The promotional sheet for this record was written in charming broken English, so to honor its attitude, my introduction will follow suit: SPACE CHASER is super radical Thrash metal band from great country Germany serving up a science fiction-themed album full of surprise! Their upcoming record, Razorblade Bay, is thirty minute of high-speeds thrashing from the four-piece band, forming in 2011 and has releasing three previous albums. Long-winded appreciation aside, it’s time SPACE CHASER presents another Teutonic-esque platter of speedy Thrash. The preservation of Sodom, Kreator, and other Germanic titans’ aesthetics is an act I greatly appreciate–Kreator itself succumbed to the symmetrical illness plaguing modern-day covers (Krushers of the World, 2026). This styling begs a question: can they maintain a modern feel on a new label while still paying respect to their founders?
If you’re new in town—as our blog stats show—then you might think we never cover any virgin… I mean, any unicorn music here. It’s been a while, but why not review Xandria‘s Eclipse to break our dark spell and start looking into some Power/Goth Metal this year that actually doesn’t make me embarrassed of being a Metalhead? Or maybe I’m wrong, and this is more of the same happy depressing music. Let’s see.
Is this the last album I’m late with? Probably not. But is it at least worthy of a review? Absolutely. It reminded me that Prog Metal can also be mellow, without too many jazzy additions (as in, saxophone solo, overuse of keyboards, and others). Don’t get me wrong, those are pleasant too, but sometimes, the bands who appreciate them tend to forget that the point of prog metal is… metal, actually.
You know what we haven’t done in a while? Reviewed something kind of techy. So why not review a super underground act like The Absolution Sequence? Sure, the name sounds like something else—as in Goth or MeloDeath—but Dread Cycle should deliver all those complicated riffs you want, right? One can have expectations when the musicians shred more, or so I hope.
Black Metal. I know, nobody is excited about it—especially when we have just five tracks here, like it’s going to hit us with three riffs for forty-five minutes, right? There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Well, it’s true that there’s no hope. However, Windswept is trying to propose something more interesting than just a few half-baked ideas. A Sign of the Cloven Hoof should be as pagan as it sounds. Let me tell you something, then.
Well, kind of. Sure, it sounds like we’re getting introduced to some diabolical ritual and all that—you know, black magic and all the stuff that keeps us from believing in nothing. A Sign is a long and brutal journey, but an entertaining one. So those of you worried that this is going to sound like a factory, do not despair, because there are tons of ideas here that go beyond just mere blastbeats, goat screams, and white noise. It might not be the Icelandic school, but it does offer a lot of evil and darkness—and all the edgy things you came for.
There are only five tracks here, and though that should be terrifying for some, they’re all pretty well balanced. If anything, they could all blend into one horrifying and godless track. So your patience doesn’t need to be endless—you could actually chill while listening to this. Assuming you’re as disturbed as the rest of us to even contemplate heavy stuff as relaxing. Anyway, the bulk of the album’s momentum falls upon the guitar work, which has a solid and even memorable performance here. Okay, time to squeal.
A Sign is interesting indeed and doesn’t suffer from a lot of the issues albums like this usually have. But I do feel there could be more poignant possibilities here. As it is, it doesn’t stick in my head like, for example, something from Svartidaudi would, or even more Folk acts like Saor. Perhaps there are too many similarities between all the tracks. So even if it’s enjoyable, the album could have tried a few more disruptive concepts to stick harder in our memories.
Overall, this is a good performance. I know I’m making this sound like sports, but in a way, playing Metal has become so physical that the analogy makes sense, okay. Either way, for those of you who want creepy and endless Black Metal, Windswept has created something immoral for you. But if you like things more to the point or want real insanity, then keep holding your breath until you pass out. The album has its moments, but it won’t convert anyone who’s not already a fan of the style. For the faithful, though, it’s a solid addition to the collection—not a masterpiece, but a worthy listen for a dark night when you want to feel the cold wind of the north without leaving your room. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
It’s been a while since we reviewed something remarkably sad. Like, more depressing than a puppy getting put down. Anyway, Nail by Nail has a strange approach. It’s this old school Black Metal mixed with crushing Melodic Death Metal. That sounds exciting, right? Especially if you’re a crazy masochist like all of us. Yet I can’t help but worry about this thing being too safe. It’s a familiar formula, and familiarity can be a double-edged sword—comforting, yes, but also predictable.
Time to continue with one of our oldest traditions, courtesy of Veilburner. These guys have basically released an album every year we’ve been running this business. It’s not up to us—they’re crazy productive and even more consistent. I can’t think of any of its albums being bad, which is why I’m approaching All That Glimmers is Gloam with a healthy degree of optimism. You never know what the band is going to deliver, and that’s exciting.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 