Speed Metal Party 2025 - Part I
- Jay
- Sep 22
- 4 min read
Few weeks ago thrash metal maniacs descended upon my hometown of Tampere, Finland, again. Speed Metal Party first roared to life back in the late 80s, and it’s still pretty much the same crew keeping the tradition alive - chiefly the fellas of the local bands Prestige and Dethrone. This year, though, things are a little different - the usual stomping ground of Tullikamari is under renovation so we’ve got a brand-new venue to thrash in at Tavara-asema. A whopping 100 paces across the yard so even the pre-loaded fans found their way in.
In this Part I we're looking into Kovaa Rasvaa, Methane, and Dethrone. In Part II we'll check Prestige, Tankard and the after shows from Radux and Hidden Intent.
It’s never easy being the opening act as the crowd is still trickling in, beers are being poured, merch tables browsed, and old friends reunited. Its the same old story. But, it’s also a chance to do more than just spark a fire as you can ignite a memorable blaze.
With bursts of white-knuckled intensity and hardcore pedigree Kovaa Rasvaa started cookin'!
At first the venue felt anything but ready - the lights were either blinding at full blast or plunged into fridge-like darkness. It kinda carried a whiff of amateur hour as you were afraid that the brief songs would end during the blackout - that would've been plain crappy for everyone. Fortunately the venue got their sh!t together and Kovaa Rasvaa responded!
Hardcore is exactly what it says on the tin - hard to the core. Thrash may draw from the same well, but hardcore’s straight-to-the-point nose twistin' is a different kind of fisticuffs, and can catch you off guard. While the music isn't exactly my cup of tea I loved seeing women on the stage delivering raw energy (there was a fella, too, faaaar behind the drums) especially when talking about thrash metal.
The music itself comes at you with white-knuckled intensity, yet the experience didn’t fully match that force. With their hardcore pedigree, they clearly had the tools but the performance came across rather in a jerking fashion. Things came to a full stop after each of the one minute plus song. Now, maybe it’s just the old fart in me that craves a bit of buildup, intrigue, and drama instead of a straight punch to the jaw. I need to be wooed I guess. I feel Kovaa Rasvaa could be more assertive and commanding, but I guess its the punk spirit to let loose between the songs.
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The contrast couldn’t be starker as the Swedes of Methane come crashing in, roping you up with chains and tying a neat little bow around your head. Their riffs are lumbering behemoths, heavy and deliberate, each chug bulging with the greasy weight of an oil-soaked sack of potatoes being slammed onto the floor.
Its thrash metal that wears its looseness proudly as they don't shy away from memes, nods and winks that make sure the mood never strays too far into the serious. Then there's the I fuck for a beer going on, and you know you'll meet the fellas later on by the bar. Certainly by now the DIY spirit of the Speed Metal Party was clear to one and all attending the festivities.
Methane took a big step from their debut 'The Devil's Own' (2017) with 2023 sophomore effort 'Kill It With Fire', and I think the fellas were even better live. On their records the sound is surprisingly tense given that they're so laid back with whatever they're ravin' about. Interested to see where they go with their sh!t.
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Dethrone opened the stage as the first local act of the evening, and as one of the veteran forces behind the whole party, they carry tradition and history into the evening. The larger crowd had appeared by the time the fellas climbed to the stage so heads were banging and fists were up in the air.
They've always been something that I've been aware of but nothing really caught on. I can appreciate the crazy sound they had on their album 'The Decay of Man' back in 92. Hugely inspired by the lighter skateboard bands going about in the US, and a super massive departure from their debut 'Let The Day Begin' which is more traditional thrashin'.
On the stage they're slightly too static for my liking but what the hey, folks remember tracks like Powermad and had a great time. I think its great they're still around and playing stuff but I must've said in my previous rambling from last year that packing Dethrone and Prestige back-to-back kinda feels stuffy and drains some of the energy away because lets face it: most of us at the event - on the stage and off it - aren't exactly young anymore.
Which kinda punches me with the fact that thrash metal ain't exactly music of (or for, for that matter) the young'uns - which on the other hands makes chewing the fat with almost anyone super easy as we're more or less from the same generation and experienced sh!t the same way, and listened to the same bands. Our beloved genre isn't living a similar renaissance that for example death metal seems to be experiencing here in Finland - there's a load of super young bands who adore the 90s sound, and that's fracking great!
Anyways!
Next up in Part II: Prestige and Tankard!
PS. I have some work related stuff going on and I've been traveling extensively so I've been quiet - fortunately, I've been listening sh!t as usual so I have lots to write up about and might get up to that weekly review routine.
