Could studio recordings soon become a thing of the past? It's looking unlikely.
The decision to release an EP as a live recording and not a studio product is, in theory, a promising concept. There are some bands that undoubtedly radiate energy during a live performance and 'L.A.F.S.A.S.' helps to illustrate that SpeedShot may well be one of those bands. Quite often, the energy of the crowd will significantly contribute to the atmosphere of the recording, but unfortunately for the young three-piece, it seems as if there were only about five people in attendance for the gig at London's Bridge House II. To their credit though, SpeedShot remained unaffected by the substandard vocal support and continued to deliver their music to the best of their ability.
The first question asked may well be, "what does the EP title 'L.A.F.S.A.S.' stand for?" Quite simply, it is "Live As Fuck, Sloppy As Shit," and this actually proves to be an acronym that summarises the EP with surprising accuracy. The dynamism that is generated through the live recording is utterly unmatchable, but unfortunately this comes at the expense of clarity and general production quality. The composition of SpeedShot's hard-striking metal is passable, with songs such as 'Blood, Sweat & Beers' becoming of instant appeal. But whilst at one point listeners are treated to the delightful riffage of tracks like 'One Man's Trash', they also have to endure unrelated content, such as the band engaging in conversation with an audience member about their choice of footwear. Fortunately, this thirty second conversation has been assigned a separate track, making it incredibly tempting to skip the irrelevance of the third track altogether.
The Bedford power trio will surely be hoping that people will be cranking their stereos up to 11 for this EP, but does the listener really have to have their experience ruined by being subjected to burping, the tuning of guitars and microphone feedback? The biggest conundrum is therefore going to be whether or not to take SpeedShot seriously. Frontman Danny Young is a competent guitarist and the crunching guitar work acts as one of the highlights of this release. However, such rays of promise are quickly hidden behind clouds of amateurism, leaving a lasting impression that the three-piece would rather consume alcohol than push the boundaries of the metal genre. This is certainly not to say that artists are not allowed to enjoy themselves, but considering that this is the definitive release of many of the songs featured, it would not be unreasonable to expect a little more professional focus.