Sorcerer – Reign of the Reaper
Sorcerer – Reign of the Reaper
Metal Blade
Release Date: 27/10/23
Running Time: 47:11
Review by Simon Black
8/10
Sorcerer, if you haven’t come across the before, are one of those bands that go back a long way, but fizzled out before the late 1990’s started being very unkind to all things Metal, and hibernated long enough for it all to be business as usual again in 2010. Their original material was described as “Epic Doom”, but these days it’s more of an even blend of straight-ahead Metal, with a strong streak of Power, some Progressive elements in their arrangements and a nod to the days of Doom in the overall mood. In other words, they’re a great example of a band that touches enough sub-genres to have a broad range of appeal, and they deliver it well.
Not having come across them before, the back catalogue is not something I can comment on, but what we have here is a lengthy, well-crafted and thoughtful approach to an album that doesn’t get repetitive. The songs all take their time, but there’s a lot packed in, with some clever arrangements and some quite blisteringly technical work that raises the eyebrows, without feeling like its in any way showing off for the sake of it. That said when guitarists Kristian Niemann and Peter Hallgren do let rip, they can really shred.
The songs all work well to build mood, and vocalist Anders Engberg certainy packs a powerful punch, with his clean but gruff-tinged timbre, but keeping enough of a charismatic presence to hold your attention over the length of the song. If I have a criticism, it’s one of accessibility, as Epic as it is, and moody it most definitely is, but that can make it a hard nut to crack on a first pass. Like all good things, repeated listens bring rewards for the patience, but I can see this being hard to pick up casually, although ‘Thy Kingdom Will Come’ is pacey and lively enough to pull you in and the relentless thundering of the Speed Metal infused ‘The Underworld’ both make a nice tonal break from the moodier passages.
It took me a few spins, but I’m digging it now, but bear with the moodier ones, as they’re definitely worth the effort it takes to penetrate them.
‘Reign of the Reaper‘ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Morning Star
02. Reign of the Reaper
03. Thy Kingdom Will Come
04. Eternal Sleep
05. Curse of Medusa
06. Unveiling Blasphemy
07. The Underworld
08. Break of Dawn
LINE-UP:
Anders Engberg – Vocals
Kristian Niemann – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Peter Hallgren – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Justin Biggs – Bass, Growls
Richard Evensand – Drums
LINKS:
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