Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Black Reaper
Label: Self-released
Release: year_month
Length: 47:18
Rating: 3/5
If there’s one thing Slovenia has never been short on, it’s good, quality thrash, starting with the cult debut from the old guard Sarcasm, Crematory. Soon after came Game Over from Jesenice with the cult Tilt, then Železobeton from Prekmurje, and after the first wave in the early nineties, thrash came roaring back to life with the arrival of Negligence, who carried thrash into every Slovenian village. Eruption, Thraw, Keller, Panikk and many others followed, each adding their own piece to the mosaic of Slovenian thrash metal. The “Slovenian Death Angel,” Black Reaper, have done a great job of filling that role too, delivering the praiseworthy debut Blood Moon Rising in a relatively short time since forming.
No, Black Reaper don’t sound like Death Angel. The comparison fits only because of their youth, since just like Death Angel at the time of The Ultra-Violence, the members of Black Reaper are in their early teens. Genre-wise, though, these guys from the Primorska region are closer to bands like Slayer, Kreator, Destruction and Exodus than to Death Angel. So Blood Moon Rising puts a bit less emphasis on melody and more on aggression and rawness. Still, the guys conjure up some gorgeous melodic moments that liven up an otherwise nearly nonstop, fast-rolling thrash assault. The melodic intro Moonrise sends the Primorska thrash bura blowing, and then the guys leave the listener at the mercy of hurricane winds for three quarters of an hour, whipped up by varied riffing, oom-pah drums, raw vocals and thrasher-style breakneck speed.
Within all its frames, Blood Moon Rising is a completely typical thrash record, which is also its biggest weakness. After the title track, the album carries on in a very similar style right to the end, and because the songs are (too) similar to one another, they often blur together. The arrangements and song structures could use more variety, which matters all the more in thrash, a genre that doesn’t allow big departures from the established formula. On Blood Moon Rising, Black Reaper hug the fence a bit too tightly and repeat the same trick too often, which is made even more problematic by the lack of memorable choruses (with a few very bright exceptions!). So this debut from the young thrash blood isn’t without problems, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a very good record. The guitar duo of Jure Kovač and Luka Bajič serves up a varied barrage of riffs, melodies (Lost Souls) and classic thrash solos that are a treat for the ears, Patrik Bajič’s drums are varied, with blast beats spicing up the oom-pah rhythms (placed a little awkwardly at times, but still), the bass is nicely rattling, and Rok’s mechanical vocals fit the instrumental sound. The only thing that bugs (me) is the monotony of the vocals, which are more narrated than sung and are often padded out with effects. Given the dark, war-themed subject matter, a vocal in the style of the psychotic John Kevill (Warbringer) would have suited Black Reaper perfectly.
Despite a few shortcomings, Blood Moon Rising deserves all the praise, offering some excellent moments that stick with you (the title track, the explosive Nuclear Fire, March of the Reaper full of epic moments, Agent Zero with its acoustic intro and top-notch riffing on doubled guitar lines). It deserves even more praise when you consider the youth of the Black Reaper crew, whose peers probably turn up their noses at thrash. Blood Moon Rising is a promising debut, and there’s no doubt Black Reaper will build on it with something even better down the line. All the ingredients are there!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6rdqjWrjoU
Lineup
Rok Jerončič – vocals, bass
Jure Kovač – guitar
Luka Bajič – guitar
Patrik Bajič – drums
Production
Matej Srebrnič
Track list
1. Moonrise
2. Blood Moon Rising
3. Disguise
4. Psycho
5. Promised Land
6. Nuclear Strike
7. Enlightened By Fire
8. Lost Souls
9. Blackjack
10. March of the Reaper
11. Agent Zero
12. Reclamation of Prophecy
