When getting into heavy music, you eventually learn that short is often sweet. In a genre where many hidden gems are found in demo or EP form, and where a full-length album that is less than 30 minutes long is perfectly acceptable, it becomes apparent that shorter length is not a result of laziness, but of editing. Rather than bloat an album with filler tracks, many artists in the metal, punk, and hardcore genres choose the less-is-more approach and concentrate only their best material onto these shorter releases.
That’s not to imply that a Ranger full-length would be bloated with filler (the Finnish speed metal troupe has yet to release one), but their newly-released EP Shock Skull - which is soon seeing a 7" vinyl pressing - perfectly models the less-is-more approach. While its two songs come in at just over 10 minutes, those 10 minutes are packed with neckbreaking riff after neckbreaking riff, easily making the most of its short run time.
Ranger’s specialty is old-school speed/thrash metal which takes its cues from acts like Razor, Exciter, Agent Steel, and Show No Mercy-era Slayer. Shock Skull’s two tracks emphasize the band’s thrash metal side a bit more than their previous EP Knights of Darkness did, and vocalist/bassist Dimi Pontiac, who has ramped up the power behind his high-pitched shouts, plays a significant part in that. However, there are still plenty of melodic hooks to be found, particularly on ‘Omen of Doom’ which carries more of a traditional sound compared to the title track’s bludgeoning assault.
It is immediately clear from the opening notes of this EP that Ranger’s goal is to get you to headbang. If you have functioning ears, enjoy riffs, and aren’t a terrible person, they succeed. The best modern old-school bands manage to capture the energy of the bands they worship without blatantly ripping off any of them, and Ranger are firmly within that category. There isn’t anything new or revolutionary about Shock Skull, and that’s okay because it’s simply too well-written and performed for it to matter.
There is always a need for more razor-sharp headbangable riffage in the world, and Shock Skull delivers just that. You could complain about the short length, but most likely you’ll be too busy thrashing to actually do it. So go forth and thrash, and should the EP be too short, just listen to it again.
