Berlin Thrash Metal outfit Space Chaser are set to celebrate their tenth anniversary as a band by releasing their third album titled Give us Life set to be released July 16th via Metal Blade. Space Chaser’s drummer Matthias Scheuerer took the time to talk with Metal Express Radio about the band’s upcoming album, writing and recording during the pandemic, the Metal scene in Berlin and more. Check out the chat below!
Metal Express Radio: Space Chaser’s new album Give us Life is set to be released July 16th via Metal Blade, what can you tell fans about the upcoming release?
Matthias: Give us Life is our 3rd full length album and the first that’s being released on Metal Blade Records. We’re convinced that we’ve made the best album to date. There is very little that didn’t turn out as planned or better. From the compositions, the lyrics and the production to Mario Lopez’ incredible artwork – it’s the strongest material Space Chaser has to offer.
MER: How was the writing and recording process, with this being the band’s third album?
Matthias: It started out rather painful. At the end of 2019 we decided that the material we’ve had written so far (it was almost an entire album) isn’t gonna cut it. We just weren’t happy with it and so we started again from scratch. It was before we’ve had the offer from Metal Blade and so we thought: “Fuck it! Let’s do it all over again” Then came corona and we knew we had a very special chance and took it. We used some of the old stuff as sort of a tool box that we used here and there but all the tracks on Give us Life are from the time after that breaking point. That’s probably why they sound – at least to us – fresh and energetic and not rehearsed to death.
Due to the pandemic we had the chance to work full time on the production and we went into the studio fully prepared. We just had a great time making a wild record.
MER: Space Chaser recently released a video for “Remnants of Technology”, do you feel like that song gives fans a good idea of what to expect on the new album?
Matthias: Absolutely. That’s why we chose that song not only as the first single but also as the opener for the album. It’s the perfect introduction to our new material for our fans as well as for Metal heads who are just now discovering us.
MER: How would you compare Give us Life to the band’s previous two albums?
Matthias: We feel it’s us continuing along our chosen path and carving out a stronger position in the Metal scene. If you compare our first record Watch the Skies with it’s sophomore Dead Sun Rising you see a huge step from lighthearted party-thrash to a more serious approach in both lyrics and music. And the difference to Give us Life is once again a step further in that direction. The music and it’s lyrical themes are bleaker and more brutal than we’ve ever been before.
MER: How would you compare the Metal scene in Berlin to everywhere else around the world the band has played?
Matthias: Berlin is probably not the most Metal of all cities in Germany. It’s just too much of a modern hipster town and everywhere you go you run into Techno and young people with their hip crap. But we have some scene. And in the last ten years a whole bunch of Metal Bands have bee surfacing and all of them are good. The good thing about a somewhat neglected scene is that it’s stronger and not as defragmented as in some of the other towns that consider themselves as “Metal Capitols” or something like that. When we put up our Space Fest you meet them all: the doom guys, the thrashers, the Death Metals, the seasoned veteran and the young guys. I have hope that we can establish an even greater community here in Berlin.
MER: Do you have any plans in regards to touring for this year?
Matthias: We’re going to play a festival in Russia in July. Other than that it still doesn’t look too good this year. I don’t think that club shows will be possible this year. We’re booking a tour run through Europe for march 22 and trying to get more dates added to that. It’s still hard to make plans as the pandemic is far from over and it’s still a far cry from going back to normal.
MER: If you could pick anyone to tour with, whether headlining or supporting, who would it be and why?
Matthias: Real life tours? We would love to support Overkill or Exodus at one point. Or if I’m allowed to dream bigger; Testament. I also think having a tour with Warbringer would be great. The tour of our dreams however would be us with Among the Living Anthrax and Epidemic of Violence Demolition Hammer. But however and with who ever, we’re anxious to leave Germany and Europe for that matter. We’d love to thrash out with the kids all over the planet.
MER: Out of the band’s three albums, which one would you recommend to a new fan and why?
Matthias: All of ’em of course haha. It depends. If you never heard of us and would like to get a good overview of what Space Chaser is all about then maybe go to the Spotify, open our discography playlist and set the player on random. This way you’ll get it all.
If you’d like to get an idea of where we came from and where we’re going then start from the beginning. Check out our first Decapitron EP, then go to Watch The Skies and so on.
But really I think for now I recommend Give us Life the most as it shows us at our best now.
MER: Thanks for your time and stay safe and healthy!
Be the first to comment