Within each of us lies the potential to rise above the average, to spread our wings, and to give our very best. While life has its challenges, it's up to us not to merely settle, but to constantly strive to achieve our full potential.
This message of self-determination and aspiration is essential to "Shine Brighter Than The Sun", the latest video single from the Austrian heavy metal crusaders, Speed Limit. This inspiring message is released by NRT-Records, both in video and single formats.
Derived from their album, Cut Along Story Short, which was released on June 17 via NRT-Records, the new single "Shine Brighter Than The Sun" shines with the familiar powerful brilliance that Speed Limit is known for, especially in their hometown of Salzburg. It oscillates between hard rock, heavy metal and melodic metal, centering its theme on motivation. The concept is further explored in the B-side, "Destiny’s Calling".
The videos for both songs feature live footage from two distinct concerts, showcasing the unrestrained energy of Speed Limit.
With Cut Along Story Short, Speed Limit dominated the Top 10 of the official German Metal & Rock charts for several weeks and also reached the Top 10 of the official Amazon Sales Charts with the album.
On October 29, Speed Limit will be heating up the stage alongside the Accept legend, U.D.O., performing for the audience at the Wildstyle & Tattoo Fair in Salzburg.
This year, Speed Limit can reflect on a nearly forty-year band history. Everything began in 1984 when the two metal bands, Ampere and Speed Limit, merged, quickly agreeing on the more appealing name, Speed Limit.
Their debut album, Unchained, garnered significant attention for the band in the local metal scene in 1986, and with the release of Prophecy in 1988, Speed Limit achieved international success. During this phase of the band, the lineup included Bavarian singer Steven Hogger, bassist Chris Pawlak, guitarists Chris Angerer and Hel Lennart, and drummer Andy Rethmeier.
The magazine "Rennbahn Express" named Speed Limit as the best Rock Act in Austria. The jury included Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden and Gene Simmons from KISS. Around the same time, Hel Lennart was replaced by former Torso guitarist Joe Eder. Concerts alongside bands like Maniac, U.D.O, and Chroming Rose provided opportunities for fans across Europe to experience Speed Limit live on stage.
In 1990, Speed Limit completed a new studio album. However, their record label at the time repeatedly postponed its release, and ultimately, for reasons that remain unclear, decided not to release it at all.
Frustrated by this situation, lead singer Steven Hogger threw in the towel and was replaced by Chris T. Ebert. With him, the band recorded the album Perfect Inspiration, which was eventually released in 1992 and promoted during a notably well-attended acoustic tour. Regrettably, "Perfect Inspiration" didn't meet sales expectations. Prevailing trends in the music scene at the time dictated differently, and Speed Limit disbanded in 1994 following a farewell concert at the newly constructed Rockhouse in Salzburg.
In 2008, Speed Limit unexpectedly celebrated their reunion. The band consisted of bassist Chris Pawlak, guitarists Chris Angerer and Joe Eder, as well as singer Steven Hogger. Andy Rethmeier was not part of the reunion; his role was filled by drummer Wolf Krug.
"This is not a comeback, but a new beginning," the five metal crusaders from Salzburg agreed. After the initial band rehearsals, news of the reunion spread like wildfire, and as a result, Speed Limit was invited to open for Nazareth in Austria. Nearly fifteen years after their first breakup, on April 12, 2008, Speed Limit took the stage together again at the Salzburg Gusswerk, greeted enthusiastically by about 1300 rock fans and met with applause, fueling the desire for a sustained return.
In addition to an official reunion show at the sold-out Rockhouse in Salzburg, Speed Limit toured with Uriah Heep, and also with No Bros and Blind Pettition as co- headliners at the Austro Rock Festival in Klagenfurt. The 2009 continuation of their reunion tour took Speed Limit to the Celtic Metal Festival in Hallein and shortly thereafter, they performed alongside Manfred Mann’s Earth Band in southern Germany.
The album Moneyshot, released in 2010 via Pure Steel Records, entered the Top 30 of the German Rock and Metal charts. Following this successful comeback, Pure Steel's sub-label Kathargo re-released the legendary albums Unchained and Prophecy as a CD-bundle.
After various lineup changes and concert odysseys across Europe, in 2017 Speed Limit, featuring Manuel Brettl (vocals), Joe Eder & Chris Angerer (guitar), Chris Pawlak (bass), and Hannes Vordermeyer (drums), released their fifth studio album, Anywhere We Dare, which was positively received by both media and fans.
Shortly after the release of Anywhere We Dare, lead singer Manuel Brettl left the band. After an extended search without success, drummer Hannes Vordermayer, a talented lead vocalist from his past bands, took over this role. In 2019, a successful 35-year anniversary tour took Speed Limit all over Austria (Graz, Innsbruck, Vienna, Salzburg). Subsequently, the production for the successor to Anywhere We Dare began taking shape.
In December 2022, Speed Limit signed a long-term record contract with the German independent label NRT-Records, which not only released the new album Cut A Long Story Short on June 17, 2023 but also made Speed Limit’s legendary back catalog accessible again after being unavailable for some time. For the first time, the album Perfect Inspiration is also available on all major music platforms. Tobias Schönbeck from HOEVER Film remastered the band's music videos, which were re- released by NRT-Records. With the single and the accompanying videos for "Hit The Wall“, Speed Limit initiates their new era, which officially kicked off on May 26, 2023, with the release of the 3-track single video for "Hit The Wall“.
On June 17, 2023, Speed Limit presented their new studio album Cut A Long Story Short at the Rockhouse Salzburg during a live concert, which had been released a day prior, on June 16, by NRT-Records. With this album and the first single release "Hit The Wall“, Speed Limit managed to dominate the Top 10 of the official German Metal & Rock charts for several weeks. On Amazon, Cut A Long Story Short was sold out for multiple weeks and also achieved high sales chart placements.
