I grew up a thrash kid in the 1980s, and that’s always been my first love with extreme music. I was normally on the bus dismantling my hearing with Testament, Nuclear Assault, Overkill, and later on Voivod and Coroner. Yeah, I also heavily indulged in the Big Four, but most of my interest was digging beneath the surface.
Polish maulers Species spark some of that nostalgia in me on their second record “Changelings,” a catchy, mangling dose of progressive thrash metal that hits all the right spots. Over seven tracks and 40 perfectly portioned minutes, the band—vocalist/bassist Piotr Drobina, guitarist Michał Kępka, drummer Przemysław Hampelski—dazzles with their ability, no doubt, but they always remember to tell a story along the way, engaging you mind and body into what they’re doing. It’s spacey and ridiculously flexible but also heavy as hell, providing blistering connection from one era to another one.
“Inspirit Creation” immediately clues you in on what’s ahead, that being mind-bending thrash and shrieky vocals that, if you were into this type of shit in the late 80s and early 90s, your heart is aflutter. Howls scorch as the basslines coil and strike, the guitars later taking on a jazzy tone and reminding a little of Rush before things double back and take down buildings. “The Essence” has the drums kicking in before the guitars sprawl, the melodies encircling as the vocals turn to a feral howl. The bass bubbles as the pace jars, fiery thrash squeezing your temples. “Waves of Time” is smooth, with creaky vocals carving, and then clean singing giving off a psychedelic aura. The pace detonates as the screams buckle, leading to a very techy buildup, speeding and mauling, melodic soloing filling you to the brim. “Voyager” is a cosmic-fueled instrumental piece, whirring keys taking you deep into your imagination, melting through time as the playing floods. The pace then ripples, guitars charging before heading off into the stars.
“Born of Stitch and Flesh” has the guitars activating and screams belting, trudging and combusting as the earth is trampled beneath them. Screams scrape as some cool basslines make the room spin, everything liquifying before guitars unload and mangle, leaving warped scrap metal behind. “Terror Unknown” starts clean before turning proggy, guitars traversing amid acidic screams that char flesh. The leads tangle as the melodies turn more elegant, a metallic fusion mashing elements together, creating an entirely new beast. Closer “Biological Masterpiece” runs a healthy 10:17, beginning with a choppy start/stop that feels like someone hitting the gas and then slamming on the brakes. Once things get under way properly, the atmosphere feels loopy, airy, even as leads are snarling and clean lines are snaking through liquid. The tempo gets more aggressive and bendy, the bass prods, and growls snarl. The energy pushes back as howls gnaw, the speed punishes, and the guitars pinch at exhausted muscle already spasming.
Species is like a shot from the past energized and informed by the last three decades, and pressed into alien devastation. “Changelings” has a true thrash ethos that refuses to stay in that lane and instead travels to every corner of the universe for inspiration. This is thrilling and mind-altering stuff that scratches a very particular itch that hasn’t risen its head in quite some time.
For more on the band, go here: https://species1.bandcamp.com/music
To buy the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/collections/species/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/
Meat Mead Metal 