As the old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That's not often taken to heart in most industries, and Metal music is certainly not immune. Usually when we're looking for something that reminds us of the old stuff, the old stuff is exactly what we wind up listening to, again and again. We all know that there's good new stuff, if you know where to look, but the problem is always finding it.

New blood frequently dodges Thrash Metal but for today at least there is a new challenger for the crown, and where better to get a modern take on Old World ingenuity than Germany? Berlin's own SPACE CHASER, newly signed to the big leagues of Metal Blade Records, have launched their third album, "Give Us Life". The band's first full-length feature since 2016's "Dead Sun Rising", the intervening half-decade has done nothing to temper the band's abilities, and in fact, they may be better than they've ever been.

For anyone unfamiliar with the band's style, "Remnants Of Technology" will leave new listeners with no doubt that this is, without quarter, a Thrash band. That's further given credence on "Juggernaut", a real home run with near constant double bass drumming.

From here, the listeners are treated to a textbook filling of Thrash, starting with "Cryoshock", which while a bit of standard fare for the genre, still does justice to the sound. That is largely the case for "A.O.A.", "The Immortals", and "Signals", as well, so the band is nothing if not consistent.

The order is given some chaos on "Burn Them All", playing around with the tempo and making it a bit more interesting than the middle tracks. Following that is the title track, a distinction the song truly earns as it gives the band a much firmer signature. "Antidote To Order" sounds the most like their earlier works, and takes a chance with the typical Thrash rhythm, and it tends to pan out pretty well, adding a bit of dimension to the album. Closing it down is the album's six-minute heavyweight, "Dark Descent", not wasting a second as it does the most exploration of any song on the album.

It's quite a feat that SPACE CHASER has done, actually; they're taking a mostly modern approach to an old-school methodology, and yet, they don't come off as just some session musicians covering EXODUS or ANTHRAX behind a BRUCE DICKINSON impression. This band is the real deal, they've really got something here, far more than just what their influences suggest.

But then again, nothing about this album suggests any particular groundbreaking innovation; SPACE CHASER is filling a role that a hundred other bands stand ready to take. The good news is that, even for the lack of clear-cut evolution, the band does such a supremely competent job, that the music can't be described as anything other than excellent Thrash Metal.

"Give Us Life" can be enjoyed by the entire Metal community, from the faithful who analyze every note to the casual seeker of background noise. Add "Juggernaut" and the title track to the All-2021 Playlist, and put "Give Us Life" on the ballot for Thrash Album of the Year.