Reaping Flesh hail from Milan, Italy, 2023 but could easily be from Tampa, United States, 1987. Citing Autopsy, Massacre and Death as their main influences, Reaping Flesh have dropped their first music in the form of debut EP Abyss of Existence. Clinging closely (and intentionally) to their influences, Abyss of Existence is a total rager that starts off with the mood-setting “Garden of Grief” (no relation to At the Gates) before jumping straight into the meat.
The fast-paced “Pit of Eternity” is a particular highlight for me, but there are shades of death metal for every hesher here. “Elements of Life” recalls Morbid Angel and Obituary, while “Lies of Existence” hints at notes of Death. “Self Incarnation” relishes in its slow grooves and “Fear Without Shape” is a moody, doomy closer that runs for six-and-a-half minutes.
“Abyss of Existence was born from our common passion for early death metal, in particular Florida’s scene,” Reaping Flesh tell Decibel. “For this reason, we worked hard on writing furious ‘straight-to-the-face’ riffing with no frills while listening to a lot of Autopsy, Morbid Angel and early Death as our inspiration. We feel we achieved what we were going for in creating effective, edgy and catchy songs. The lyrics were written in a short time, taking advantage of the inspiration given by the atmospheres of the songs and the perpetual questions about existence that run through our minds. The vocal lines maintain a direct expressiveness, as if they were born from the purest instinct, a direct passage from the unconscious to the conscious.”
If you’re reading Decibel, you’ll like what Reaping Flesh are putting down. Check it out below and grab a copy via Redefining Darkness.
