Album Review: Space Chaser - Give Us Life
Reviewed by Jon Wigg
The first half of 2021 has produced some memorable thrash metal albums. These include offerings from the old school - Flotsam and Jetsam and Agent Steel - an excellent return from the U.K.'s Evile and great slabs from newer bands like Vulture and Angelus Apatrida to name but a few.
Well add ‘Give Us Life’ from Berlin’s Space Chaser to the list of contenders for thrash album of the year, because this is a banger.
First up let this reviewer point out that to my ears, excellent vocalist Siegfried Rudzynski has more than a touch of Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth about him. Similar style, pitch and tone. Therefore there is a feel of Overkill running throughout Space Chaser’s tracks although only a couple are derivative. I would say that his range is better than Blitz’s and he is able to drop into a lower register and while not quite getting into full on harsh vocals, he gets intentionally close at some points.
Joining Rudzynski in Space Chaser are the twin guitar attack of Leo Schacht and Martin Hichsattel. These guys clearly enjoy a good axe duel and there is plenty here for fans of thrash, punk and even a little prog. The rhythm section is also excellent with bassist Sebastian Kerlikowski providing a solid foundation for everything and Mattias Scheurer interjecting blast beats where required but not overusing them - a feature that for me has made quite a few modern thrash albums quite boring. That is definitely not the case here.
Opener ‘Remnants of Technology’ is a fantastic way to start and the Overkill worship is in full effect. The riffs are hooky and the solos soar behind Rudzynski’s high pitch. ‘Juggernaut’ is a good change of pace and thuds along really well. The use of an interesting secondary riff over the top of the main chug keeps this song fresh and provides a glimpse of things to come.
‘Cryoshock’ is a lovely track that is driven forward by the rhythm section - it is one of those classic sounding thrash tracks that sounds like it’s on the verge of going out of control at any point but just manages to keep it together. Highlighted by some good pace changes and excellent solos, this is 80’s style thrash at its best. ‘A.O.A.’ is brutal and direct. The addition of a secondary solo riff elevates the song and prevents any staleness setting in.
‘The Immortals’ takes all the ingredients of modern thrash and dumps a massive portion of Slayer right into the mixer. The use of slower, heavier riffing and harsher vocals provide a welcome addition and this excellent track really fits well into the album, injecting a dirtier, snarling edge.
This is continued at the start of ‘Signals’ before a more traditional Teutonic thrasher in the style of Kreator breaks out. ‘Burn Them All’ has a different style with some beautifully timed changes of pace and excellent drumming. At points the vocals are almost spoken, giving this track a feel of storytelling and the midsection and solos have a really progressive feel. ‘Give Us Life’ uses staccato riffing well during a mid paced stomp and there is some excellent interplay between the bass and guitars towards the end. ‘Antidote to Order’ starts with a gang shout and a punky opening before giving way to another old school thrasher which again uses some interesting off beats in the solo section.
Album closer ‘Dark Descent’ is an absolute cracker to finish. The gut punch opening gives way to pace changes and a slower chorus before a fantastic traditional/classic metal solo section brings an end to proceedings.
Space Chaser really knows how to construct songs. The use of pace changes, blast beats, time changes and breakdowns keep the songs and album fresh. At its heart ‘Give Us Life’ is an old school 80’s thrash album and the influences are clear for all to hear. But unlike many of their contemporaries, Space Chaser manage to make an album of 10 excellent tracks that are each individual and defined while being part of the whole.
So many metal albums of all genres these days, but especially at the more extreme end, are well written but after a couple of tracks, you feel like you’ve heard it already, and are ready to move on. There is little change in pace, tempo or style - a choice made for the Spotify generation?
‘Give Us Life’ avoids this completely and is a fresh, interesting album that at the same time pays homage to those who came before. It made me want to listen all the way through to see what they were going to do next, and then listen all over again. Great stuff.
