RAGING SPEEDHORN Unleash Night Wolf - A Booze-Soaked Sludge Riot for the Ages

Raging Speedhorn are back, and there’s no better way to kick 2025 into gear than with Night Wolf—their seventh full-length album and a potent reminder that no amount of years, lineup shifts, or hangovers can keep these maniacs down. After five years of silence and with barely a warning shot fired, Corby’s most chaotic sons have kicked the door back down with a record that feels like a bar fight set to tape. Now signed to Spinefarm Records and bolstered by the addition of new guitarist Daf Williams, Speedhorn have delivered what might be one of the most fully realized albums of their career—equal parts riot, doom ritual, and dirty rock ‘n’ roll rager. Produced by longtime collaborator Russ Russell (Napalm Death, At The Gates), Night Wolf is a well-oiled wrecking ball with just enough surprises to keep the chaos interesting.

Right out the gate, “Blood Red Sky” doesn’t so much punch as it slowly lurks, letting shimmering cymbals and ominous feedback coil like a predator before it snaps your neck with a riff so nasty you’ll need a tetanus shot. The sludge and groove hit immediately, but rather than just clubbing you over the head, the band layers in subtle melodies beneath the carnage, setting the bar high for what’s to come.

“Buzz Killa” follows and wastes no time kicking up the tempo. It’s the sound of a pint glass shattering against a brick wall—raw, immediate, and groovy as hell. The gang vocal breakdown and “buzz kill” chant practically demand crowd participation, and you can already imagine this one detonating live.

Then there’s “The Blood Code,” which slows things down into a filthy, bass-heavy crawl, dripping in doom-soaked fuzz. Bassist Andy Gilmour earns his keep here with a tone so greasy it might slide right out of your speakers. From there, “Can’t Stop” delivers classic Speedhorn hardcore chaos—dual vocalists Frank Regan and Dan Cook spitting venom back and forth like old friends daring each other to scream louder.

But the real showstopper? “Every Night’s Alright for Fighting.” Nodding cheekily toward Elton John while sounding more like the theme tune to an apocalyptic bar brawl, it’s a riot-starting anthem tailor-made for circle pits and singalongs, capped off by a colossal, doomy breakdown that feels like the floor collapsing under your feet.

As if that wasn’t enough, the title track, “Night Wolf,” leans into swaggering hard rock territory, loaded with sleazy riffs and a chorus built to be bellowed by drunken masses. Then, “DOA” kicks the punk back into gear, raw and relentless, before “Comin’ In Hard” delivers the album’s most unexpected curveball—a rollicking piano line straight out of a Jerry Lee Lewis fever dream, seamlessly blended into their grooving sludge assault. It’s absurd. It’s perfect.

If there’s a dip, it comes near the end. “Dead Men Can’t Dance” and closer “Dead Reckoning” keep the filth and fury intact, but they don’t quite land the knockout blow the preceding tracks do. A minor gripe, though, because by this point, you’re already sprawled on the floor wondering who hit you.

Night Wolf is everything a Raging Speedhorn album should be: loud, dirty, and absolutely unapologetic. It’s not reinventing the wheel, nor does it need to. This is music made for sweaty venues, sticky floors, and nights you barely remember. If you’re looking for sophistication or subtlety, move along. But if you want an album that sounds like Motörhead, High on Fire, and Black Sabbath got blackout drunk together and wrote a soundtrack for wrecking your local dive bar, Night Wolf is essential listening.

Speedhorn haven’t just returned—they’ve swaggered back into the room, smashed the jukebox, and dared everyone to try and kick them out. Good luck with that.

For fans of: Motörhead, Clutch, Orange Goblin, Crowbar, party violence