Species - To Find Deliverance

Labels: Awakening Records

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 26 Aug 2022

Tracklist:

1. Rare Signals

2. Parasite

3. Falls The Tower

4. The Monument Of Envy

5. Malfunction

6. Thy Name Is Slaughter

7. Deus

8. Ex Machina

Chinese label Awakening Records have been re-releasing some absolute underground extreme metal gems since 2017, but they've also been championing newer bands from across the globe more recently and Polish thrashers Species are one of them. The trio released their debut EP The Monument Of Envy back in 2019 and in August of this year, they released their debut album To Find Deliverance, which includes the three songs from their first EP alongside five brand new tracks.

Thrash metal is known for being a more formulaic metal sub-genre, yet it adds so much to metal in general. To Find Deliverance opener ‘Rare Signals’ is an oddly cosmic piece, which leads into the prog/jazz-laden ‘Parasite’. It’s the first proper song here and boy does it have chops!. It’s awesome to hear thrash metal like this in an era when music is so polished and sterile. Species know exactly what they’re doing and their technical take on thrash metal is absolutely brilliant.

‘Falls The Tower’ was one of the songs off their debut EP The Monument Of Envy. I’m not sure if it’s been re-recorded for this record but even if it hasn’t, it’s still a killer song that brings the old-school back to life in the best possible way. The music of Species will be equally at home in the collections of fans of Death Angel and Cynic, especially where ‘The Monument Of Envy’ is concerned. It’a both straight-forward and technical. The march of progress within extreme metal is never ending, even if it subtly takes from the genre’s forefathers. 

As the midway point of this album passes, ‘Malfunction’ gathers a harrowing sample that sits perfectly alongside the epic instrumental thrash that makes up the majority of the song. It’s hard to comprehend just how good Species are musically, but the comprehension comes close here. ‘Thy Name Is Slaughter’ is the final song that appeared on the band’s debut EP and it’s fair to say that it’s an onslaught of Onslaught (the veteran UK thrash band) proportions. So fucking good!!

Penultimate song ‘Deus’ is an instrumental interlude made up of soothing acoustic guitar and percussion that leads into the leviathan that is ‘Ex Machina’, in all it’s eleven+ minute glory. This is where Species pull together and deliver their ultimate take on thrash. I know that the various sub-genres of metal can be hashed and re-hashed over and over again, but that’s no reason to dismiss individual and unique bands. On merit, Species provide something very special on To Find Deliverance. 

Listening to this record all the way through is a proper treat and Species deserve so much credit for producing an album that’s so accomplished and enjoyable. I think it’s about time you started checking out the new breed, because they’re equally as good as those that came before. 

You can stream and purchase To Find Deliverance on physical and digital formats below:-

Species - https://www.facebook.com/MetalSpecies

Awakening Records - https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningRecordsCN