Review by Sam on May 3, 2026.

This vocalist, who goes by the stage name of Pharmacist, sounds like a carbon copy of Jeff Walker in 1988. But I wouldn't go so far as to describe the band Pharmacist as an early Carcass worship ensemble or clone. For one, most of the songs are four to five minutes in length. Secondly, the production is superb. And some of these riffs man, are quite eye popping. The drum production is also very well done as the kicks and snare have a clear yet analog sound. Who knows if this record was recorded to tape; outlook not good on that since the year is 2026 and it's just too easy to record digitally, but the drums sound great whether blasting your ass with the snare or kicking your ass with double bass.

Most of these songs stay true to grind in that they are frantic and frenetic in nature. The tempos are pretty much turned up to ten nonstop, but when they do slow it down a notch it dials up the brutality considerably, kind of like on the rare occasions when Napalm Death plays slow. One of the most effective techniques that Pharmacist employs is using a half time beat a la Slayer's "Criminally Insane" that allows the riffs to articulate themselves nicely. Based on other reviews here for Pharmacist, I gather that they are strongly influenced by Pathologist, and as only a casual listener of grindcore, I was unaware of this band. Pathologist has a 1991 demo entitled "Medical Jurisprudence" that has 974 tracks, as well as 1990's "Sexual Cadaveric Mysophilia" with 385! Grindcore dudes, amirite?

There are times throughout this LP where the band really locks in to a groove and they proceed to destroy. There are no guitar solos to speak of, which is fine as that would only distract from the malaise, and a lot of these riffs are rather stunningly melodic. There's only one specific riff here that I'm going to single out for discussion, and it's found on the closing track, "Zenith Of Mnemonic Forensication", which has a reek of "Heartwork" to it. At three minutes in, they start doing this stop-time riff over a slow-ish beat and it is without question the highlight of the album. When they go double time with this, the guitar keeps playing the same stop time pattern while the bass, fuzzed out and filthy, continues onward in all its putrescent glory. Had they explored more of this type of riff work, I would be a bigger fan of "Vertebrae After Vertebrae". The sequence that precedes the here described awesome riff is also killer as it sets things up melodically.

My favorite Napalm Death songs are "Evolved As One" and "Contemptuous", so obviously, I can pretty much do without the warp speed tempos in which grind tends to dwell. This is why I can actually see myself repeatedly revisiting this record because Pharmacist explores a variety of velocities and textures that are uncommon in grindcore. However, one of the characteristics of grind and more specifically, goregrind, that I find fascinating is the use of highly technical medical terminology for lyrical content. On the latest release from the duo from Japan, the doctor is most certainly in.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Michael on October 12, 2026.

I had some doubts that German thrashers Space Chaser would survive the departure of their vocalist, Siggi, in 2023 because he was quite unique and an important part of the band.

But the guys from Berlin didn't throw in the towel. Instead, they promoted backing vocalist and guitarist Leo to the position of lead vocalist. As if that weren't enough, they also switched labels, moving from Metal Blade to German label Testimony Records to release "Razorblade Bay". So, the only constant since the last album is the Terminator on the once-again very cool album cover.

And what can I say? The guys deliver once again. Of course, Leo's vocals are very (and I mean VERY) different from Siggi's, and you might need some time to get used to them, but for me, they work quite well. I also struggled with them a bit at first because they're quite rough and much deeper than anything you could hear on the predecessor, Give Us Life!, or the band's earlier releases. But after a few spins, they work pretty well. A little more emphasis in certain places could give the vocals even more depth and character.

Apart from that, the music is some cool thrash metal with plenty of melody. Sometimes it's mid-tempo, with a gloomy atmosphere and casual gang shouts ("We Are the Night"), but one thing you can always count on is some fantastic guitar solos.

"Mind Melting Machine" obviously has its origins in some Judas Priest "Painkiller" sessions; the riffing at the beginning sounds very much like something from that 1990 opus magnum. It's a straightforward, very fast bastard of thrash and heavy metal, and a damn catchy track.

What is eight minutes divided by four? Two minutes. That's the running time of "8 Minutes", which takes a more punkish approach and could be a pretty cool song for live gigs. Although it has some more dragging passages, it's fast most of the time and spreads some great party vibes, especially with the cheering at the end. I guess drummer Matthias was involved in the songwriting, as he also plays in the German punk band ZSK. The same goes for "Even The Score", which is even faster and more punk than thrash. I guess Leo's vocal performance is at its best on "Razorblade Bay" here because he sounds authentic, and those rough vocals fit the song perfectly.

Another cool, catchy track is "Blade Serpents". Pure thrash meets an abundance of catchiness. Again, the guitar solos sound a lot like Judas Priest or even Saxon, while the main riff is super-aggressive and makes for a great banger.

To sum it up, Space Chaser are still alive and kicking, and you can definitely count on them. Maybe you'll need some time to get into the album, but if you like bands such as Municipal Waste, old Dust Bolt, or Gama Bomb, you'll definitely enjoy it. Space Chaser's fourth full-length studio album is well-produced, and apart from the sometimes overly rough vocals, there's absolutely nothing to complain about.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10