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HIGH REEPER
Renewed By Death
Heavy Psych Sounds Records

Renewed By Death is the kind of record that grabs you by the scruff, tosses you headfirst into the void, and dares you to crawl your way out. HIGH REEPER's 2024 release is a testament to the raw, dirty, doom-laden energy that's always been their calling card - but this time, it's leaner, meaner, and draped in just the right amount of evil swagger.

From the first note of the opening track "Renewed By Death", it's clear the band is pulling no punches. Riffs drop like anvils, each one heavier and nastier than the last, while Jimmy's bass lines creep through the mix like a prowling beast in the shadows. The vocals? Zach is rough and commanding, like a preacher summoning you to some forgotten desert ritual. It's classic HIGH REEPER but sharper, more refined - like a rusty blade that's been hammered into something lethal.

Tracks like "Lamentations Of The Pale" and "Jaws Of Darkness" are dripping with grooves and that signature '70s occult vibe but with a more 80s/90s straight-up metal, borderline trash edge. It's the sound of a band that's spent years honing their craft, distilling everything you love about doom heavy metal into pure, undiluted power. There's an intensity to this album that wasn't quite as prominent on their earlier records - it's as if they've shed the excess, leaving nothing but the essential doom-and-roll essence behind. The song "Alluring Violence" took me on a trip back to the late 80s early 90s flirting with ANTHRAX-esque and even early PANTERA grooves, albeit with a doomier tone and vocals.

Production wise, Renewed By Death feels massive - Justin punishes the drums hitting like a sledgehammer, the guitars of Pat and Shane grind through your speakers like an engine revving in the pit of hell, and the whole thing has this grimy, smoke-filled atmosphere that just envelops you. It's thick, it's dirty, but somehow it never feels muddy. HIGH REEPER knows how to keep their sound raw without sacrificing clarity - a rare feat in today's heavy scene.By the time you hit the final track, "Echoes Of Mortality", you're left feeling like you've been through a classic 1989 release, ya know... one of the good ones!

5.0 Out Of 5.0