13th February 2025

Review: “Metalmorphosis” by Sublind

Eleven years after their debut album “Thrashing Delirium” was released on 15th February 2014 Luxembourg Thrash squad Sublind give us EP “Metalmorphosis“, a record that sees them re-record six of the ten original cuts and place them in a different order for our listening pleasure. This isn’t a unique concept of course and the band have good company in doing so, following in the footsteps of the brothers Cavalera, August Burns Red and Solitary to name but a few. What is interesting is that vocalist Luca Tommasi is the only member of the band remaining from the incarnation that wrote and recorded the original. Guitarist Marc Geiben (Æonik, ex-Aversives, ex-Kraton) joined in 2017, drummer Kevin Gricius (Legacy of Atlas) in 2019, guitarist Ben Wilmes (Dystopian Fear) in 2022 and the bands most recent recruit in bassist Mehdi Addi in 2024. Mixed, mastered and produced by Billy Kauffmann (Kaiju Ultra, Parity) at Unison Studios and wrapped in cover artwork by Dan Goldsworthy, the question is, can the new players match the old in a bare knuckle fist fight?

Sublind have made a name of themselves by embracing the spirit of the 80’s Bay Area Thrash Metal scene while running on themes of alcohol, beer, corruption, literature and politics, their sound arguably falling between that of Exodus and Municipal Waste. If the line up for this was the first Elephant in the room when it comes to this kind of record then the second is the potential for this to be done in a way that doesn’t have enough affinity with the original. That is a ship blown out of the water with a few seconds of a blistering rendition of “Thrash it!“, thirty seven seconds shorter than the original that leaves fretboards smouldering. To be clear, it’s obvious that no expense has been spared or shortcuts taken in the studio and as a result this record sounds like the original being brought up to date with modern production value. The five piece have managed to capture their live energy like lightening in a bottle and regurgitate it in the studio, delivering flawless performances at breakneck speed. Nuances like evil laughter add to the atmosphere while a ripper of a solo is nailed to perfection. “Revolution Execution” is eleven seconds shorter than the original, benefitting from a clean and crisp drum sound as it gallops down the ear canal. The riffs have a satisfying crunch so nothing about the record sounds dated even for a second, the barked vocal having plenty of bite to it without losing any of the lyrical narrative.

Almost tribal drum patters usher in an urgent rendition of “Metalmorphosis” before making way for an all out blast attack, the track perfectly paced for getting circle pits started at larger festivals. A genre tour de force, this one is as explosive as they come with the band rampaging through the material with style, grace and speed. They clearly have the confidence in nailing these tunes from performing them live and in re-recording them affectively put their own stamp on them. “Necromania” is actually forty one seconds longer than the original and surprisingly has an air of “Ascendancy” era Trivium about it in some of the riffs. It’s also one that proves that you can do atmosphere in Thrash with some of the leads giving off a chilling vibe. Tommasi’s harsh vocals give it the necessary weight while pushing a lyrical narrative that you might find in a low budget Zombie film, something that works incredibly well. Maintaining the flow and intensity “R.I.P.-Reign in Pain” hits like a concrete paving slab to the face, a little whammy bar action a nice touch during an introspective tale. Gang chant moments call for fists in the air and make this one a stone cold winner. Tearing through the cerebral cortex like a Piranha on the war path “Thrashing Delirium” the title track of the original record is a lethal dose of hatred sent from Luxemburg with love and sounding as fresh as a daisy smells. Sublind have done the unthinkable and outdone themselves with this whirlwind of percussive battery, the only real question being why they didn’t re-record the other four cuts… [8.5/10]

Track Listing