Release
date: October 20th 2017. Label: Profound Lore Records. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
Mirror
Reaper – Tracklisting
Mirror
Reaper
Members
Bass/Vocals:
Dylan Desmond
Drums/Vocals:
Jesse Shreibman
Review
Mirror
Reaper is perhaps Bell Witch most ambitious and daring album to date.
One single track running for eighty three minutes that encompasses
almost everything great about the Doom/Sludge Metal scene. It's not
an easy album to listen to. Nor should it be as Bell Witch has a lot
of ground to cover here. Playing passages of Post-Black Metal, Drone,
Doom, Sludge, Psych, Post-Rock and even Folk music. The album won't
be for everyone.
Mirror
Reaper is dedicated to their former drummer Adrien Guerra who sadly
passed away. The band leave no stone unturned in creating a
gut-wrenching and emotional bleak musical odyssey. The music is
played at a slow pace to begin with and this allows Bell Witch to
create an unsettling atmosphere with the post-black metal/doom sounds
merging into something more fascinating. The instrumental work is
almost flawless throughout. As Bell Witch put on an instrumental
masterclass of Extreme Metal.
Maybe
the band have taken that little bit too much on with this album as
there are parts of the album that I didn't enjoy as much. Mainly the
"Folk" style moments as it slows the mood down. However
Bell Witch has enough tricks up their sleeves to put the album back
on the right track. Mirror Reaper can be very trippy and psychedelic
at times before heavier Funeral Doom-esque influences return the
album to its more extreme natural sound.
Mirror
Reaper does indeed sound amazing and that's down to the irresistible
and intense production held on the album. Maybe I'm not the best
person to review an album such as this. As I normally focus on
Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal albums. However I'm glad that I was given
the chance to review this album as it took me out of my comfort zone
and made me appreciate bands like Bell Witch. As they've put their
hearts and souls into this album release.
This
album may see Bell Witch expanding their fanbase to the commercial
masses. It's happened before with other extreme metal bands over the
years. However, Bell Witch are perhaps truly deserving of that
success without complaints from anyone.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks to Becky at
Pioneer Music Press. Mirror Reaper will be available to buy on
CD/DD/Vinyl via Profound Lore Records from October 20th
2017.
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