Sorcerer once again delights us with its fourth album.
Entitled Reign of the Reaper, it will be released in 2023 on Metal Blade Records, the label where the Swedish band currently composed of Anders Engberg (vocals, Dreams Fall, ex-Section A), Kristian Niemann (guitar, ex-Therion), Peter Hallgren (guitar), Justin Biggs (bass, Autumn’s Mourning, ex-Descend) and Stefan Norgren (drums, Faceshift, Seventh Wonder) has been signed since its reunion in 2010.
Drums were recorded by Richard Evensand (Reignsaw, ex-Chimaira, ex-Therion), who has since left the band, and keyboards by Conny Welén (Mezzrow), co-producer of the album.
The album opens with the introduction of Morning Star, where heady leads carry us through to the intense vocals that fuel the band’s epic touch. Heavy influences are skilfully blended with more majestic Doom underpinnings that tell the story of Lucifer, progressing with effective riffs to a heavy break via a solo, then on to Reign of the Reaper, the eponymous track, which quickly reveals darker tones. The track is relatively intriguing, playing on its slowness and oppression while letting keyboards and leads give it its imposing touch before a few backing vocals present a solo, then Thy Kingdom Will Come takes over, reviving numerous melodies that adorn a haunting rhythm and its bursts of energy partly due to drums. More ethereal influences join the track before Eternal Sleep soothes the atmosphere with its gentleness, sometimes joined by more expressive guitars accompanying the vocalist, before building up definitively to welcome the solo. The band continues its march to Curse of Medusa, which returns to a more energetic and unifying approach, where we can already imagine skulls swaying in rhythm with the martial riffs as the vocalist delivers an intense performance accompanied by harmonics, before Unveiling Blasphemy once again darkens the horizon, anchoring the band in its haunting tones. The musicians take care to make solos ever sharper and sharper as the chorus heralds the end of the track, followed by The Underworld and its powerful riffs. Keyboards once again do a remarkable job of sublimating the rhythm and explosive guitars, even borrowing from Power Metal, before Break of Dawn slows the pace, allowing the band to explore their most theatrical sounds and close the album with their intoxicating sound.
Although they got off to a rocky start, Sorcerer are gradually gaining in confidence, and with Reign of the Reaper, they offer us epic sophisticated melodies, sometimes coupled with a few darker passages, that are sure to please.
85/100