Cosmic Reaper - Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned

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Cosmic Reaper is a stoner doom metal band from Charlotte, North Carolina who formed in 2017.  Their latest release, “Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned,” is their second full-length album; they have also released an EP, demo, and a split album.

This is my first experience with Cosmic Reaper, but I am impressed.  The riffs are gargantuan, like some kind of hulk Kaju in musical form.  With each song, the guitars and bass rip my ears open, deepening the hole to my brain.  While I was headbanging, my brain was vibrating but such is the sacrifice us doom metal fans wholeheartedly embrace.  According to their Metallum page, they have three guitarists in addition to a bassist.  They certainly use this quad attack to a very effective nature—this is one of the heaviest non-extreme metal albums I’ve heard all year.  

I like the atmosphere a whole lot too—it’s perfect for the upcoming Fall weather.  It’s also psychedelic and a little horrific…. this is stoner doom but it’s definitely much more abrasive and darker than many in the genre.  Good—that’s what it needs!

The vocals are about what is expected: cleans that are oftentimes run through some sort of filter or reverb.  But they are perfect for the music, and I can’t think of a better way for them to be presented.   I do like the drums quite a bit—nothing flashy but they hammer hard and compliment the nonstop jams.  What else is needed?

“Hammer,” begins the album and, well, it’s pretty damn perfectly titled. After a slow intro, the distortion creeping in like a miasma with the drums helping a lot, the riffs kick in and throw down molten notes.  Thick, heavy…. it’s like being drowned in a sea of molten, liquid metal.  Once the vocals kick in, the band finds their groove and…. wait for it…hammer it out until the end. The solo is sweet too, a bit melodic and a bit psychedelic.  

“Pot of Gold,” is another doomed out romper of a song.  The drumming goes for broke here, like it’s fighting for its life.  The fuzz is strong with this one too but there are also quiet moments which bring out more of the band’s psychedelic tendencies.  These passages mix with the heavier parts very well and seem perfectly in place.  The last minute of this song is a fine example of how heavy doom metal can get.  CRUSHING.

The album gets trippier as it moves along.  “Dwelling,” is a long interlude but it fits within the context of the album and offers a respite that also helps gear up for “Perfect Organism.”  This song I find to be a biting example of the album’s overall sound, as it is balanced between heavy and psychedelic elements.  Some of the best riffs are in this one, almost sludgy. 

The final song, “Waiting By The Gallows,” is my favorite on the album.  The beginning is towering and the drumming really gets the flow going.  The lead guitar is mind melting, complimenting the atmosphere even while bending around it.  The last couple of minutes are very satisfying, a subtle yet dangerous approach to their well-honed style.

Cosmic Reaper’s “Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned,” is a fantastic stoner doom album that hits all the sweet spots of the genre while forging a sound all its own. 

Rating:  Great


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