It’s always great to be certifiably good at a particular style, but there is always something to be said for wanting to expand your horizons and branch out to do something new even if it means straying from the path you’ve been following for several years. Since its beginnings, Sorcerer has been an epic doom act that has never been one to underestimate with their three full-length albums being some of the more engaging and underrated creations of the sound even as the band finds itself with quite the cult following. However, it’s been clear from one work to the next that Sorcerer has never been content to tread the same exact territory twice from one album to the next. Following that trend, it’s with their fourth work that Sorcerer finds itself in a territory quite unlike what has come before it.

Given Sorcerer’s clear mastery over their particular brand of epic doom metal, witnessing a record like “Reign of the Reaper” come from seemingly out of nowhere is something that I don’t think many of us would have expected. Much more forward when it comes to its speed and overall intensity but never once lacking in the aural awe that Sorcerer has long been tapping into, these eight tracks show us a completely different side to Sorcerer that we’ve only ever seen inklings of over the years with “Reign of the Reaper” showing us just how much this act has been itching to lean into this part of their sound. Melodic to the very end and incredibly bright despite some of its darker themes, Sorcerer has made the transition quite well despite missing the mark in a few instances. While some of the songs feel like they ride the same sonic territories and share the same melodies, the fact that the record as a whole feels cohesive and powerful in multiple scenarios makes up for such a turn as. Whether “Reign of the Reaper” will end up being a one-stop detour in Sorcerer’s discography before heading back to epic doom or the beginning of a new trend for the act, one cannot deny that this is a step that few honestly could have anticipated with Sorcerer making it clear that they’re more than up to the take of bringing it to life.

A divergence in a band’s sound like what we see here is something that we don’t often witness from a band of a caliber like Sorcerer with it rarely working out for many different reasons, but Sorcerer has managed to set the stage for multiple victories in this aside should they want to continue down this path. Whatever is to come next, “Reign of the Reaper” is sure to remain as another worthy addition in band’s growing catalog whose renown has yet to lose its luster.

“Reign of the Reaper” releases on October 27th via Metal Blade Records!

LISTEN to a single from “Reign of the Reaper” on Bandcamp here or via YouTube below.

LIKE Sorcerer on Facebook here.