" and Ramming Speed has the gamut thoroughly covered. Hell, even the classic NWOBHM touches of the closer, "Heavy Metal Thunder," offer yet one more entertaining (and slightly humorous) peek into metal's past.

Brainwreck is simply a crash course in metal history that begs listeners to circle-pit with beer can in hand. Not a single one of Ramming Speed's songwriting elements is difficult to trace back its origin, but it's the fluidity and the precision with which the band executes this smorgasbord that make it hard not to love. It's the perfect blend of thrash knowledge, punk aesthetics, and light-hearted enthusiasm.

Bottom Line: Fans of classic acts like Napalm Death, Slayer, Discharge, and Testament and time-tested activities like eating pizza and drinking beer will find a lot of good times in Ramming Speed's amalgam of thrash, grindcore, and punk. If you're going to revive old musical styles and pay homage to the classics, you better make it feel authentic and you better make it entertaining. And luckily, Ramming Speed has done just that.

http://www.lambgoat.com/albums/view.aspx?id=2668
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By Jay Snyder - Hellridemusic.com
March 18, 2009

What
do you get when you toss DRI, early Metallica, Slayer, Bones Brigade,
Discharge, Motorhead and Napalm Death into a blender and watch the
contents grind into a bloody pulp? You get the modern, punk thrash
madness of Boston’s Ramming Speed and their introductory opus
Brainwreck, that’s what you get!

Ripping through 13 tracks, in
less than a half-hour the psychos in Ramming Speed get their kicks on
dueling, twin guitar runs, crusty circle-pit shred and grating,
mid-range throat abuse.
If you’re not into the fast stuff, this is absolutely not your trip and
you better get the hell out of the way, or get mowed down fast!

Tearing
innards with the opening salvo of, “Speed Trials”, “The Threat…” and
“Lazer Assault”; the band barely gives you a chance to catch a breath.
Punk vitriol explodes in the punchy, up-tempo riff runs, but the
blazing, rocked out solos and slaughtering dual licks call to mind the
greatest thrash of days gone by. The band’s propulsive brick-..in-the-face approach even locks down hard on a Motorhead-..esque boogie, full of grit but nonetheless catchy and addictive.

Loosening
up on the steam, tracks like “All in All” and the trudging “Sound the
Alarm” clutches firmly in hand, a decidedly sloth-y, more forceful riff
mongery while closer “Heavy Metal Thunder” strips away a touch of the
aggression and sounds remarkably like a pissed-off thrash version of
Priest or Iron Maiden…it’s got a demonic bite but pours on the vintage
guitar shred by the bucketful.

Picking
out essential tracks on this one is a bit useless, as the flow remains
consistent throughout and one tune doesn’t vary much in the context of
the next. Most everything grabs onto a blood-drenched fury and sticks
with it till the bitter end, leaving the soft stuff for all you easy
listeners out there. This is thrash…plain n’ simple with a crust/grind
undercurrent lurking beneath the skin and if that sounds good to you
(you know who you are), you’re gonna love this shit. Nothing else to be
said, a track by track analysis would be pretty boring here, so I’ll
leave it at that. Well-worth a listen for all you speed freaks out there!

Visit the Teenage Disco Bloodbath Records website at www...tdbrecords.com

http:../../..www...hellridemusic...com/..forum/..showthread...php?p=343162
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Metalunderground.com
There are a lot of adjectives used to describe thrash metal - fast, loud, and brutal come to mind most often. Two that don't often show up, at least not together, are funny and clever. Not since Scatterbrain scattered, have I heard a metal album that mixed humor, intelligence and whiplash thrash together as well as Ramming Speed's "Brainwreck."

In the same way S.O.D.'s "Speak English Or Die" tickled my funny bone while breaking my neck back in the day, "Brainwreck" had me smiling from the moment I saw that the first song was appropriately called "Speed Trials."

Even thrash's biggest fans have to admit there's something gloriously absurd about playing everything at breakneck speed, and that absurdity is gleefully reflected in the words of "Shane Embury is the Brad Pitt of Grindcore," in which lead vocalist Pete "Za" Gallagher sings, "Your calluses rip as your fingers are set ablaze. The riffs speed past like the ghosts of hell."

It isn't all fun and games in the lyrics, though, as Gallagher sings that "no man deserves to fight for a country that doesn't give a fuck if he lives or dies," in "All in
All."

The best song on the album, both lyrically and instrumentally, is "Political Party," which
decries the apathy of many in the metal community, with Gallagher screaming that "just because I'm a thrasher shouldn't be an excuse to ignore the problems of the world." At the same time, he turns the song's title into a pun, pointing out that "brews don't contradict my beliefs."

Gallagher blends death metal growls with punk rock shouts in ways that, though they're not exactly melodic, complement the carefully controlled chaos the rest of the band lays down. Listeners will be amazed at the density of these songs, five of which aren't even two minutes long.

Guitarists Ricky Zampa and Kallen Bliss, bassist Derek Cloonan, and drummer Jonah Livingston are to be commended for their ability to cram riffs, solos and time changes into such small packages without making them seem awkward.

The only time the album slows down just a smidgen is on the last track, "Heavy Metal
Thunder," which is a little over five and a half minutes long. But hey, any tune that
references a line from "Born To Be Wild" while also conjuring images of Norse thunder god Thor by way of Marvel Comics is still OK in my book. One thing I particularly enjoyed is the way each song leads into the next, with no breathing room between them. It definitely leads to a sense of the album being a cohesive whole.

In "Brainwreck," the members of Ramming Speed have created a modern-day thrash masterpiece with a wicked sense of humor. The only real quibble I have with this album is that I wanted it to go on longer than its 29 minutes.

Highs: The party anthem with a message, "Political Party;" the humorous lyrics of
"Shane Embury is the Brad Pitt of Grindcore."

Lows: The album's a bit on the short side.

Bottom line: One of the best, and most humorous hardcore thrash albums since S.O.D. told us to "Speak English Or Die."

4 1/2 SKULLS OUT OF 5 - Near Perfection. (An instant classic with some minor imperfections)

http://www.metalunderground.com/reviews/details.cfm?releaseid=1876

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Liveformetal.com
By: James Young

    Ramming Speed are an appropriately named crossover thrash band from Boston, and at a time when the thrash genre is flourishing, it's easy to overlook such an underground band. Do this at your peril however, because this is one of the better acts out there - the band mixes thrash, punk, hardcore, grind, and even NWOBHM to create a sound which honours their predecessors without recycling old riffs and ideas. The clean production and dare I say 'fun' vibe you get from this album strikes one as a more mature Municipal Waste; Pete Gallagher's vocals are your standard shouted fare, but the breakneck drumming and riffs are where this band truly comes into its own. Jonah Livingstone lays waste to his drum kit in true thrash style, with heaps of attitude, and even blasting when necessary, whilst Ricky Zampa and Kallen Bliss leave their fret boards smoking with some headbanging hooks and highly competent solos. Whilst some crossover thrash bands have quite empty and talentless solos which owe more to the punk scene, Ramming Speed opt for the more classically influenced route, which comes across as a mixture of Slayer and Judas Priest.

This album storms by in under half an hour (although it would take other bands much longer to play), and some of the tracks, such as the opening duo, 'Speed Trials' and 'The Threat…' are similar to S.O.D. in their blistering pace, but such a comparison would only be telling half the story. Some of the crustier tracks such as 'Arrested Development' incorporate blast beats and screams which resemble the grinding likes of Napalm Death. And if you need more convincing, we have the ridiculously titled 'Shane Embury Is The Brad Pitt Of Grindcore', which pays homage to our very own grindcore legend, fusing guttural grunts and screams with some skull-crushing riffs, and staying loyal to the genre by clocking in at less than a minute. Other songs such as 'Lazer Assault' and 'Man Vs. Machine' sound like Saxon on speed, whereas the five minute closer 'Heavy Metal Thunder' lives up to its name with some true NWOBHM riffs.

It's one hell of an accomplishment for a band to remain loyal to so many genres whilst forging a unique sound throughout. It only remains for you to don your denim jacket, get this album, crank it up all the way, and rock out until you see double. Say hello to Ramming Speed and goodbye to your brain cells!

http://www.live4metal.com/reviews-681.htm

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Jeff Karbow
Siczine.com

Boston's Ramming Speed is a new band which formed in 2007 but in that
short time that have been able to play over 130 shows and have even
appeared on that Beach Patrol show that's on Tru TV while also finding
time to put out the "Full Speed Ahead" 7" and time to record their
debut full length. Pretty impressive.

Of course you know that thrash metal has seen a revival over
the last couple of years (no shit right?) but it is a shame a lot of
bands get brushed to their side for their lack of originality but fuck
man if you can play the style good it shouldn't matter. While it is
obvious that these guys love the shit out of Napalm Death (which you
could easily tell by the homage they pay to Shane Embury, bassist of
Napalm Death in "Shane Embury Is The Brad Pitt of Grindcore"), COC,
Testament, DRI, Cryptic Slaughter, etc., it also becomes apparent that
these guys get down with a lot of shit like Tragedy, His Hero Is Gone,
and Poison Idea. So throughout the CD you get a good sampling of
straight thrash, crust, grind and punk.

While shredding through the 13 tracks the guys implement
various techniques of the aforementioned genres. The first two songs
"Speed Trials" & "The Threat" are something you would've expected
to hear come out of the Bay Area in '83. Napalm Death would be proud
listening to the :56 seconds that is "Shane Embury Is The Brad Pitt of
Grindcore" which sees the Ramming Speed dudes taking on the style of the grind genre. "Heavy Metal Thunder" sounds like it would fit right in at a Diamond
Head show in Britain in the late 70's. And tucked throughout several
parts of the album are various crust punk elements.

While I love the nonsensical lyrical approach of many of the so
called thrash revival bands I do like to see a metal band touch on some
more serious topics now and then and surprisingly these guys are able
to have a serious thought while still being able to maintain their
sense of humor and love for beer and circle pits. Alongside a hilarious
track like "Lazer Assault" which is about a lawyer that slays zombies
with his razor sharp documents are songs about the racism that persists
in this country despite the fact that equality is preached ("Bogus
Facade"), the ignorant attitude of many Americans towards our brothers
in the South ("Immigrant Song") and trying to reach out to their metal
brothers to let them know they can thrash and party and still be
involved with things like politics and world affairs ("Political
Party")

The album comes housed in a slick and glossy 6 panel digipack
that has both eye catching colors and illustrations. The neon green
text over the black is sure easy on the eyes that's for sure. And you
definitely won't have any problems picking this out of your CD
collection.

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Scenepointblank.com

Boston-based Ramming Speed burst onto the scene with their debut 7” in
2007. The EP followed suit of the crossover/thrash revival that had
recently begun to sweep our nation. But don't write these fellows of as
a knockoff, Ramming Speed is the real deal and the thirteen songs found
on Brainwreck are evidence of just that.

“Speed Trials”
kickstarts the album in fitting fashion. Aggressive drumming, slaying
guitars, and spitting vocals provide the perfect accompaniment to
lyrics that speak to what drives the band to thrash for a living. “The
Threat…” follows and rages just as hard. The band continues to exhibit
their influences through the album as they blast through cut after cut
of headbanging goodness. There are moments that are directed towards
classic metal - “Heavy Metal Thunder” - while others tackle the modern
style of hardcore - “Political Party.” It's a nice mix of sounds that
allows the band to not be pinned as novelty act, instead they offer
reference points for fans to branch out and investigate the music that
inspired them: Slayer, Exodus, Napalm Death, Black Flag.

Lyrically, vocalist Pete “Za” Gallagher hits on topics all across the board. Sure,
there are the traditional party anthems that are often associated with
thrash bands. But in addition, there are songs about our government's
political decision-making, technology dumming down our society, and
religious differences. It's a welcome change to have such diverse
lyrical coverage.

One thing that I am particularly amped about is the artwork, design, and layout of the packing. The artwork of Will “Inkwolf” Towles is spectacular and definitely matches the intensity delivered by the band on the recording. The layout is cool, the use of
the art works well throughout. Plus, I just think digipack cases are
cool.

Bottom-line is this: if you're a headbanging thrasher, old
school metalhead, or a skateboardin' punk then you should definitely
pick this record up. It's screams classic 80's crossover, but it's also
modern enough to enthuse anyone into the current heavy metal scene.
http://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/2326
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Corazine.com

Ramming Speed. A moniker fit for a band that's played its first gig two
years ago; that had to face Murphy's Law numerous times on tour (from a
van breakdown in the middle of the desert to an arrest at gun point);
and that is now up to its second release. Their first album was more
about fun, now these guys are pissed off (see their tour experiences).
If we have to call Ramming Speed one thing, it'd be "thrash metal". The
production itself combines a clean sound with an old school rawness -
the leads are sneering and the drums sound very "acoustic". After a few
songs I already knew that musically, from vocals to drums, you wouldn't
have to suffer any common flaws. Sure, Ramming Speed are pissed off,
but they control their rage perfectly and channel it straight at us.

It's worth noticing that the band draws from more than a thrash metal
legacy, too. More than once, you'll find yourself recognizing
typicalities of genres like crust, punk, hardcore or grind. Ramming
Speed seem to have a talent for playing around like this - at least
they make it sound so natural. Unless you got a stiff neck, you'll find
it almost impossible to hold still - there's not a single song you'll
escape from. Finally I'd like to say that their moniker is pretty
reliable, as far as its meaning goes. Breakdowns aren't really
considered on this album; a solid mid-tempo is the slowest beat you're
bound to find. From time to time, the songs are racing with a frantic,
thrashy speed; I almost felt the adrenaline flowing from the best ones.
Or to summarize: short but powerful.
http://www.corazine.com/articles/r/ramming-speed/reviews/brainwreck.aspx
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Hanging Like a Hex
By: Ryan Hex

This sounds like it came out in 1989 and shared studio time with Exodus. When these Boston heshers/ thrashers played here they all had high tops, smelled like beer and B.O., all had long smelly hair, and had pointy guitars with whammy bars. They were pretty much the real deal. Where their last seven inch sort of sounded like they were getting their feet wet and didn't have much to say aside from loving pizza and thrashing it appears Ramming Speed have a little bit more going on with "Brainwreck". Sure, it's all in good fun at the end, but there's a number of social issues raised concerning coercing the public with fear, immigrant rights, and confronting apathy. On the other hand, you also get songs with titles like, "Shane Embury Is the Brad Pitt Of Grindcore" and "Heavy Metal Thunder" (which sounds exactly like what you'd think it sounds like... Judas Priest and Iron Maiden would be proud). All in all, pretty good circle-pitting fun. (Teenage Disco Bloodbath, www.tdbrecords.com)

http://hanginghex.blogspot.com/2008/09/ok-lets-try-this-now.html

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Feast of Hate and Fear

RAMMING SPEED - Brainwreck CD (Teenage Disco Bloodbath) Like the Cross Examination debut last year, this CD couldn't have come by at a better time. Lately, I've spun to death all my D.R.I. and Cryptic Slaughter albums, so this has been one of my current faves. Late 80s thrash ala M.O.D. / S.O.D., Cryptic Slaughter, or Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, with a touch of grindcore and crustcore thrown in for total mayhem. This Boston madhouse feature ex-members of Backstabbers Inc, Inheritance and Cyanide Breed, formed in late 1996, released a 7" EP (Full Speed Ahead also on Teenage Disco Bloodbath Records), and have toured the US leaving behind many a strange tale to tell (arrests for suspected kidnapping!), besides leveling unsuspecting mosh pits. At times Brainwreck sounds off like an awesome throwback to early American thrash, other times they remind me of a more frantic Napalm Death. The lyrics are a blast, and while the standard fare is here (dickhead ex-friends, politics, etc), there are plenty of weird ones involving zombies, great guitarists and Thor's hammer - though not all in the same song. The disc is presented in its deserving manner, as a stylish foldout digipack whose color scheme will catch the eye almost as quick as the band catches the ear. If this five-piece doesn't get your ear, trust me... they'll rip it off your pretty little head. (Aug 13, 2008)

http://feastofhateandfear.com/reviews.html
(Around since 96? haha..)

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Cosmic Lava (Germany)

Boston's RAMMING SPEED will be a new highlight for all those, who love the good old thrash metal of the 1980's. Maybe some of you already know the band from their first release in 2007, the 'Full Speed Ahead' 7" EP, that was also released through TDB Records. Now it's one year later and 'Brainwreck' is the band's first full-length, which delivers a ripping blend of thrash, hardcore punk and classic heavy metal. All included thirteen cuts are filled with a lot of variety, aggression and passion so that the album is pure ear-candy from the beginning 'til the end. This is powerful stuff through and through with no fillers. The band is tight as hell, and they sound as if they would be together since the mid-90's. RAMMING SPEED has a keen sense for writing catchy songs with a lot of hooks, no matter if they are underway with neckbreaking speed or if they slow down. The production on this album is raw and filthy, while all instruments still sounding crunchy enough. For my taste it's perfect. When I listen to music like this I don't want no sterile and overly produced album. Even the vocals are top notch for this kind of music. 'Heavy Metal Thunder' is a tribute to bands like Sweet Savage, Blitzkrieg or Diamond Head while song titles like 'Shane Embury Is the Brad Pitt of Grindcore' prove that RAMMING SPEED don't take everything so serious. Enough said, it's time to grab another cold beer. Meanwhile all of you thrashers out there should get a copy of 'Brainwreck', especially if you dig bands like Sacred Reich, Nuclear Assault, Exodus, or The Accused.
(KK)
http://www.cosmiclava.com/reviews-interviews/record-reviews/records-qr/ramming-speed-brainwreck-cd/

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"Cool dudes who play legitimate long hair thrash metal w/a partying attitude. I think they'd go well with CROSS EXAMINATHION from St. Louis." - Beatsheet. Vol 3 (Matt BREEN! SICK!)