Reaper's Riddle-Game Over

Firestarter Distribution
2014

Formed back in 2009, during which time this Perth, Western Australia-based heavy rock band released their self-titled debut album, Reaper's Riddle offer up their latest recording, the six-track/six-pack "Game Over". Serving as he follow up to "Drop"*, a single which was released in August of 2013, "Game Over" is a tale of two cities. Opening up (promisingly enough) with a brief instrumental intro (sounding for all the world like something Alice Cooper or Ozzy Osbourne might have used back in the early eighties) things take a turn for the worse with "If You Died Tomorrow"**, a tune that (for lack of a better reference point) comes across as a heavier version of Nickleback! To say that this was disheartening doesn't even begin to properly convey my disappointment. Especially as we're talking about a band that looks like this:

On "The Clock Part 1" lead vocalist Clayton Mitchell and company (guitarists Michael Willis & Dan Bishop, bassist Jason Edwards and drummer Wayne Frodyma) do make an attempt to right the wrongs and thanks to (slightly) ghoulish vocals and some heavy, post-grunge leads I found myself hopeful for better things to come. Once the title cut kicked in I found myself agreeing more with their (Facebook- posted) list of influences (everything from Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath to the likes of Disturbed, Rob Zombie and Megadeth/Metallica) as the band packaged classic rock riffs with the twisted mash-up of White Zombie and The Misfits! Moving on to "Fade The Grey" the band, which is highlighted by lead vocalist Clayton Mitchell's versatile vocal delivery (he seems to move between the kind of vocals you would expect to hear coming from bands like Staind, Puddle Of Mudd and Nickleback to this ghastly/ghoulish demonic front-man with little to no struggle!) again turns it's attention to classic guitar riffs although this time it's more in line with late 70's/early 80's hard rock and heavy metal. Pieced together with equal pieces/parts of Rob Zombie's spookiness and Pantera's groovy as hell nature it works so well that one can't help but wonder just what the heck was going through Reaper's Riddle's mind when they decided on "If You Died Tomorrow"? Dear God please tell me that some suit and tie rep didn't tell them that they needed a "single"! For this is one act that has the whole heavy rock/heavy metal sound down pat so there's no need to write some stupid radio rock crap when you're talking about how freakin' effective cuts like "Game Over" and "Fade To Grey" are! Either way we close out this promo version of "Game Over" just right with "Labyrinth". Here the Disturbed influences come rushing in and with a heightened sense of emergency the band rolls out the headbanging riffs of bands like Metallica and Megadeth while vocalist Clayton Mitchell acts like a wild & chained animal just waiting for his first chance to escape his enclosure and attack his prey! Hot damn! With a new album schedule for sometime later this year Reaper's Riddle are one band that needs a wider, more worldly-based audience so (hopefully) their next full-length affair leans closer to (style-wise) wicked cuts such as "Game Over",  "Labyrinth"and "Fade To Grey" while pushing the envelope into even more adventurous (heavy metal) territory!

*As I was halfway done with this review it dawned on me that the band's name seemed awfully familiar. After going through my past posts I found that I had actually covered this ingle back in late August of last year! You can read that review right here: http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=reaper%27s+riddle

**The tracklist for this (digital) promo was different then what you would find if you were to pick up this EP through Amazon or some other source. For whatever reason if went like this:

1. Intro
2. If You Died Tomorrow
3.The Clock Part 1
4. Game Over
5. Fade To Grey
6.Labyrinth

Meanwhile, at least on Amazon, it goes like this:

1. Intro
2. Game Over
3. Fade To Grey
4. The Clock Part 1
5. Labyrinth
6. If You Died Tomorrow

The "official" version (with "Game Over" as the second track) makes a HUGE difference so I suspect that somewhere along the way someone wised-up and change the running order of these tracks.

Reaper's Riddle-"Drop" Single

Self-Release/Interdependent
2013

I'm pleading ignorance when it comes to Perth-based Reaper's Riddle. Until this morning I had never heard of this heavy rock/heavy metal band. Thanks to the cool folks over at Killshot PR, who actually dropped the music video for "Drop" onto my lap, that's all changed. I now have another up-and-coming band to keep an eye out/ear out for. After checking out their new single "Drop", which mark's their first foreign into the world of music videos, there was no question at all that I'd be adding them onto my radar. There was one other question though. Does a band that's been at it for 5 years now actually count as a up-and-coming act? Maybe or maybe not. If that's the only issue I walk away with after checking out "Drop" then this band must be doing something right! Formed in 2009, with their self-titled demo LP dropping the very same year, the band has slowly been building up a loyal fan-base in their home country thanks to some solid studio-releases and, what is said to be, highly energetic live performances. Reportedly the band's first record-release party  resulted in a packed venue that was completely sold out of alcohol by 11pm! There's no doubt in my mind that the people who did manage to gain entry into the group's "record-breaking debut launch" worked up quite a thirst thanks to the band's early working-class style of hard rock. I know as much thanks to the fact that (after listening to "Drop" a few times) I went and picked up their back-catalog on iTunes! Having done so I can honestly say that this is one group that has improved with each new release. So, besides being described as a beast when it comes to playing live, Reaper's Riddle do know their way around a studio. It's easy to hear the group's musical progression with all things eventually converging on "Drop" and (subsequently) their upcoming concept album "The Ballad Of Tristan Daye" (expected for release sometime in mid-2014). With a strong front-man like Clayton Mitchell standing front and center the band's future does look promising. He's got just the right kind of pipes for this sort of heavy rock/heavy metal band and while he stays busy on the mic there are two guitarists on board who do more then just throw out  bunch of random riffs. Michael Willis and Dan Bishop help to keep things moving along with some solid hard rock solos. That makes sense as this band knows a thing or two about good hard rock bands and great hard rock hooks! Classic acts like Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Kiss, Metallica, AC/DC, The Four Horsemen, Dio and Megadeth have no doubt crept through the tiny cracks and influenced this bunch. Then again we're also talking about a group that "likes" newer acts such as Rob Zombie and Disturbed and has probably picked up a few pointers along the way from bands like Godsmack, Pantera, Dark New Day and Avenged Sevenfold. If all of that leaves your head spinning then just stop, sit down, take a deep breath and plug into "Drop". It will all make more sense then. From the vocals to the guitars and yes, even all the way down to the rhythm section (featuring bassist Jason Edwards and drummer Wayne Frodyma) Reaper's Riddle has the right kind of line-up and the right kind style and sound to make it. Heavy rock like this is really the best of both worlds as you could imagine this single played on FM radio just as you could easily as you could picture these guys hitting the road with a heavyweight act like Motörhead. Heck, I could easily see "Drop" getting the Lemmy seal of approval! Reaper's Riddle are just that kind of band and one worth keeping an eye and ear out for.




Music video for "Drop"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdVwbQtVec8