Hailing from Norway came REAPER, a Blackened Speed Metal band that released their debut full-length, "Unholy Nordic Noise," at the end of 2019. With 28 and a half minutes of pure savagery, the record made a final statement for the decade.

The band introduced itself with traditional Speed Metal riffing on "Hero of the Graveyard Flies." With fierce riffs that transitioned nicely, the track showed a strong progression portraying the band as capable of good songwriting. The track had a whiskey-drenched attitude that was reminiscent of MOTÖRHEAD or VENOM while providing a modern twist.

A DESTRÖYER 666 influence shined on "Arctic Wrath - Blood and Bone." This track jumped from riff to riff in a meandering way that made it stand out as one of the album's best songs. With a smooth progression, it continued the theme of good songwriting and took it to a new level with its twisting leads. While it maintained a consistent D-beat, the song effectively switched things up so that it didn't get dull.

Modern Speed Metal is a genre that is starved for original riffing, and Reaper arrived to feed that hunger. Each track off their new album had its own set of riffs, some more memorable than others. "Horn of Hades" and "The Birth of War" provided a strong NIFELHEIM influence with their effective use of dual guitars. Both tracks had a sense of originality and direction tied into their already widely explored riff styles, and they both made the middle of the album strong.

Good songwriting is something that is easy to achieve in a genre such as Speed Metal - or easier to achieve than most Metal genres. However, it is intriguing songwriting that really matters in the end, and Reaper also had that. With tracks that played with dual guitars, ripping leads, instrumental thrash breaks or just had the fastest Speed Metal riffing, the band was able to create a diverse record in less than half an hour.

Reaper have made something very noteworthy with "Unholy Nordic Noise." It was nothing revolutionary or game-changing, but it was worth listening to due to the splash of freshness it provided. If you're a fan of Speed Metal or Black Metal, then give this a spin; it's very inspired material.