Speed Limit: 40 Years of Rock and Metal History. From humble beginnings in 1984, two bands merged to create a powerhouse that topped the charts with hits like “Lady” and “Dead Eyes.” Checkout their new EP, New Horizon.

Humans are creatures of habit, and often we find it difficult to venture into new territories and break out of familiar patterns. This tendency can particularly hinder us in challenging situations, preventing us from escaping misery. Frequently, we cling to the past, seduced by a deceptive sense of security, failing to recognize that this psychological mechanism ultimately deceives us. It is essential to leave the past behind, expand one’s horizons, and strive for personal development.

This theme of advancement is precisely what “New Horizon,” the new single by the Austrian melodic heavy metal and hard rock band Speed Limit, revolves around. The single will be released on Friday, May 3, 2024, via NRT-Records.

The band from Mozart’s city, Salzburg, celebrates its fortieth anniversary on stage this year and presents “New Horizon,” the third single-release from their current studio album “Cut A Long Story Short,” with which the band successfully celebrated their comeback last year. With this album and the previous singles “Hit The Wall” and “Shine Brighter Than The Sun,” Speed Limit has convinced both the media and fans of metal and hard rock. The band reached the top 10 of the official rock and metal charts multiple times and also managed to hold positions for several weeks in the iTunes and Amazon sales charts.

For their anniversary, the band Speed Limit, consisting of Hannes Vordermayer (lead vocals and drums), Christian Angerer (guitar), Joe Eder (guitar), and Christian Pawlak (bass), has prepared several surprises. In addition to the recent debut release of their long-lost studio album “The Broken Record,” Speed Limit with “New Horizon” is once again focusing on their present and future.

Speed Limit presents a comprehensive audiovisual work that includes not only the main single but also other songs. This includes the melodic hard rocker “Eye On You,” which deals with themes of loyalty and connection, as well as live versions of “New Horizon” and the legendary songs “Lady” and “Dead Eyes,” recorded during a concert in Seeham in 2019.

Each song is also accompanied by a custom-made video. The band directed the clip for “New Horizon” themselves, led by Joe Eder, who developed the concept. They were assisted by Joe Eder’s daughter, Jeanne Eder, who was responsible for the cinematography. She managed to give the video a distinctive retro flair.
The video combines cinematic sequences shot during a trip by the band in Dublin with footage of their performance. The live versions of “Dead Eyes,” “Lady,” and “New Horizon” offer authentic concert recordings in both video and audio. The song “Eye On You” was compiled from live footage but uses the studio version of the song as the audio track.

As part of the new release of their EP “New Horizon” on May 3, 2024, Speed Limit will perform a live concert at Explosiv club in Graz (Austria). This performance will not only serve as the stage for presenting the EP but will also include exciting announcements for the years 2024 and 2025. The EP “New Horizon” offers not only new video material but also a preview of the band’s first comprehensive live album, which will soon be released in both audiovisual and pure audio formats.

In addition to the concert at Explosiv in Graz on May 3, 2024, the release day of “New Horizon,” further performances are planned, including the Speed Limit anniversary concert at Rockhouse Salzburg on October 3, 2024. Fans can look forward to a series of high-energy shows that celebrate the musical heritage and innovative spirit of Speed Limit.

Having been a part of the Austrian hard rock and metal scene for forty years, Speed Limit has a history filled with highs and lows. The foundation for the band, which later stormed the charts with songs like “Lady” or “Dead Eyes,” was laid in 1984 when the two bands Ampere and Speed Limit merged, deciding to continue together under the latter name. From the beginning, the lineup included bassist Chris Pawlak, drummer Andreas “Andy” Rethemeier, guitarist Chris Angerer, guitarist Joachim “Jocky” Brunner, and singer Hans Huthmann.

The Austrian and Bavarian metal scenes soon found their vibrant hub at Speed Limit’s concerts. With the release of their debut album “Unchained” in 1986 through Die Mühle Recordings, the band impressively established their reputation. Tracks like “Burning Steel” and “Fight To Survive” became cult classics and made “Unchained” a coveted collector’s item among connoisseurs. After numerous performances across Austria and southeastern Germany, there was a change in membership: singer Hans Huthmann and guitarist Joachim Brunner left the band.

With the new Bavarian frontman Steven Hogger and guitarist Hel Lennart,Speed Limit quickly found suitable replacements and created the soon-to-be legendary mini-album “Prophecy,” which was released in 1988 through Breaking Records. This album enabled the band to extend their success to several European countries.

Concert tours through Austria, Hungary, and Italy, numerous television appearances, and strong airplay of their videos, including “Lady” and “Dead Eyes,” solidified Speed Limit’s reputation. Contributions to compilations that reached as far as Japan also contributed to their international success.

In the early 90s, performances with well-known bands such as U.D.O., Girlschool, Nazareth, and Chroming Rose were commonplace. In 1990, the magazine Rennbahn Express named Speed Limit the best Austrian metal act—a decision supported by heavyweights like Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden and Gene Simmons from Kiss. The band worked tirelessly on a successor to “Prophecy,” but its release was never realized until April 2024. This disappointment led to singer Steven Hogger leaving the band; he was replaced by Bavarian singer Chris T. Ebert.

In 1992, the band members gathered at Kick-Sound Studio in Salzburg to produce their second official full-length album “Perfect Inspiration.” In addition to new tracks, the album included re-recordings of previously unreleased songs. Despite extensive tours and media presence, “Perfect Inspiration” could not match the earlier successes, due to the musical trends of the time, which gave little room to heavy metal and traditional hard rock. After a farewell concert in 1994, the era of Speed Limit seemed to have ended.

In 2008, Speed Limit made headlines with their reunion. Bassist Chris Pawlak and guitarists Chris Angerer and Joe Eder, along with singer Steven Hogger, were back, while Andy Rethmeier was replaced by drummer Wolf Krug. They defined this event as a fresh start, not just a comeback. Their first live show in nearly fifteen years took place in April 2008 at Gusswerk in Salzburg, where they were welcomed by about 1,300 fans.

The reunion continued with a show at the packed Rockhouse in Salzburg, followed by a tour with Uriah Heep and performances at various festivals. In 2010, they released the album “Moneyshot,” which gained international recognition and was successful in the German metal/rock charts. At the same time, the albums “Unchained” and “Prophecy” were reissued.

The band faced a setback in 2012 when singer Steven Hogger departed. His successor, Ritchie Krenmeier, did not last long. Despite internal challenges, the band released the album “Anywhere We Dare” in 2017, and drummer Hannes Vordermeyer took over as lead vocalist following the departure of singer Manuel Bretl in 2018.

In 2022, Speed Limit signed a record deal with the German label NRT-Records, which released their new album “Cut A Long Story Short” in June 2023 and reissued the band’s long-inaccessible back catalog. The album and its singles reached top positions in the official rock and metal charts, and Speed Limit also maintained a presence in the iTunes and Amazon sales charts.

Almost simultaneously, NRT-Records discovered an unreleased album from 1990. After extensive discussions, it was decided to release this album, initially digitally only, under the title “The Broken Record: Chorus Sound Tapes.” It is set to be released on April 26, 2024, and captures the essence of 80s hard rock and heavy metal.

With the EP “New Horizon,” the four standout rockers from Salzburg reflect on their present and future, presenting an impressive mix of their qualities as both a studio and live band. This release from their current full-length album “Cut A Long Story Short,” which will be released through on NRT-Records, also includes an Easter egg in the accompanying video playlist.

Hard rock fans and metalheads are warmly invited to dive into the world of Speed Limit starting Friday, May 3, 2024. The live versions and videos provide a taste of the upcoming first live album and the accompanying concert film.