When R.I.P. came crawling out of the sewers of Portland, OR last year, their grimy, sleazy Street Doom was already a fully formed monstrosity that quickly infected the minds of everyone it encountered. Now, borne from the band's declining state of mental health and increasing focus on songwriting, Street Reaper is an even more unhinged and menacing album that their debut In The Wind. Borrowing equally from 80s Rick Rubin productions and Murder Dog magazine aesthetics, Street Reaper is a streamlined yet brutally raw manifesto of heavy metal ferocity hearkening to the era when both metal and hip hop were reviled as the work of street thugs intent on destroying America's youth. Throughout, Angel Martinez's guitar and John Mullett's bass are inextricably interlocked, sounding like a massive sonic steamroller, while drummer Willie D keeps the beat solid and simple for the most powerful impact. And, the band's extensive touring and excessive virgin sacrifices have clearly endued singer Fuzz evermore agile vocal chords to drive it all home with extreme precision.
