To catch everyone up: Australian hardcore band Speed is putting their foot down on the world. For hardcore kids from Sydney, which is where Speed's from and what they represent, this is a first. Everyone in the band has been going to shows for years—“real moshers,” always up front, dancing. The full lineup includes Aaron Siow and brother Jem on bass and vocals respectively, Josh Clayton and Dennis Vichidvongsa on guitars, and Kane Vardon on drums. During a lull period in their home scene—“there were no new bands going on”—the guys stepped up and tapped in.

Speed decided to start out hard and traditional, a high-level aesthetic decision that, every five years, an all-time hardcore band does: a reset. For their first year, the group referred to itself on flyers and in interviews as two words, “Speed HARDCORE,” to make things extra simple. This is what they’re about: hardcore, played hard, played fast, “for us, by us”—explicit, immediate, definitive—hinting at all the crucial bands that have come before them.

Their new debut full-length, Only One Mode, exemplifies their growth and distillation. It’s a concept album in one sense: a manual that explains, directly, Speed’s beliefs, the five guys’ personalities, what they bring to the table, and what’s special about their scene.

Topics are sharp. “Real Life Love,” about the loyalty and realness they’ve learned from hardcore, shows how Speed connected through showing up; a depth of expression and emotion set against very punishing music. “The First Test” is full of dynamics—held notes, a tasteful flute break—and speaks on finding oneself as a marginalized individual. In Siow’s case, that means being an Asian-born Australian, striking out alone and growing in a beautiful and ugly world.

“Kill Cap” displays real vulnerability: heartache, regret, spiritual themes, and an homage to the friends and family lost to suicide. Lyrics on Only One Mode embrace perspectives, pore over big ideas and small detailed moments alike.

As for the music itself, the tunes on the record are harder than the singles—more breakdowns, and longer ones. It’s heavy ’90s metallic hardcore in conversation with HATEBREED, MERAUDER, and BIOHAZARD. There are more groove parts, vocals are tough and emotive, and there are none of the longer melodic sections hardcore bands sometimes lean into once they reach a wider audience. These are artistic decisions that feel new for hardcore bands from Australia.

About that popularity: it’s new for a hardcore band to become this big, and unprecedented for one from Australia. Big in two ways—for hardcore kids from Sydney, they’re playing great shows worldwide while proudly representing their scene. And second, for any band from the scene playing hard music and crossing over into the larger world.

It’s quick work to find Speed doing both: headlining shows in England, New York, Japan, and globally, while delivering blazing sets at Sound & Fury and This Is Hardcore, among other massive heavy-music festivals. Their videos have reached seven-figure views—from their S&F set to short films for their songs—and their music has landed on video game soundtracks. Famous people wear their jerseys, and newcomers to the scene are showing up to more gigs because of them.

Speed understands that these crossover moments may make them someone’s first hardcore band. The idea is that listeners won’t just discover Speed, but also the scene and the people behind it. Find Speed, and you’ll find Sydney hardcore. Find a band making hard music, and you’ll find more energy back home—which is exactly what’s happening.

Only One Mode, like their previous records, is being released on Last Ride and Flatspot Records, their homes from the start. The album was produced by Elliott Gallart, Siow’s oldest high-school friend. Jack Rudder, a longtime partner and collaborator, has directed all of Speed’s music videos. The cover photo was taken by James Hartley, the prolific Australian hardcore photographer from the 2000s, when Speed first started as young hardcore kids going to shows.

Speed isn’t doing a complete turn or softening up—they’re going deeper into hardcore, deeper into Sydney. Now the world has caught up. This is a hardcore band from Australia that surpassed what they thought they might achieve at the start, and has since doubled down: Only One Mode, as fast and as hard as possible.

Speed is doing what they do for the love of their friends, family, and the culture of Australian hardcore. They’re under the global spotlight for now, bright enough that their whole scene is standing there with them.