Release Date: September 26th 2025. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned - Tracklisting
1. Hammer
2. Bloodfeather
3. Pot Of Gold
4. Parasites
5. Dwelling
6. Perfect Organism
7. Bones
8. Waiting by the Gallows
Members
Thad Collis - Vocals / Guitar
Peter Snasdell - Guitar
Garrett Garlington - Bass
Jeremy Grobsmith - Drums
Review.
Doom/Stoner Metallers Cosmic Reaper return with their latest album Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned which sees the band become master practitioners of the Proto-Metal world with their sound playing homage to the likes of Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Candlemass and Pentagram. What makes Cosmic Reaper standout is their foray into areas of Psych, Space and Cosmic pastures with certain elements of Alt Metal and Grunge to give their sound quite a destructive and distinctive quality.
This time round Cosmic Reaper performs with a mature storytelling aspect compared to their celebrated debut album with tales of horror and science fiction that allows the album to be quite fantastical and horror obsessive at the best possible moments. The lyrics have a real blood curling effect with Thad Collis vocals settling firmly into the role of Ringmaster and master storyteller all in one go.
The music itself is destructively heavy and downright gloomy with flashes of aggressive melodies with flashes of MONOLORD-esque FUZZY heaviness injected within the Proto-Doom surroundings of the superbly played opening tracks of Hammer, Bloodfeather and Pot Of Gold. Sludgy guitars can be felt more than ever that allows the excellent rhythm section of Garrett Garlington (Bass) and Jeremy Grobsmith (Drums) generate a pounding and intense Doom Metal ENGINE that really makes Cosmic Reaper actually tick and perform to the best of their musical abilities.
Thad also handles guitar duties along with newest member Peter Snasdell which gives the band a holier than thou METALLIC quality with down-tuned and suitably paced melodies combining for a record that’s ultimately perfect for the upcoming HALLOWEEN season. Cosmic Reaper have found a great balance of NWOBHM based vibes and influences on the other parts of the record that pushes the whole experience into one of SONIC and AUDIO manipulation with FUZZY and VIOLENT amplifier riffage dominating the musical journey on other standout tracks such as Parasites, Dwelling, Bones and Waiting By The Gallows.
Cosmic Reaper always have an authentic creative energy to their music which allows the band to merge classic sounds of Seventies Heavy Metal against Nineties Alt Metal/Stoner Metal that always leads to places you don’t initially expect. There’s excursions into areas of Blues Rock which adds a gritty undertone that fully transforms the backdrop of Cosmic/Spaced Out Doom into something with real human emotion.
Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned is an emotionally satisfying, thrilling and emotionally charged experience with dangerous LEVELS of FUZZ and GLOOMY instrumental passages that leaves a lasting impression long after the record has finished.
Cosmic Reaper will no doubt make a bigger name for themselves with this truly outstanding record.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.
Links
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