Artist: Speedwagon
Country: Malaysia
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital EP
Year: 2026
It was, of course, inevitable that the first comments on the internet about this debut EP by Malaysian band Speedwagon would be about the absence of “REO,” but it should be abundantly clear that there is little AOR to be found in the musical spectrum of this brand-new band. Brand new, yes, because this group was only formed in November 2025 and already felt confident enough to come up with a 20+ minute EP. And the genre? I think the illustration on the cover and the Speed Metal symbols say it all.
Not all four songs, not counting the intro, are equally flawless, but the short time frame in which they were written and recorded is impressive nonetheless. And perhaps it is precisely thanks to that short time span that this first EP sounds so good; it has exactly the energetic and youthful vibe of the many 80s recordings in this style. The spontaneous, in-the-moment feeling of the first Speed/Thrash Metal records is something that few bands still manage to capture and, in my opinion, separates the “real” bands from the overly polished majority of bands that claim to play “old school” Speed or Thrash Metal.
‘Legion Metal Speed’ blends muscular Heavy Metal, especially evident in some refreshing leads, with the speed and power of mid-80s Speed Metal and the choppiness of early Thrash Metal. It does remind of bands like Assassin, Iron Angel, Exumer and Venom. All bands with a strong Heavy Metal connotation. Consequently, Speedwagon fits in seamlessly with such modern day bands as Phantom, Sexmag or even Deathhammer. I personally especially love the vocal antics of Bengbeng, whose energetic performance definitely takes the music up a notch. The somewhat unstable and clunky transitions from the rougher parts into some more melodic bits is something that the band still needs to work on, but that is easily forgiven, considering the short lead time and, in particular, the quality of the final product. Cool first demo/EP!
