Species – Changelings Review

[Album artwork by Aleksandra Pawłowska]

Earlier this year, I finally grabbed the limited edition CD reissues of the early works from Montréal, Canada’s very excellent Obliveon—one of those oft-overlooked projects that arrived somewhat late for thrash’s heyday, but the band mixed in elements of death metal and twisted the songwriting enough to result in something that sounded fresh without losing sight of the greats that landed tech thrash on the map in the first place. You know, classics such as the following opening five across the lip:

» Watchtower – Energetic Disassembly (1985)
» Mekong Delta – S/T (1987)
» Nasty Savage – Indulgence (1987)
» Coroner – R.I.P. (1987)
» Destruction – Release from Agony (1987)

This rather naturally led to a deep and powerful tech thrash binge, with the ultimate goal set on yet another personal “Top 50 [Genre] Albums” list (something about 2025 that’s lended itself to lists like this for me) to tuck into my hat. That endeavor has yet to cross the finish line, but suffice to say I have spent a good bit of 2025 listening to and comparing the bonafide classics, the outliers and the newcomers, and I have of course struggled with parsing out what exactly qualifies as actual tech thrash, as opposed to something that’s “just crammed to the rafters with riffs” (Time Does Not Heal), or perhaps “progressive thrash” (Thought Industry’s Songs for Insects), or even “technical death metal with strong thrash roots” (the notably glorious Piece of Time).

Blessed be, we of the metal faith are pedantic creatures, and if you, like me, are equally appreciative of the art of persnicketyism, perhaps you will also appreciate the following breakdown I unearthed in a truly scholastic Reddit metal thread that I believe should perhaps become canon:

“A progressive band of any genre is trying to push the boundaries of said genre, whereas a technical band is trying to take the defining characteristics of a genre and perfect them to an almost inhuman level.”

Now, can a progressive thrash band exist without being tech? You bet! See very early Skyclad. Can a tech thrash album exist without being progressive? Also yep! Rust In Peace.

“BUT WHAT ABOUT PROGRESSIVE TECH THRASH, SHARTYPANTS,” howled a long-haired galoot from the balcony.

Ahhh, now we’re getting somewhere, Magellan!

~~Poland’s Species lowers to the stage via an elegant system of pulleys & lift lines~~

Before moving forward: I have no recollection of how or why Last Rites allowed To Find Deliverance, the Species debut full-length from 2022, to fall through the cracks, but it did at least manage to work its way onto the year-end list of one crew member: Zach Duvall. The album probably should have made a bigger splash with the collective, though, as we are largely obsessed with bands that competently bend the rules inside most every branch of metal. Let’s just chalk it up to either a lack of an advanced promo, or… you know… just being generally overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new music every year.

Right. So, Species is one of those increasingly rare bands that came right out of the chute with a level of proficiency that made it seem likely the trio played together long before finally deciding to lay something down in a proper studio—maybe as far back as the sandbox years. Their opening EP, 2019’s The Monument of Envy, was fittingly the most raw display of their technical ability, and To Find Deliverance did a wonderful job of leveling up from most every conceivable angle, as is tradition.

Now, with full-length number two, Species finds the next logical step that highlights a production upgrade and an increased emphasis on the more progressive end of the equation. As an example, the debut LP did a fine job of introducing the idea of funkiness to their tech thrash blueprint, whereas Changelings incorporates it to a point where the listener wants to lift those measure into the spotlight shouting, “YOU SEE, THIS IS HOW YOU GET AWAY WITH SUCH MADNESS.” It’s not at all a constant presence, though, so don’t think of it as some sort of off-handed homage to, say, Faith No More in a Mordred / Scatterbrain sort of way, but rather a tip of the hat to weirdos like Carbonized, Disharmonic Orchestra or—here’s one for the gutterpunks—G-Anx that found ways to be funky without beating you over the head with one of Bootsy’s incredibly colorful top hats. Take a listen to “Born of Stitch and Flesh”—what I consider to be one of the best songs on the record—to get a good idea of all the twisting and turning and moderate bass slapping Species is capable of pulling off with gusto:

“Born of Stitch” comes out of the gate with a very Mental Vortex-ish sort of vibe, fully embracing that moderately sinister atmosphere Coroner was so good at encouraging, and this is quickly followed by Species slyly folding in some moderately funky Fishbone bass slaps that SOMEHOW manage to slide in perfectly alongside that calm moodiness. By hell, this band is quite good at being fairly subtle with their progressive face, and moments such as this bear witness to that truth. Then… the tune just flies and twists and turns. Bassist / vocalist Piotr Drobina has a notably penetrating singing style that could very well challenge those sensitive to such things, but to me he sounds a lot like Tim Baker of Cirith Ungol on the edge of his seat doing everything in his power to pass a hurtling Toad in one hell of a Mario Kart race. (No, I have not been drinking.) Drobina also happens to be a hell of a bass player, and he really gets an opportunity to shine on this cut by dropping a sweet little solo amidst the mellow stretch just after the 3-minute mark.

While it’s fun to witness Species stretch their legs a bit more in 2025 (those already familiar with them might be surprised to hear clean vocals in the thick of the mellowness of “Waves of Time”), the band’s ultimate advantage relates to the manner in which the three players play off one another so pleasantly, imaginatively and seamlessly. You hear everyone pretty much at all times here as they wander, jump and fly around together, and Changelings continues to uphold that ‘live in the studio’ feel that heightens the organic sense of connection between each player. In essence, Species is a very charming three-headed hydra, and despite the clear adventurousness of these perfectly succinct 40 minutes, there’s very little reliance on bells & whistles beyond a guest synthesizer role (Chris Scanner of Aquilla) on the instrumental “Voyager.” So, yes, it’s quite nice to experience progressive technical thrash that never manages to come across as overly showy or self-aggrandizing. Bottom line, Changelings is just FUN thrash that’s not at all ‘pizza thrash’, and that’s crucial to the album’s success.

Given all the above, do I feel confident enough in the strength of Changelings to consider it worthy of cracking a tech thrash all-time top 50 list? Honestly, I don’t think ANY album with less than five years of life under its belt is ready for that level of benevolence, especially considering the strength and depth of what’s paved the way. For sure, though, if you count yourself a fan of the modern movement that includes heavy hitters such as Bestial Invasion, Droid, Cryptic Shift, Xoth and Dissimulator, and certainly classics along the lines of Sadus, Aspid, Vendetta (Brain Damage), Hellwitch, etc. in perpetuity, you should absolutely be sure to give Changelings a run the moment it drops.

P.S. Sweet Magnum P.I. gear, lads. Not sure how Higgins will react to you cranking Twisted Into Form in that Ferrari, though.