EP Review: Morbid Breath – In the Hand of the Reaper (Redefining Darkness Records)

Carl Fisher 2 min read

Morbid Breath emerged in late summer of 2020 as a studio project by guitarist Stefan Carrillo to pay homage to early thrash metal legends Slayer. By the end of summer, the project began to take shape and forge its own path once Marcus Eriksson (bass/vox), David Gustafsson (Drums) and Felix Klaesson (lead guitar) joined. The band began instantly writing new material and released their first single entitled, Hellbringer, on Halloween of the same year.

After spending the entire autumn in the rehearsal space, the four-piece entered the studio in December together with long time friend Timmy Ternestål to begin the recording of their upcoming debut EP, In the Hand of the Reaper, which Redefining Darkness is excited to share with the metal world on May 21st 2021.

 

 

Paying tribute to the olden days of thrash and speed metal, Morbid Breath’s debut EP has a lo-fi taste as if it was designed to sound like it came from the early 80’s era. The old-school flavour is a heavy and glowing snapshot of that time, sealed and delivered by a band more than capable of dragging it into the modern era.

Five tracks of crunchy and cutting noise. The riffs cleave straight through the soft parts and the drums/bass smash and break through everything else. All while the filthy vocals gleefully encourage such bodily destruction. Every so often, a head-splitting guitar solo comes screeching along to add even more weight to things. Morbid Breath are relentless, as they should be and it has impact.

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It’s not an EP designed to moving this kind of music forward, it’s a throwback. That and the ‘tape’ quality of it does mean it sure sounds dated. However, that doesn’t mean bad as this sound was class back then and is still now. Morbid Breath pay tribute, not only proving that they get it but that they’re bloody good at it!

Morbid Breath – In the Hand of the Reaper Full Track Listing:

1. In the Hand of the Reaper
2. Hellbringer
3. Ancient Beasts
4. Beneath the Graves
5. Death Trap




Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Redefining Darkness Records

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Morbid Breath - In the Hand of the Reaper (Redefining Darkness Records)
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