Review SPACE CHASER “Razorblade Bay”

When Space Chaser emerged in 2011 and delivered a highly promising debut with Watch the Skies!, it was clear that the next generation of German thrash metal bands was already waiting in the wings.

A major turning point came in 2023, when frontman Siegfried Rudzynski left the band and Space Chaser had to find a replacement. That change also meant a longer wait for a new album. Now, though, the wait is over. Lead guitarist Leo Schacht has taken over vocal duties, and Space Chaser are back as a four-piece with their new album, Razorblade Bay, locked and loaded.

Their fourth full-length can certainly be viewed as something of a fresh start, although the band hasn’t radically changed its sound. Space Chaser still deliver high-energy metal that sits somewhere between thrash and speed metal. Drawing inspiration from bands such as Kreator and Sodom, the Berlin quartet tears through ten tracks, with the closing “Razorblade Bay (Reprise)” bringing the album full circle.

Naturally, that means the title track also serves as the opener. After a short, dramatic intro, Space Chaser waste no time getting down to business. A pounding rhythm and crunching guitars form the backbone of a song practically engineered for headbanging. Sitting still while “Razorblade Bay” is blasting away is, frankly, asking a lot. The grooving midsection deserves a special mention, too, adding another dimension to the track.

Space Chaser aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. They build firmly on old-school thrash metal, something that comes through particularly well on “No Gods, No Dawn.” Yet the Berlin four-piece manage to put their own spin on the formula, giving the songs enough character to keep the entire album from sounding like a trip to the thrash museum.

“8 Minutes” is an amusing title for a song that doesn’t even make it to the three-minute mark. It’s a furious headbanger with a pulsating midsection that adds a neat little twist to the otherwise full-throttle attack.

Despite operating with one fewer member, the band delivers a surprisingly varied album. “We Bow to None” and “The Coffin” show just how much room Space Chaser have found within their established sound. The pace remains consistently high, but cleverly placed breaks add some welcome dynamics. Then there are the furious leads and screaming guitars, which naturally remain part of the package. With “Even the Score,” Space Chaser even throw a slight punk edge into the mix.

After all the changes of recent years, including a label switch, Space Chaser have clearly found their way back to what they do best. Razorblade Bay is a strong album and perhaps not quite what you might have expected after everything the band has been through. That makes hearing this much commitment and energy all the more rewarding.

Here’s a young band with thrash metal running through its veins—and on Razorblade Bay, they make damn sure you can hear it in every song.