EP REVIEW: Descent – Moon Reaper

The city of Bristol is in rude health when it comes to the alternative scene, teeming with all manner of rock and metal bands showcasing their talents around the local area. Now, it’s the turn of MOON REAPER to announce themselves as a force within the community. Formed in 2019, they released their first single Torture Chamber in the October of that year and went on to share the stage with the likes of OHHMS and GRIEF RITUAL before the world shut down. Making the best of a bad situation, the band got back to making music and are now poised to released their debut EP Descent, out today as an independent release.

A blackened doom outfit that plays music for “the sound of a thousand dying stars”, there is a huge amount stuffed into this 25-minute, five-track offering, and it all begins with Time Warper as sludgy riffs produce towers of sound that combine well with Morgan Cradick‘s impressive, unclean vocals. His guitar work with fellow axeman Noah Burns is exemplary, whilst bassist Aidan Rutter and drummer Zack Esposito are more than adept to providing a strong foundation for this wall of noise and crushing darkness. Spiralism, the lead song from the EP, will delight all who are fans of CONJURER as it moves from monolithic passages to quieter intervals and clean backing vocals add a touch of elegance; however, like the majority of this release, it’s all about the power of the riffs to incite the banging of heads that really drive the track forward.

Clockwork adopts a lighter guitar tone and focuses more on the technical side of MOON REAPER‘s repertoire than the heavy, but it’s still not pulling any punches, Esposito‘s triple kicks underpinning galloping sections whilst that aforementioned tone brings a more expansive feel to the track, something emphasised as the tracks closes in a more melodic and deliberate style, albeit with Cradick‘s vocals back at their guttural best. Godeater brings a healthy dose of groove and swing into the mix, almost breaching LAMB OF GOD and GOJIRA territory at points, whilst Necromancy brings everything to an earth-shattering conclusion with another hefty blend of guitars and ambience in equal measure.

Staking your flag into the world of metal is never easy, but this lot have little to fear; Descent is a sonorous feast of riffs and growls to gorge on for a long time to come. A new darkness has arrived in Bristol, and their name is MOON REAPER.

Rating: 8/10

Descent is out now via self-release.

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