Easily, one of the quickest ways to get me to investigate your album is to have the phrase “single-track EP”, or anything of the like, in the description. It will instantly cause me to gravitate towards whatever it is you may be dishing out for my fascination with the concept will surely be my ruin. More often than not in the grand vast majority of instances, it’s in the realm of doom metal that such occurrences happen, and that proves to be no different tonight! As the first of two releases that they are to supposedly release in 2021, Jointhugger’s forthcoming EP may be shorter than I had hoped for with the concept, but it is far from lacking in literally every other department.

With a runtime of over 18 minutes, it’s ridiculous for me to even think about complaining that the EP is too short for just a single track. Given the concept as a whole though, Jointhugger definitely find themselves on the slightly shorter end, but they immediately make up for that with power and hypnotism throughout the whole track the likes of which really does live up to the reputation that they made for themselves with last year’s “I Am No One”. This EP really does feel like Jointhugger took their previous effort and just squashed it into an 18-minute song that is all but befitting for the grueling experience of a year we had, but to simply label “Reaper Season” as a glorified synopsis of its predecessor would be to greatly diminish what it accomplishes all on its own. Throughout the whole of this gripping work, we’re treated to an immensely well-balanced diet of crunchy doom riffage, gripping melodies, the perfect amount of tasteful psychedelia, and intoxication the likes of which elevates the entirety of “Reaper Season” into a creation that is no less than bewildering for any proper doom fan that sets out to listen to this magnificent EP, and I can virtually guarantee nothing short of fascination and majesty is to be found within. This duo could’ve absolutely taken the easy path with this EP and just made it one riff extended out over a few bridges or slight variations that can be barely taped together to be called an EP, but to even suggest that has taken place with “Reaper Season” to be to spit in the very face of Jointhugger whose excellence is shining without shame through every note that’s being offered to us here.

The art of the single-track EP is one that I have been partial to for a long time, and I would simply be in the wrong if I were to even dare insinuate that Jointhugger didn’t succeed at pulling it off gloriously at virtually every turn to make this a satisfyingly devastating EP from start to finish. And with “Reaper Season” being just the first of two effort that we’re to see this year, my mind is going in every direction to think of what Jointhugger might have in store after this execution of glory. Surely, though, it’s to be absolutely grand!

“Reaper Season” releases on April 2nd via Majestic Mountain Records!

LISTEN to Jointhugger on Bandcamp here.

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