The Mirror Reaper is the second studio album by the American doom metal band Bell Witch. Released in 2017, the album is a single continuous track spanning nearly 84 minutes. It tells the story of a woman haunted by grief and loss, and her journey through the afterlife. The Mirror Reaper is known for its heavy, funeral doom sound and haunting atmosphere. The album opens with a droning, repetitive guitar riff that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The vocals, delivered in a deep, mournful growl, join in, adding to the sense of despair and sadness.
Hypothetically, Bell Witch’s patented bass-only approach should burden their music with such a smothering atmosphere that nothing else can thrive. The ambiance the duo craft evokes thoughts of a cursed purgatory, an afterlife enthroned in darkness and possessed by unspeakable malice. 1 Yet Bell Witch counterweight this miserable visage with moments of intense emotion. The track expands upon Four Phantoms’ propensity for long-running motifs. The early introduction of a simple yet poignant melody, imbued with Pallbearer’s heartbreaking tenderness, breaks the inescapable ache, thriving amid the tension. Desmond returns to this riff – and others like it – repeatedly, binding this slow-moving hell together with their plaintive incandescence. The spaces in between find Bell Witch as meticulous as ever. Layers of chasm-deep bass fade to nearly imperceptible levels, before a chorus of ghastly howls and the second-perfect shimmer of Shreibman’s cymbals extend draw them out once more. The careful charting of caustic pits and lonely peaks; the placement of each heart-rending note, slotted in so perfectly after the last has faded; the methodical use of a tempo on the edge of too slow; Bell Witch treat their execution with as much grace and attention as their miasmatic atmosphere.
The early introduction of a simple yet poignant melody, imbued with Pallbearer s heartbreaking tenderness, breaks the inescapable ache, thriving amid the tension. Put it this way Mirror Reaper is a supernova of one killer drop-z guitar riff after another, each one milked for every last ounce and buried underneath layers of atmosphere-inducing melody, and then slathered on some of the bleakest vocals in the business.
The vocals, delivered in a deep, mournful growl, join in, adding to the sense of despair and sadness. Throughout the track, the music shifts between slow, plodding sections and more intense, chaotic passages, creating a dynamic and emotional listening experience. Lyrically, The Mirror Reaper explores themes of death, mourning, and the afterlife.
A Doom Monolith: Bell Witch's "Mirror Reaper"
Have our attention spans been so drastically shrunk over the last few decades, or is an 83-minute long doom song asking too much? Cue Mirror Reaper, the upcoming third full-length from Seattle-based doom duo Bell Witch. The short answer is that Mirror Reaper is a solid slab of doom — wondrous things can be discovered within its murky depths — but it necessitates an extremely specific mood, both due to its gargantuan framework and densely packed content. Stream the entire album/song via Stereogum here.
While Mirror Reaper is cohesively, thematically, and structurally one single song, there are several key transitions within the grander movement which stand in for track breaks. Also important to note: writing super-behemoth tracks is not novel. The music matters more than the shape or size of its container. That said, Bell Witch made a stylistic/artistic choice which affects how listeners engage with and absorb the album. Mirror Reaper requires ears and minds which will allow it room to breathe. In doing so, ample space opens up for the album to tell a dark and well-woven story.
If you think Bell Witch’s approach is stilted, think about what doom metal really is and the hyperbolic drama it evokes. Think about actual doom. The raw emotion itself: utter desolation, profound suffering, abysmal despair, and sordid hopelessness. Slowness characterizes these feelings, prolonging torturous hours into days into months into years. Doom feels like an eternity because doom is eternity itself, thrusting us toward a frightening infinity of post-death nothingness… dragging us while we wail in agony over a principle we’ve always known was true: all life will fucking die. Beautiful in its simplicity; damning in its totality. We are all born to be utterly afraid of this.
Mirror Reaper relates to doom by becoming doom itself, the master of fear. There’s no avoiding the fact that just by its frightening size, Mirror Reaper weighs massively on the mind — not to mention the painful sobriety of its somberness, the antigravity of its heaviness, or the dark woe of its temperament. This is an album to lose yourself in, somewhere mysterious where the linear progression of time disperses in all directions. Meditation and trance are important for Mirror Reaper, an immediate presence of both the self and mind: a detached but heightened awareness where you step out of your stream of consciousness to observe it from afar. Mirror Reaper is, quite frankly, indigestible any other way.
Put it this way: Mirror Reaper is a supernova of one killer drop-z guitar riff after another, each one milked for every last ounce and buried underneath layers of atmosphere-inducing melody, and then slathered on some of the bleakest vocals in the business. It’s the soundtrack to the half-aware, half-daydream state induced by contemplative misery; the music for the pained and inward soul seeking good terms with death by accepting its ultimate reign. Mirror Reaper undulates between the morbid pounding of doom slams to the dark triumph of powerful chord ascensions toward frisson-inducing emotional climaxes. Again and again, it wavers and undulates, drawing long swings to slam its almighty hammer down in a showstopping display of sonic force.
There’s also a softer, more touching side, which is absolutely key to doom. During the writing process of Mirror Reaper, Bell Witch former drummer Adrian Guerra passed away. In his memory, this led to the inclusion of unused vocal tracks from Four Phantoms (2015). The presence and reflection upon actual death only deepens Mirror Reaper‘s impact, ripping at your heart as well as your psyche. Not all of us know what it’s like to lose someone close, but for those who do, it involves an unknowable yet unmovable emotional weight pressing down harder every day. Life goes on, and occasionally your mourning moves to the back of your mind, yet it has the power to totally overcome you at any moment — essentially, your loss manifests itself as fear, and said fear materializes into its own kind of doom.
Mirror Reaper demands an incredibly specific mood; or, for those susceptible it may be powerful enough to induce that mood. If not, you will be bored to tears. This is not an album for sunny cruises down a mountain highway, or any bullshit like that. It’s hardly even one to listen to with others. The breadth of its soundscape is mind-expanding, turning the focus inward. Mirror Reaper isn’t just astounding because of its size, or because such a size is somehow inherently “doom” — content-wise, it’s all there. Bell Witch nailed it: Mirror Reaper bleeds profusely with misery, crushed by its own incredible weight, and locks eyes with you… blankly staring you down as it slowly perishes from all existence.
Mirror Reaper releases this Friday, October 20th via Profound Lore Records.
Mirror Reaper demands an incredibly specific mood; or, for those susceptible it may be powerful enough to induce that mood. If not, you will be bored to tears. This is not an album for sunny cruises down a mountain highway, or any bullshit like that. It’s hardly even one to listen to with others. The breadth of its soundscape is mind-expanding, turning the focus inward. Mirror Reaper isn’t just astounding because of its size, or because such a size is somehow inherently “doom” — content-wise, it’s all there. Bell Witch nailed it: Mirror Reaper bleeds profusely with misery, crushed by its own incredible weight, and locks eyes with you… blankly staring you down as it slowly perishes from all existence.
The lyrics tell the story of a woman who becomes trapped in a state of limbo after her death. She is tormented by her past and is unable to find peace. As the track progresses, her journey becomes more desperate, culminating in a climax that is both powerful and cathartic. Musically, The Mirror Reaper is characterized by its heavy, down-tuned guitars, slow tempos, and massive, wall of sound production. The album is dominated by low-end rumblings and crushing, distorted guitar riffs. The percussion is minimalistic, mostly consisting of slow, deliberate drum beats and occasional cymbal crashes. The band's use of dynamics and repetition creates a hypnotic and meditative effect, drawing the listener into the album's dark and desolate world. Overall, The Mirror Reaper is a highly ambitious and deeply atmospheric album. It showcases Bell Witch's mastery of the doom metal genre and their ability to create a sense of overwhelming sadness and grief. The album's long, continuous format allows for a deep immersion in its emotional and sonic landscapes, making it a standout release in the genre..
Reviews for "Taking a Spiritual Journey with Bell Witch's Mirror Reaper"
1. John - 1/5 stars - "Mirror Reaper by Bell Witch is a complete disappointment. From start to finish, this album is nothing but a monotonous drone with no sense of structure or direction. The repetitive and overly long songs had me checking the time constantly, hoping it would be over soon. The lack of variation in the music made it incredibly boring and hard to listen to. Overall, I found Mirror Reaper to be an incredibly tedious and uninspired album that I would not recommend to anyone."
2. Sarah - 2/5 stars - "I had high expectations for Mirror Reaper by Bell Witch, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. While I appreciate experimental and atmospheric music, this album felt too meandering and aimless. The lack of memorable melodies or standout moments made it difficult to connect with the music. Additionally, the songs were excessively long, dragging on without providing any real payoff. Mirror Reaper might be enjoyable for die-hard fans of the genre, but for me, it was a forgettable and tedious listening experience."