ALBUM REVIEW: WHITE REAPER - ONLY SLIGHTLY EMPTY (26/09/25)
Few rock bands today deliver as consistently as White Reaper. Since their early days, the Louisville, KY group has proven how exciting loud guitars, crunchy riffs, and big choruses can be. On their sixth album, Only Slightly Empty, they overcome some of the toughest challenges of their career, creative burnout, lineup changes, and label shakeups, to release what might be their most fun and energetic record yet.
The band’s 2024 restart could have fallen apart. They lost their rhythm section, left their label, and hit major roadblocks. But instead of giving up, frontman Tony Esposito (vocals, guitar), along with Hunter Thompson (guitar) and Ryan Hater (keyboards), tapped back into the heart of what makes White Reaper work: catchy melodies, big chords, and a sense of swagger.
The result is a 10-song, 30-minute blast of anthemic rock, mixing the power-pop shine of their earlier albums with a darker, grittier tone. Esposito calls it a “fresh start,” and that new energy runs through every fuzzy riff and hook.
The record kicks off with ‘Coma’, a distortion-heavy opener that sets the tone for what follows. Esposito admits the song was born out of a creative fugue state, a blunt self-check of “what the fuck is going on with me?”, before snapping out of it in spectacular fashion.
From there, the band pivots into ‘Blink’, with fuzzy, melodic track that channels the spirit of classic power-pop while adding a layer of grit. The centerpiece, ‘Honestly’, is perhaps the album’s highlight, with playful keys and quirky vocal samples. The blend of guitar drive plus touches of synth textures add a little more depth.
The next track ‘Freakshow’ is a bold, undeniable earworm whilst ‘Eraser’ keeps the energy high and pushes the album’s momentum forward. Elsewhere, ‘Blue 42’ leans into stormy guitar work and darker tones, but still carry White Reaper’s knack for sing-along melodies. ‘Pocket’ is more layered and atmospheric compared with other tracks - more reverb, a hint of new-wave, and catchy guitar at its core, our favourite track of the album.
‘Enemy John’ turns self-doubt into anthemic release with soaring guitars, one of the album’s standout tracks: it’s hooky, emotionally resonant, and gives the record a second wind before the closer.
The album closes with ‘Touch’, a heartfelt, rocky ballad about Esposito’s relationship with music and the band’s journey over the past decade. “I wrote it about being younger and starting all of this, and how I thought things would go, and then where it led and where I am now’’ he explained. It brings the record to a softer close, with honesty and reflection.
Only Slightly Empty is a a reassertion of what makes White Reaper special. Anthemic but gritty, the record is a shot of adrenaline for both longtime fans and newcomers alike, a lively album that sounds like a band breaking through barriers and finding joy in playing together again.
