East Coast doom metal purveyors COSMIC REAPER team up with Metal Injection to premiere their sophomore album "Bleed the Wicked, Drown the Damned" in full ahead of its official release this September 26th on Heavy Psych Sounds.
Since 2017, Cosmic Reaper has carried a black-flamed torch of tradition, forged in the long lineage of doom and sludge. Emerging from the shadows of Charlotte, North Carolina, the band blends a raw, southern swing with the full circle of heavy metal, creating a sound as steeped in American mysticism as it is overloaded saturation of amplifier worship.
Their anticipated second full-length "Bleed the Wicked, Drown the Damned" is a deeper descent into psych-doom’s haunted core and sees a big step away from older stoner elements, promising to push their sonic boundaries further into the void—heavier, stranger, and more apocalyptic than ever before. Check out their latest video for Bones!
“Bleed the Wicked, Drown the Damned is an album we poured our hearts into. We aimed to elevate our sound to a new level while also drawing inspiration from the roots of doom, with a touch of 90s angst. Lyrically, it touches on everything from standing up to tyranny to revenge, sacrifice, love, lust, and betrayal — all wrapped in themes of horror, science fiction, and history. For the best listening experience: light one up, and turn it up loud,” says the band.
While their roots lie in the hallowed halls of Sabbath and Saint Vitus, the band’s DNA mutates further, pulling from the textured anger of Soundgarden and even the chaotic forces of Snapcase. Cosmic Reaper isn’t interested in simply echoing the past; they swirl it in a glass, layering a cocktail of thunderous bass and drums, brink-of-destruction fuzz, and ethereal vocals into a sonic ritual all their own.
The band’s self-titled debut, released in 2021 on Heavy Psych Sounds, announced their arrival with cataclysmic force, earning praise for its crushing atmosphere, hard rock-influenced riffs, and psychedelic accents. Tracks like “Hellion” and “Planet Eater” showcased their ability to drift between galactic doomscapes and swamp-born grooves. 2022’s follow-up, "Doom Sessions Vol. 7," saw a brief evolution in tempos and themes pulled from the remnants of the self-titled record.
Since then, much has changed. With lead guitar duties being passed not once, but twice, Cosmic Reaper welcomed guitarist Pete Snasdell into the fold. A longtime stalwart of the UK heavy music scene, Snasdell brought an evolved sense of harmony and heaviness, expanding the band’s twin-guitar attack and deepening the commitment to the cult of heavy metal. Now armed with a sharpened lineup of Thad Collis (vocals/guitar), Garret Garlington (bass), Jeremy Grobsmith (drums), and Pete Snasdell (guitar), Cosmic Reaper continues to burn slow, but ever blinding.
COSMIC REAPER is
Thad Collis - Vocals / Guitar
Peter Snasdell - Guitar
Garrett Garlington - Bass
Jeremy Grobsmith - Drums
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