Album Reviews
With 'A Life’s Refrain,' Stockholm’s Speedway come out swinging with a debut album that feels both reverent and revolutionary. Out now via the iconic Revelation Records, the album is a searing, high-octane showcase of what happens when a band fully understands its roots while at the same time forging its own path forward.
Recorded at Fascination Street Studio in Örebro and co-produced by Title Fight’s Ned and Ben Russin—joined by mixing/mastering mastermind Arthur Rizk (Fucked Up, Power Trip)—'A Life’s Refrain' is crisp, dynamic, and emotionally charged. Speedway draws heavily from the lineage of 80s Youth Crew and melodic hardcore, channeling the urgency of a band like Youth Of Today. And just when you think you have them pegged down, they throw in some 70’s rock ‘n roll swagger in a song like ‘Passion Play’ that catches you off guard.
Throughout the album’s 12 tracks, Speedway balances breakneck energy with emotional resonance. Tracks like 'Walls of Ire' and the abovementioned 'Passion Play' pulse with rapid-fire riffs and soaring melodies, often shifting tempo with ease. The songs are aggressive but not one-dimensional—melancholy and introspection bleed through the chaos, giving 'A Life’s Refrain' a rare depth.
There are some guests on the album in the form of Ekulu’s Chris Wilson who lends his voice to 'Permission to Dream,' while Viagra Boys’ Sebastian Murphy and co-producer Ned Russin both feature on 'Day By Day.' These guest appearances are nice touches, but never overshadow Speedway’s own distinct identity.
What’s most striking is the band’s clarity of vision. Coming off two promising EPs and a handful of European tours, Speedway have distilled their collective experience in bands like Time to Heal, Existence, and Blood Sermon into a sound that’s tight, confident, and unmistakably their own. This isn’t a band tinkering at the edges of a genre; this is a band reinvigorating it.
A Life's Refrain tracklist:
- Thin Air
- Day By Day
- Sanctified
- Permission To Dream
- Passion Play
- Walls Of Ire
- In Shows Deep
- Ascension
- Touch
- Solitaire
- Another Life
- Tomorrow Once More
Lacking the talent to actually play in a band, Tom decided he would write about bands instead. Turns out his writing skills are mediocre at best as well.
