Band:	Sorcerer
Album:	Reign Of The Reaper
Style:	Epic doom metal
Release date:	October 27, 2023
A review by:	omne metallum

01. Morning Star
02. Reign Of The Reaper
03. Thy Kingdom Will Come
04. Eternal Sleep
05. Curse Of Medusa
06. Unveiling Blasphemy
07. The Underworld
08. Break Of Dawn

Making up for lost time.

When people think of Swedish metal, often the Gothenburg sound or melodic black metal scene are likely to be the first styles that come to mind. There is something to be said, however, for the country's doom metal scene, overshadowed as it is, with it spawning not only Candlemass, but also bands like Sorcerer, one of the best purveyors of epic doom metal going. Sorcerer may not be a name you recognise, but it is one you should get to know, especially when they offer up albums like Reign Of The Reaper.

Since their rebirth over a decade ago, Sorcerer have made up for lost time and hit the ground running (well, running fast considering the pace of most doom albums), delivering a series of albums that have brought them recognition and success beyond their longtime cult status. Reign Of The Reaper unsurprisingly continues in a similar vein to those prior records, not fixing what isn't broken (well, it still has a few small dents) and offering yet more quality material for fans to listen to.

Starting off on a strong foot is album opener "Morning Star", a song that encapsulates Sorcerer's sound perfectly; the wailing guitars of Hallgren and Niemann alongside newcomer Norgren combine into a solid backdrop for Engberg to star upon. The not-so-secret weapon up Sorcerer's sleeve is vocalist Engberg, whose strong and powerful voice gives the band a sound and personality beyond that of being merely another doom metal band. His vocal performances on tracks like "Thy Kingdom Will Come" add that epic, grandiose touch that elevates the quality of the music several notches. "The Underworld" is another propulsive cut that has a hypnotic rhythm that will catch the attention of listeners, while Engberg's soaring vocals hook deep into your ears and hold your full attention.

While not necessarily a drawback depending on your tastes, Reign Of The Reaper is a very well produced album, possibly too well produced for a doom album in fact. The highly polished production does enable songs like "Unveiling Blasphemy" to evoke a grandiose feeling with its layered sounds, and well-placed mix, but there is something to be said about the gritty and stripped-back charm of a less polished sound in doom. With that said, the choice of a polished production is at least done very well, with tracks like "Eternal Sleep" conjuring up an atmosphere that befits them.

What Reign Of The Reaper often lacks is that killer riff on songs like "Curse Of Medusa"; while the band as a whole create a solid track, top-tier doom metal often has a memorable guitar hook to hang its hat on (Tony Iommi set a high bar for those that followed), something that Sorcerer compensate for in other areas, but could definitely benefit from.

Sorcerer continue to make up for lost time, with yet another high-quality album in Reign Of The Reaper to add to a quickly burgeoning discography: making up for lost time indeed.