Graveripper – Radiated Remains Review

Fast Rites: because sometimes brevity is fundamental.

Our beloved Ryan has dubbed 2021 the year of the Thrashening. With excellent releases by Cryptosis, Paranorm, Obsolete, Demoniac, Speed Command, Terminalist, Spellforger and about 100 others I’m forgetting, he may just be right. Indianapolis’ Graveripper has decided to remind people that the state known as the Crossroads of America is one worth stopping in to thrash your woes away.

But what kind of thrash are we getting? Luckily, the Radiated Remains EP sees Graveripper dipping their toes into a number of PBR-filled pools. Their primary approach is to create speedy riffs that lean toward a simpler style like Power Trip, but they infuse enough blackness to provide a little drama. “Atoms Divide” has a chorus more infectious than radiation poisoning, the middle of “All Life Decays” lets the main riff repeat while building drums and bass create drama, and “Cherenkov Light” and “Complete Blinding Darkness” provide a nuclear glow in the form of some fiery yet brief leads (hopefully, they’ll expand on those in the future).

Even the blackness within avoids being one-dimensional. The back half of “Atoms Divide” pumps the song up with a sense of triumph while “King Killer” tremolos in a more mournful manner. What’s really great is how seamlessly they weave these aspects together. A Single 30-second stretch can have you go from bobbing your head to banging it and then full-on windmilling.

Every thrasher likes a good deal, right? these five new tracks (and a throwaway intro) are coupled with all three songs from their debut EP. There’s no need to make out with a plutonium rod if you want to melt your face, just hit play on Radiated Remains instead.