Reaper's Digest

REAPER'S DIGEST: Only Death Is Real

Get in girls, it's death metal weather, and we're listening to some brutal new joints (plus Brat, Crypt Sermon, Hyperdontia, Cowardice, and more).

Kim Kelly

Jun 25, 2024 • 4 min read

Apologies for the jump scare—I'm dealing with a death in the family this week, and haven't had time to finish up what was meant to be this week's band feature. I'll have it ready for ya next week, though, and in the meantime, I thought I'd send out a Reaper's Digest to tide you over.

There's been a metric fuckton of rad new records coming out lately, and even more on the way—I'll never understand how anyone could possibly look around at the embarrassment of riches that is the current extreme metal scene and insist that "there's nothing good coming out now." There is! So much!!

First off, have you listened to the new Crypt Sermon record yet? Good lord, does it slap. I wrote a whole review of it over at Spin, which you can read if you'd like to see me get a little more Serious about Music Criticism, or you could just take my word for it here and go wrap yer ears around it now. If you dig Candlemass, misty rural mornings, medieval quests for gore and glory, and Dio, here's your album of the summer.

This one's been out for a little bit (I even wrote about it for Flaming Hydra), but I like it a lot and keep getting super confused on Twitter where everyone's posting about Brat (which I gather is a pop girlie thing). If you like sweaty basement shows and grindcore and feminism and fat riffs and swampass, THIS is the Brat you want and need right now.

If, like me, you abhor the heat and curse the sun, you might be more interested in some nice, chilly black metal. Philly's own Unholy Altar are hearing up to release their debut full-length, Veil of Death! Shroud of Nite, next week, and they've got a couple teaser tracks up on Bandcamp that's got me hooting and hollering (Satanically). Philadelphia remains undefeated in all things, including feral eyeliner black metal.

It's also excellent death metal weather, if you're in the market for some big honkin' riffs'n'roars. I've always felt like certain types of music go best with certain seasons, and here in the heat dome, it's a Tribal Gaze day. The Bandcamp reviewer who referred to this record as a "poser disposer" is exactly right.

I realize I started this off talking about new music and then wrote about a bunch of records that came out awhile ago, so here's a new one from Prehistoric War Cult. It's called Barbaric Metal. Three guesses on what it sounds like (it sounds like barbaric metal).

Hyperdontia's freshly-released Harvest of Malevolence is straight up dark death metal, just like mama used to make (provided yer mom was in, like, Incantation). I'm also very into their cover art—more death metal bands should get maritime with it, the ocean is brutal as fuck.

I'll tie this one off with a mention of dystopian doom outfit Cowardice—true homies, Sunrot affiliates, the pride of North Jersey, and some of the heaviest motherfuckers in the Garden State. Get into their monolithic new jawn, Atavist, or get left behind.

Until next week, stay cool, play it loud and hug your grandma for me.

Love,
Kim

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