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Speedclaw have been around awhile now and on their Beast in the Mist EP they've started to home in on a particular style a little more. Fast riffing, echo-soaked vocals and frantic solos should be quite familiar to anyone that has heard Metallica's Kill 'Em All. Speedclaw seem to be following the same path James, Lars, Kirk and Cliff did by taking heavier cuts from the NWOBHM (think Weapon's "Set the Stage Alight" and Sweet Savage's "Eye of the Storm"), winding them up to proto-thrash speed and letting them fly. They even start with an acoustic intro, a la Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. Obviously, if early Metallica isn't your thing, you are won't enjoy this very much but I'm happy to hear some speed/thrash that doesn't sound like Venom or Hellhammer once in a while. Beast in the Mist is nothing groundbreaking, but it is a step up from Speedclaw's first EP and thoroughly enjoyable.