Press Play: White Reaper

The hottest newcomers to college music radio are a group of early twenty somethings from Kentucky who go the by the name of White Reaper. Their debut LP, White Reaper Does It Again, is available to the public on July 17th, 2015. 

In late 2013, Tony Esposito (guitarist/singer), Sam Wilkerson (bassist), Nick Wilkerson (drummer) and Ryan Hater (keyboardist) formed White Reaper in their hometown of Louisville, KY. The group found a following in the summer of 2014 when they released an EP. Since then, they went from unknown local band, playing shows at small venues in the area, to being sought after for performances around the nation. 

Recorded entirely in Louisville, White Reaper Does It Again is a rough, highly energetic garage and punk rock album. This tone is set immediately with the opening track, “Make Me Wanna Die”. Esposito’s lyrics are loud, his guitar riffs violent, and are complimented well by the bass and drums provided by Sam and Nick Wilkerson. Ryan hater provides some extra depth to the record due to his skills with the keyboard. His tones are well defined and it’s not uncommon throughout the album for his talents to take over. 

It’s no wonder they have this high octane sound. Esposito says, “We listen to a ton of metal. [We] just love old 70’s and 80’s metal and listen to a ton of that”. The guitarist and lead singer goes on to say that Metallica, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath are some of their greatest influences. Though their music is not of the metal genre, you can hear how these artists inspired them over the years. 

White Reaper Does It Again is a fun, fast paced album that has the ability to transcend your mood to reflect its upbeat sound. All twelve tracks on the record are superb and worth a listen or two. RSU Radio is spinning many of them, including lead off track “Make Me Wanna Die” and “Candy”. Check out the link below to stream the opening song from the album or keep that radio locked on 91.3 FM. 

“Make Me Wanna Die” from White Reaper