Blood Red Saints: Speedway

Released at the tail end of 2015, Speedway is the debut album from Blood Red Saints, a new melodic rock group featuring some familiar faces. The band includes vocalist Pete Godfrey (ex-In Faith), guitarist Lee Revill (Gary Hughes solo), bassist Rob Naylor (Angels or Kings) and drummer Pete Newdeck (Eden’s Curse). This being a Frontiers project, it’s not surprising to see James and Tom Martin (Vega) assisting with songwriting and Harry Hess (Harem Scarem) mastering the album.

Given the players involved, it’s not really a surprise to find Blood Red Saints playing a polished, very melodic blend of rock and AOR. Speedway has its share of upbeat rockers (like the very Bad English-sounding “Better Days”), and of course has some well-crafted ballads (see “Love Set Me Up Again”). Godfrey’s vocals, which were such a big part of the In Faith album, really make these songs shine, not the the musicianship falls short. It’s a high quality album all-around, and about what you expect from the Frontiers label.

That may actually be the only problem here. It has that Frontiers “factory” feel to it the way projects like Three Lions, Find Me and the like tend to have. These projects are all consistently good, and consistently high quality, but they do end up blurring together after a while.

If you enjoyed the In Faith debut, you’re going to love Speedway. And if you’re a serious fan of the Frontiers roster, especially bands like Find Me, Vega, House of Lords and Khymera, Blood Red Saints is a project you’ll want to discover.

Blood Red Saints