For 15 years, Pestroy have been destroying audiences with a live show that explodes with all the force of a bomb. It’s earned the five-piece a loyal following and seen Pestroy become the first port of call for an impressive list of international metal outfits looking for S.A. tour support.

The Speed of Dark is similarly a fullfrontal metal attack that spotlights Pestroy’s musical prowess – including the tightest rhythm section this side of Rammstein. Lyrically, the 14 tracks here exhort listeners to trust no-one (especially white loafer wearing fakers) and tread carefully in anything approaching love. As the album’s title track (and great artwork) suggests, the world of Pestroy is unremittingly dark, and the listening is lightened only by two remixes that close the album – the Counterstrike & Zardonic Remix of “Popped Collar” and the Maddix Remix of “Pay For Your Saviour”. The former uses drum ’n bass to propel Pestroy into Prodigy territory, while Maddix replaces the moshpit with the dance floor. Even so, like the rest of the album, it’s ear-bleeding stuff.