Release Date 23.06.2026
Format CD
Genre Speed Metal
Origin Ecuador
Wrathforge is an Ecuadorian speed metal band based between Quito and Guayaquil, formed by musicians from the country’s underground heavy metal circuit. The studio version of the band on its debut pairs Jared Nightstalker’s vocals with Sage Zavage, who handles the music and shapes the guitar centered direction. Its broader roster includes Ian Gunz on drums, Patrick Wildstrike and Sebastian Peña on guitar, and Hozu Rusher on bass, situating the release within an active local scene.
Wrathforge is a recent name with no earlier full length history, so its background is tied closely to the players assembled for this release and the Ecuadorian heavy metal circuit around them. "Reaper Of Souls" is the first full length under the Wrathforge name and the band’s first release through Stormspell Records. The material arrives committed to fast tempos, high-pitched vocals, dual lead melodies and the bright, aggressive attack of traditional speed metal. Wrathforge enters with a defined target and little interest in padding the running time.
"Reaper Of Souls" runs around forty minutes across nine songs and appears on CD in a 500 copy jewel case pressing, with a six page booklet containing lyrics and photos, plus cover art from Julian Mora. The production pushes the guitars forward, placing bright treble, rapid riffing and melodic lead work above a brisk drum pulse, while the bass remains mostly tied to the rhythm guitar; the mix has limited low end depth, creating a top heavy profile that can become tiring. During the fastest stretches, cymbals and layered guitars crowd the upper frequencies, and a few riffs lose definition; the solos remain separated enough to retain their shape.
Jared Nightstalker attacks the vocal lines with a high, strained register, giving the choruses urgency, though sustained notes sometimes thin out and expose the limits of that approach. The songwriting relies on gallops, quick changes, speed bursts and large choruses, with occasional mid paced turns breaking the constant acceleration before the album returns to its main tempo.
This creates immediate impact, although the narrow pacing makes the latter half easier to predict, especially when similar chord shapes and vocal cadences reappear. "Reaper Of Souls" has skill, energy and a real ear for melody, and its guitar work gives the album a reason to exist when the production gets crowded and the writing leans too closely on established speed metal patterns; it is a capable debut with several surging peaks, a few worn ideas and enough character to give Wrathforge a credible starting point.
|7.8
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