A staple on the UK Metal scene for over two decades, Night Wolf sees the Corby beasts Raging Speedhorn roaring back full frontal. I have seen this band absolutely destroy venues over the years, and I have also witnessed their chaotic carnage when they allowed themselves to live fully up to their image. Sadly, they came out of that one looking rather pathetic.
Raging Speedhorn – Night Wolf (Spinefarm)
Release Date: 6 March 2025
Words: Paul Hutchings
Putting the chaos and tough living lifestyle aside for one minute, though, it is their seventh album that I am here to consider and their first release since 2020’s Hard to Kill. I will be honest. Raging Speedhorn is not a go-to band for me.
So, it is something of a surprise that I find myself grooving along to the tracks here, from the opening bars of Blood Red Sky. If Raging Speedhorn was a drug, they would be crack cocaine, for their groove and drive is dangerously addictive, even if you swear that you will never do it. The band’s hooks are so big that it’s impossible not to be singing along by the second play. 
At 34 minutes, the ten tracks just fly by. No fluff, definitely no ballads, just heads down Heavy Metal with that traditional Crossover edge more of an acknowledgement than a key player these days.
Yet, it is the aesthetic of the whole scene that they dragged themselves up alongside that remains, with the dual vocals of Frank Regan and Daniel Cook as visceral as ever. Their aggressive style is, of course, perfectly suited to the thick bass lines and sprawling riffs that form the deep, underlying groove that Raging Speedhorn play.
Switching from punky undertones to sludgier / stoner styles, I think that every Metal fan could draw something from this album. Whether it’s the raging Every Night’s All Right For Fighting, the sludgy Dead Men Can’t Dance, or the feral Buzz Killa, the savageness of Speedhorn shines through.
The riff is king throughout Speedhorn’s music, and that is no different here. The dual guitars of James Palmer and Daf Williams rumble like chainsaws throughout. The title track and the piledriving DOA both continue the crushing themes and conjure up memories of frantic, explosive gigs in sweaty clubs where bodies piled up and slammed with real violence.
At times, this animal simply roars with a passion born out of nearly 30 years on the road, and whilst Raging Speedhorn’s latest line-up is relatively new, there is a confidence that inevitably borders on arrogance here.
I cannot fault the sheer power of the album, from DOA to Every Night’s All Right For Fighting. It’s ferocious and bruising and brings the band back into the spotlight.
With a UK tour coming up in March, there may be no better time to catch this UK institution in their natural environment.
Just take a crash helmet, for even 27 years after their formation, Raging Speedhorn still take no prisoners. Night Wolf can be pre-ordered from here.
Every Night’s Alright For Fighting
“We all love the late ’80s/’90s wrestling era (the Golden age) and this is a video we have wanted to film for a long time. Finally, we wrote Every Night’s Alright For Fighting and we knew this was the song straight away to pay homage to some of our childhood heroes of the squared circle.
“The song itself embraces the more classic Speedhorn sound, and we’re stoked to finally release our tongue-in-cheek tribute to the masses. We hope you all like it! Oooooh Yeahhhh!”
