Album Review: Space Chaser – Razorblade Bay
Reviewed by Garth Pugh
Losing a key member is always a difficult crossroads for any band, but when that member is the vocalist, it can hit home even harder. That is exactly the scenario that has occurred for German Thrashers Space Chaser, following Siegfried Rudzynski’s departure, for reasons I’m not clear about, but instead of drafting in a new member and altering band relationships, rhythm guitarist Leo Schacht has stepped forward to handle the lead vocals, which were showcased on last year’s standalone single ‘Ignite the Skies’, which sadly (and oddly) isn’t included on this new full length.
Anyone who was a previous fan will have noticed that the band have ditched practically all of the power and most of the classic metal leanings they had previously and have leaned almost fully into their thrash influences. The harder, faster, more aggressiveness that was highlighted on ‘Ignite the Skies’ is continued in a blur of Teutonic thrash that rushes past in a mere ten tracks and just over thirty two minutes. This darker and more aggressive sound still has melody, but it’s slightly pushed to the rear.
Starting with the blistering title-track with its choppy riffing and catchy chorus, it sets the scene for the rest of the album, as all energy and German efficiency. ‘Mind Melting Machine’ is all about pace with its piss and vinegar attitude. ‘No Gods, No Dawn’ is a longer track at just over 4 minutes, and although not exactly of epic proportions, it is one of the brief moments when the band slows down for a few moments and allows the listener to breathe with its chunky intro riff, but fear not it soon picks up speed and has a very strong singalong chorus. ‘8 Minutes’ and ‘Blade Serpents’ both mix relentless strumming and pummelling percussion, to great effect, while penultimate track ‘The Coffin’ harks back to past releases and ramps the thrash back a little and adds a lovely solo into the mix. The album ends on a reprise of the title-track and is a fun finale to a solid album.
Fairplay to Space Chaser for pushing on after such a game changing loss, and ‘Razorblade Bay’ is a really solid, enjoyable thrash album, but, and there is a but, without that unique selling point, for me it fails to surpass their previous works, and I can’t see myself returning to this one as much as their earlier albums, but I still recommend giving it a spin, as its good, but just lacks that X factor to make it stand out from the rest of the thrash crowd.
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