Review: “Rage and Mindgames” by BLYND

A year after Cypriot Death Thrash veterans BLYND gave us their fourth studio album “Unbeliever” the quartet return with a surprise released twin track offering. Both cuts are described as reimagined, high-octane re-recordings of fan favourites from the bands 2011 debut album “The Enemy” which give guitarist Andreas “Rat” Hadjipandelis the opportunity to put his spin on things having joined in 2022. He is of course joined by original drummer Alex Iacovou with both musicians part of Progressive Groove Metal act Speak In Whispers, guitarist George Masouras and bassist vocalist Andreas Paraschos.

“These two songs have consistently ignited mosh pits and fuelled chaos at our live shows, and now we’ve given them the brutal production they’ve always deserved. If you thought the originals were intense, just wait till you hear them reborn!” ~ BLYND

Re-recording your classics can be an absolute minefield at the best of times; done well and you’ll get a little credit for something perhaps leaner and meaner with older works benefitting from modern production values. But if you don’t take your time to get it right then it can come across incredibly badly with the fans; almost like self sabotage, especially if you fail to capture the energy of your live performances. Fortunately this pair of new renditions from BLYND fall into the first category, the new rendition of “Rage and Mindgames” is 10 seconds shorter than the original and having some serious crushing power. Vocally Paraschos is at his finest, his vicious bark having plenty of bite to it as he tears through the lyric sheet like rabid dog. The guitars are potent with hints of influence from the Swedish Melodic Death Metal scene, particularly in the vibrant lead moments and the thunderous percussive battery is sublime. Whoever mixed and mastered these cuts deserves a lot of credit because they’ve absolutely nailed it. Ironically “The Enemy” is a couple of seconds longer than the original but sounds just as wrathful, frontloaded with Groove Death riffs that deliver a satisfying crunch thanks to a mighty fine choice of guitar tone. A tapping section into a blistering solo on this one is a nice touch, chemically enhancing the original just enough to give it more verve and swagger when compared to the original. Perhaps that’s down to the confidence gained from playing the cut live to countless audiences but it makes a real difference. Next time out new drummer Nakis Kyriakou will be making is recording debut with the band and this certainly bodes well for that [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Rage and Mindgames (2025)
2. The Enemy (2o25)

“Rage and Mindgames” by BLYND is out 25th July 2025 via Pitch Black Records and is available over at bandcamp