Album Review: Reaper - Rebirth of Chaos
Reviewed by Sam Jones
So Reaper are a new band in my books. Prior to my listen of Rebirth Of Chaos I can’t say I had ever heard of them. However, its been a moment since I reviewed some thrash metal and Reaper being a new find I decided to give them a listen to see what was what. An interesting note about this album is how its effectively what the band wished to put out back in 2018; Reaper are a local band to myself having formed in Liverpool, UK back in 2010. Their first Demo however would be some time off, not arriving until 2017 before being followed up by that aforementioned debut studio album. With 2018 came Birth Of Chaos, a record that was plagued by engineering woes, lineup alterations and overall is viewed by the band themselves as merely a glorified EP. As a result, aside from their 2020 follow up record Stranger Than Fiction which was given plenty of marketing through numerous Singles dropped leading up to that sophomore album’s release, this is really what the band originally wished to put out in the first place. Its rare when this occasion happens and the band in question have the opportunity to re-record and basically re-release the same album again, to the specifications they were after, but treat it as a real album and not merely a soft remaster. I was curious, so let’s see what the band were able to do to bring back the power they always meant to inject into their early days in the first place.
I must say that the vocals really took me by surprise. Amongst thrash albums I’ve heard this year, the kind that Reaper showcase are some of the strongest, cleanest and all round best I’ve heard all year. The power that their frontman has within his pipes is incredible as not only does his voice manage to penetrate through the riffs and lively drumming at every stage of the record, but it’s evident that the band have placed particular emphasis on the vocals as far as how audiences will hear and receive their sound. It’s also nice to acknowledge, once in a while, when a thrash vocalist can actually sing and command your attention simply through their innate vocal prowess alone. There are instances where the vocals will climb to greater heights but not so often that it becomes a quick bore; the vocals are half the reason I believe why this record has such a wicked and mellow atmosphere in spite of being a high-octane thrash album. You can play this album when you want a nice kick to your day but don’t want to feel like the world is thrusting itself onto your shoulders. Vocally, this record gives you a rewarding and pleasant time that’s able to equally deliver with spades of energy.
I like how the general songwriting isn’t geared overtly towards some devastating thrash attack or a blisteringly paced onslaught that you can’t keep track of. The overall approach the band appear to have taken towards this record is one that is exceedingly well written but more importantly, it feels deeply disciplined and removed from a juvenile desire to simply thrash as hard as you can and as fast as you can because while that’s a great notion to work towards, it can result in thrash that’s simply nowhere as memorable. Simple thrash can lack substance precisely because the band in question may be thinking about things too narrowly; Reaper on the other hand take lessons from songwriting and implement them throughout every step of the record. This is especially the case as the band’s longer pieces get underway and during the 6/7 minute tracks that are present accordingly, you won’t find your attention or engagement drifting off elsewhere at all. When thrash is written well and performed with all the exuberant energy you’d want to receive out of such a record, the impact can be immense.
I must say that this is a supremely well mixed album. The music evokes all the power you’d want to get out of a thrash record, it doesn’t overpower your senses so you’re able to always follow where the songwriting is taking you, the bass and drums possess a quality whereby they’re able to perform and also feel included and necessary to the grander scope of the album and ultimately it’s a clean sounding record that still feels like there’s some grime hanging beneath hidden rafters and within neglected alleyways. It’s made very clear from the get go that Reaper did not go into this album with the intention of making it a balls out, all out assault on your well-being because I think we’ve heard it before where bands have attempted such a thing, to varying degrees on both sides of the success spectrum. The truth that Reaper don’t ascribe to this approach therefore is not some weakness that we can judge them by, but rather it’s how they choose to write their thrash. It reminds me of what Shrapnel did with their last album; a seriously great album that managed to eviscerate all in its path and yet still retain a disciplined and focused trajectory on where the songwriting was going. Reaper’s Rebirth Of Chaos may not have the same length as Shrapnel did with that record, however the idea is the same. Reaper have chosen songwriting and patience as their key weapons for this record and, as you listen to the record from start to finish, it really shows.
The guitar work here is really slick. As we’ve mentioned beforehand the album is this pretty clean and smoothed out affair where the band haven’t wanted anything too coarse or rusty which we could catch ourselves on, running your hand over a vinyl pressing this record springs to mind imagery of a super smooth exterior, one where you can feel the gloss of the record’s print. What’s curious too is how the band don’t play all that quickly all the time either, Reaper keep their feet hovering just above the gas pedal so when things do pick up it’s quite noticeable, however it doesn’t become such a drastic incline in tempo that it’s jarring or at risk of removing you from the flow of the record. There’s even a great dash of melody thrown into the record here and there too. What this points us towards, is an album that has an aggressive and ferocious versatility and stamina yet understands how to regulate its own adrenaline. The riffs are articulate and thanks to the mix as well, you can hear even the smaller and more quaint turns in the guitar work. Solos throughout are pinpoint and demonstrate quality restrain at not simply bursting into wild frenzies of electric mayhem.
In conclusion, this album was an absolute joy to experience. This is a thrash record that balanced the line between hard hitting and laidback almost flawlessly as you’ll be able to sit back and take in everything the band want you to experience without feeling like you’re panting for breath or physical relief as you move from one song to the next, or forever feel like you’re counting down the seconds to the next track because the current track you may be listening to isn’t holding your attention as well. I absolutely loved this album but I’m more amazed as to how subtle it’s quality is. It’s not an album that tries to shove how great it is in your face, the band genuinely let the music do the talking and through songwriting, mixing and talent they’ve certainly done just that. Thrash can be tricky to get right but when it’s done well it becomes very difficult to forget. Reaper deserve to be amongst the upper echelons of modern thrash acts worth keeping an eye on. By the time the last track was wrapping up I couldn’t help but feel like I had reached the end of a long, turbulent yet wholly satisfying road as if this wild ride had come full circle. Rebirth Of Chaos is sheer joy given electric form: the fun of AC/DC, the bite of Shrapnel and the insane energy of Death Angel.
