ALBUM REVIEW: Reaper – The Atonality Of Flesh

Swedish Black-Speed Metallers are back to follow their ferocious debut album with a second full length. Out via Iron Bonehead Productions on March 5th.

Creepy guitars come into life with an atonal riff met with sampling, this is an effective and immediately unsettling way to start the record off as booming drums subtly lie in the ether behind the reverberate guitars and speech. A storming onslaught of ravenous speeding riffs and d-beats fire into a malicious existence with bitterly chilled vocals, delivering an unholy blast of maniacal and energetic Extreme Metal glory with all of the ferocity that we saw on the first album, developed further into a ballistic assault of carnage. Utilising the whammy bar for full blown 80s thrash dive-bombs in the solos, this old school approach suits the electrifying music and its raw, cutting production beautifully. The tracks immediately get off to a catchy and memorable start due to the monstrous riffing and pounding drums while sticking to a more bestial approach than one of anthemic nature. The bar has been set high from the opening tracks.

Blistering forth, the rupturing blend of devilish Heavy Metal does not lose momentum, rather gains it with whiplash headbanging anthems of pure devastation. The legitimately tangible sense of savage passion on this record is no less present than on its predecessor as we see these Swedes deliver total chaos with precise and yet sleazy instrumentals topped by utterly barbaric vocals. This is the kind of Metal that will surely get anyone headbanging along, without the need for overproduced chugs or lame breakdowns, this fine-tuned and relentless death-machine pummels forth with no regard for its victims as we see an anarchistic image of morbidity unfurl with the most glorious soundtrack. Crude and confident, the record bashes forth a ruthless blend of blasts and d-beats to match the sonic obscenities of the guitars and bass to backdrop a filthy slew of vocals in killer style. Pure witching Metal obliteration that will grasp you from the off and keep you fixated as the viciousness does not yield.

Interluding piece “Nightgaunts” sits before the halfway mark, allowing you to catch your breath before total eradication storms everything in sight. There is definitely an interest in atmospherics on this record, though not in a sense of pretty soundscapes, rather a far more malignant approach in which the focus is on tearing through anything in the path of Reaper. Much like on the first record, the rampage is unresting and seems to endlessly conjure forth magnificent instrumental and vocal cascades of epic proportions while perhaps upping the melodic factor somewhat on this tome to create an even more memorable yet equally lethal experience. This record will blast through the night as cities burn and the demons run amok, be a part of the chaos and crank it up as soon as you get the chance, lest you become swallowed by the tornado of riffs that will decimate all enemies and pulverise the weak. The reign of fire is upon us.

Reaper return with another slab of unwieldy and malicious record of pure Black-Speed Metal ecstasy. Their memorable brand of witching violence is second to none and can be seen as fiercely as ever on this furious and unstoppable recording of nefarious Metal annihilation.