We’re bringing the doom in the early stages of this week, and some damn good doom at that. Last month North Carolina’s Cosmic Reaper released Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned through Heavy Psych Sounds and I’m thrilled to offer it up as our latest feature. Having spent some time with this one already, I can attest to how well Cosmic Reaper celebrates the roots of the genre while still creating something that is uniquely their own. To introduce this project and this album a little further, Thad Collis (vocals, guitar) stepped in to respond to our questions. Give this Profile a read after the jump and let’s get heavy.

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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

I grew up in a rural southern community that was very religious, and my family comes from Appalachia. My older cousins introduced me to metal when I was about 12, and it changed me. I’ve always been into a variety of music, but it always came back to some form of metal. I got a cheap guitar when I was 14 and never looked back. Most of my family don’t get it, but we just don’t talk about it. Cosmic Reaper started as some friends just jamming on riffs in the living room.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

It sounds like the feeling you get from watching a Dario Argento film from the 70s.

Is there anything about your latest album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

The song “Dwelling”, which is now one of my favorites, was a last minute idea. It’s based on the melody at the end of the final track.

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

One time we were playing at this crowded venue with a small stage in Charleston. I had a full stack behind me with my amp on top, and it was on a raised ledge. Unbeknownst to me, that heavy tower of noise started to fall forward, and if some fast-acting people hadn’t seen it happening and intervened, I might have left this world in a legendary way.

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

I think it’s beautiful that metal just keeps expanding into new territories. People joke about the insane number of sub-genres, and I hate when the lines are drawn too hard, but keep em coming. Not all of it is my thing, but it’s kept the genre alive. A lot of my favorite modern bands are the ones whose foundations are built on the fundamentals of our forefathers, but they create their own sound from there. That’s what I hope people hear in our music. One of my favorite bands over the past decade is Mars Red Sky. They clearly have those Sabbath roots, but have created a sound completely their own.

To answer the second part, I’d say it sucks that it costs you an arm and a leg and the soul of your first-born to go see the big names now, thanks to the monopolization of concert sales. But, that makes me really appreciate how massive and DIY the underground scene is. That’s where my heart is.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

Personally, I’m very much against war, corporate greed, and fascism. I despise the exploitation of animals. I support unions and workers’ rights. I believe in equality. Y’all means all. Eat the rich. Stop destroying our planet. That’s it, in a nutshell. I’m very passionate about my beliefs, so it inevitably pours into the lyrics I write. The song “Hammer” on this new album is a great example. But, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We love to have fun with it- that’s the main reason we do this. We also wrote a song about a leprechaun, a song about an android fantasizing about being violated by an alien, and another song about a goose we hit with our van. I think it’s fun to take a silly concept and turn it into an allegorical horror or sci-fi story.

Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

We all have careers outside the band. I’ve been a tattooer for 11 years now. It doesn’t feel like a separate world entirely, which is nice. I’ve tattooed some of our fans, haha. I also like to build legos and play D&D.

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

Just keep putting the word out there, writing thoughtful reviews, and doing interviews like this. Thanks for doing what you do!

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

We’d like to keep writing music, having fun, and tour a lot of places we haven’t made it to yet.

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

Chelsea Wolfe- “She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She”, Mars Red Sky- “Dawn of the Dusk”, Bronco (self-titled), Heavy Temple- “Garden of Heathens”, Hippie Death Cult- “Helichrysum”, Donnie Doolittle (self-titled), Orville Peck- “Pony”, Townes Van Zandt- “Delta Momma Blues”, and as always- Black Sabbath’s “Master of Reality”.

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

We’re gearing up for the third annual Seismic Summer fest at the world famous Milestone in our hometown of Charlotte, NC on August 30th. Surrounding that, we’ll be doing a short tour with our friends in Temple of the Fuzz Witch and Fell Ruin, hitting a few spots in KY, VA, and TN. We’re also set to to play Hopscotch fest in Raleigh the following week.

Summarize your band in one word.

Uncanny.

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Many thanks to Thad and Cosmic Reaper for the time!

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Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned is out now through Heavy Psych Sounds. For more information on Cosmic Reaper, head over to Instagram or Facebook.