The 2015 record In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross immediately got our full attention. The release marked the moment when Sorcerer finally came out of hibernation for real. After five years of trying to decide what they wanted to become since 2010, the year of resurrection of the band after a long time of stop ‘n’ go and deep freeze. And that record restarted their metal machinations with a friggin’ thunderclap.
They rocked on to VIP status over at the RMR review desk when the fire king was crowned. Whereas – the next album – Lamenting of the Innocent – left us a bit puzzled.1 Still undeniably Sorcerer, the piece made us scratch our mutual heads some. Did some of the hot air escape out the Heavy Metal Doom Balloon? A temporary lapse of metal power? Did the supply of steroids run dry? Perhaps. But never forget, none of the ‘new’ Sorcerer records got below a rating of 7/10. And you need to achieve that one first. That – of course – also means that any new record has got some mighty big shoes to step into. And question is, will Reign of the Reaper have the oomph and chutzpa to get there? Start walking – and don’t stumble.
Right off the bat, something is out of whack with this new record. It’s like this dish that you like, but some condiment always gets in the way. And you can’t quite put your finger on it. It’s damn elusive but not necessarily unpleasant. But here it is. The RMR reviewers found a lot of high-pitched shredding, infectious sing-along choruses that stick to you like glue, and easy melodies with an often strangely restrained Anders Engberg at the helm. To the point that the refrain on Thy Kingdom will Come insanely followed us around for days.
In other words, this sometimes felt like Tommy Karevik of Kamelot hustling about the backstage, I kid you not. But fear naught, the RMR crew here isn’t ready to blatantly relegate Sorcerer to the sugary depths of Power Metal (yet). But – this odd feeling of too much cheese and sugar didn’t quite go away for the length of the relatively crisp 47 minutes of airplay without the covers.
On the other hand, Reign of the Reaper – true to its name – gorges with a lot of mid-tempo, hefty metal fare that’s sailing way closer to Doom Metal proper than its predecessors. In a way, the band leaned more into Rainbow’s Dio era than it would let Black Sabbath’s influences get in the way. The whole album displays a tightly written set of 8 main tracks full of burly riffs, absolutely stellar solos, a vocalist in rare form, and a stunning parade of stellar hooks. This band sure knows how to write epic songs without having the bombast overflow with smelly cheese. A feat not many achieved to date.
And the band truly got onto the melancholy train of pain and suffering this time. Boy, you even get treated to the Bell ov Doom in Unveiling Blasphemy. But the record can do so much more. Morning Star – for instance – takes off at a lusty pace with neat Heavy Metal on full display and some pure doom passages. The review desk got a kick out of the choir at the end and – hold on to something – the growls that reach you suddenly from nowhere. Yep, you heard that right – growls on a Sorcerer record. Reign of the Reaper – the title track – with its Crypt Sermon vibes gets pulled along on Engberg‘s mighty wail. Indeed, the vocalist here tears that mighty ship along with boundless energy. Whilst Curse of Medusa drinks deeply from that power/doom wave often on display on this here record.
And any Power Metal Heavy Metal piece worth its salt must sport a decent ballad, of course. Right? And for sure, Eternal Sleep got quite some attention over here. It’s a powerful slow-motion piece. But I guess, the woozy solo really sold us though, even if this crew never was too fond of interludes that were ‘en vogue’ in the ’70s and ’80s. This solo is rivaled by Break of Dawn. Yet another semi-slow rock ballad thing that – surprise – saves its slow-motion bacon with THAT last snazzy meandering solo.
Ultimately though, we couldn’t find one single bad track on Reign of the Reaper. It’s all doom ‘n’ heavy stuff, buffed to a fine shine and delivered with gusto. The record sports an irresistible mix of Doom, Heavy, Power, and some snazzy Black Metal vibes driven forth by Anders Engberg‘s mighty twang that cuts through the all too prevalent riffs, solos, and thunderous drumming like that proverbial scythe of the grim reaper.2
In contrast, the album may seem a bit too polished and overproduced at times. But this is small potatoes, as Sorcerer serves us with some top-level stuff. And why are we not surprised that the band chose Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Ozbourne, and Saxon for the covers serving as bonus tracks? The record truly feels like a trip down memory lane at times. But finally, the gang around Engberg did themselves proud on this one. A shiny beacon of Doom and Heavy Metal sent to us by a band in top form.
And long may this continue.
Ed’s note: And – drumroll – the record’s made it onto our 2023 Top Ten list. Congrats!
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Metal Blade | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 27 October 2023