To catch everyone up: Australian hardcore band Speed is putting their foot down on the world. For hardcore kidsfrom Sydney, which is where Speed’s from and what theyrepresent, this is a first. Everyone in the band has beengoing to shows for years-‘real moshers,’ always up front,dancing. (The full lineup: Aaron Siow and brother Jem, onbass and vocals respectively, Josh Clayton and DennisVichidvongsa on guitars, and Kane Vardon on drums.)During a lull period in their home scene-‘there were nonew bands going on’-the guys stepped up and tapped in.Speed decided to start out hard and traditional-a highlevel aesthetic decision that, every five years, an all-timehardcore band does. A reset. For their first year, the groupreferred to itself on flyers and in interviews as two words,‘Speed HARDCORE,’ to make things extra simple. This iswhat they’re about: hardcore, played hard, played fast, ‘forus, by us’-explicit, immediate, definitive-hinting at allthe crucial bands that have come before them.Their new debut full-length, Only One Mode, exemplifiestheir growth and distillation. It’s a concept album in onesense: a manual that explains, directly, Speed’s beliefs,the five guys’ personalities, what they bring to the table,and what’s special about their scene. Topics are sharp:‘Real Life Love,’ about the loyalty and realness they’velearnt from hardcore, shows how Speed connectedthrough showing up; a depth of expression and emotionset against very punishing music. ‘The First Test’ is full ofdynamics-held notes, a tasteful flute break-and speakson finding oneself as a marginalized individual-in Siow’scase, as an Asian-born Australian: striking out alone andgrowing in a beautiful and ugly world. ‘Kill Cap’ displaysreal vulnerability-heartache, regret, spiritual themes, anhomage to the friends and family lost to suicide. Lyrics onOnly One Mode embrace perspectives, pore over big ideasand small detailed moments. About the tunes on the record:Harder than the single-more breakdowns, and longerones; it’s heavy ’90s metallic hardcore, in conversationwith HATEBREED, MERAUDER, BIOHAZARD. There aremore groove parts; vocals are tough and emotive, thereare none of the longer melodic parts that hardcore bandsoccasionally give in to when they rise to a popular level;all artistic decisions that are new for hardcore bands fromAustralia.About that popularity: It’s new for a hardcore band to bebig, unprecedented for one from Australia. Big in twoways-for hardcore kids from Sydney, playing good showsworldwide, proudly representing their scene. And second,for any band from the scene playing hard music, crossingover hard into the larger world. It’s quick work to findSpeed doing both: headlining shows in England, New York,Japan, globally, turning in blazing sets at Sound & Furyand This Is Hardcore, among other massive heavy-musicfestivals. Seven-figure viewed videos-their set at S&F,short films for their songs-and tunes headlining videogame soundtracks. Famous folks wearing their jerseys,people new to the scene showing up to more gigs. Speedknow that because of these global crossover moments, theymight be some people’s first hardcore band; the idea is thatthey’ll get introduced not only to Speed, but also to thescene and the people behind it. Find Speed, and you’ll findSydney hardcore; find a band making hard music, find moreenergy back home.Which is what’s happening. Only One Mode, like theirprevious records, is being released on Last Ride andFlatspot Records, their homes from the start. The albumwas produced by Elliott Gallart, Siow’s oldest high-schoolfriend. Jack Rudder, a longtime partner and collaborator,has directed all of Speed’s music videos. The cover photowas taken by James Hartley, the prolific Australian hardcorephotographer from the 2000s, when Speed first started asyoung hardcore kids going to shows.Speed isn’t 180-ing, but is going deeper into hardcore, intoSydney-now the world has caught up. This is a hardcoreband from Australia who surpassed what they thought theymight do at the start, and has since doubled down, OnlyOne Mode, as fast and as hard as possible. Speed is doingwhat they do for the love of their friends, family, and theculture of Australian hardcore. They’re under the globalspotlight for now, bright enough that their whole scene’sright there with them.TRACK LIST1. Real Life Love2. Don’t Need3. No Love But For Our Ow4. Only Foes…5. The First Test6. Kill Cap7. Send Them 2 Sydney8. Shut It Down9. I Mean It10. Caught In A Craze