Photo by Caleb Stanfield
“Bones” is the latest video/single from North Carolina doom bringers COSMIC REAPER. Now playing at Decibel Magazine, the track comes by way of the band’s Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned full-length, set for release on September 26th via Heavy Psych Sounds Records.
Comments vocalist/guitarist Thad Collis of the track, “‘Bones’ is a very personal song for me, but I think its lyrics can resonate with anyone. I’ve always appreciated art that allows people to derive their own meaning from it. That being said, it’s basically about being haunted by the ghosts of your past, especially if you refuse to face them. Musically, I think it showcases some of our best qualities as a band, and as individual songwriters. We like to write catchy riffs and grooves that make people wanna move, and I think we accomplished that with this song. Even if you don’t care what it means, you can headbang to it and it might get stuck in your head – just like those ghosts.”
Adds Decibel, “For a track called ‘Bones,’ the latest video from North Carolina stoner doom outfit COSMIC REAPER is big on fire, but short on actual bones. Plenty of heavy, drop-tuned riffs to go around, though, and the video, of course, features an obligatory cameo from a scythe-wielding reaper. Most of the video features performance footage of the band… with said scythe propped up by the amps as though it were a spare instrument…”
Watch COSMIC REAPER’s “Bones” video HERE.
Stream COSMIC REAPER’s previously released singles, “Pot Of Gold” HERE and “Bloodfeather” HERE.
Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned was recorded and mixed by Blake Hobson at Sense 2 Recording Studio and mastered by Esben Willems at Studio. The record will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats.
Find physical preorders at the Heavy Psych Sounds webshop HERE and digital orders at Bandcamp HERE.
COSMIC REAPER will kick off their tour with Temple Of The Fuzz Witch and Fell Ruin tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. In September, the band will play a special performance at Hopscotch Music Fest in Raleigh, North Carolina with Windhand and Pelican. See all confirmed shows below.
COSMIC REAPER Live w/ Temple Of The Fuzz Witch, Fell Ruin:
8/27/2025 Portal – Louisville, KY
8/28/2025 Al’s Bar – Lexington, KY
8/29/2025 Super Red Arcade Bar – Lynchburg, VA
8/30/2025 Seismic Summer Fest – Charlotte, NC
8/31/2025 Cherry Street Tavern – Chattanooga, TN * No Fell Ruin
9/06/2025 Hopscotch Music Fest @ Lincoln Theater – Raleigh, NC ^ Festival date w/ Windhand, Pelican, Temple Of The Fuzz Witch
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, 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.
While their roots lie in the hallowed halls of Black 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 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 on 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 – Thad Collis (vocals/guitar), Garret Garlington (bass), Jeremy Grobsmith (drums), and Pete Snasdell (guitar) – COSMIC REAPER continues to burn slow but be ever blinding. Their highly anticipated second full-length album, Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned, is deeper descent into psych-doom’s haunted core, the record 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.
Comments Collis, “Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned is an album we poured our hearts into. We wanted to take our sound to a new level, but also call back to the roots of doom, with a touch of 90s angst. Lyrically, it touches on everything from standing up to tyranny, to revenge, to sacrifice, to 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.”
COSMIC REAPER:
Thad Collis – guitar, vocals
Garrett Garlington – bass
Jeremy Grobsmith – drums
Peter Snasdell – guitar
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