Staff Infections – April 2020

Well, it’s a different world from last time we did Staff Infections. We here at Last Rites hope the worst you’re dealing with right now is cabin fever. If you and / or your loved ones have been directly affected by the coronavirus, our hearts go out to you. The same goes for those of you who might find yourselves dealing with financial insecurity as a result of the quarantine. Finally, if you’re a healthcare worker or an otherwise essential employee who doesn’t have the luxury of waiting this out in the relative safety and comfort of your own home, we thank you for shouldering what is an undoubtedly heavy load on our behalf. If we all do our part, hopefully we can get back to normal, whatever that even is anymore, sooner rather than later.

As trivial now as it may seem, let’s see what the hell all we’ve been listening to. For starters, have a gander at Mr. Fetusghost’s playlist. I’ll give you one guess as to how he’s been passing the time during quarantine, and can you blame him? Unfortunately, if the rest of us have been hitting the bong hard, it hasn’t translated so explicitly to our playlists. Consequently, nothing directly bong-related is in the running for album of the month, but if this shit goes on long enough, who knows? Keep dreaming big, my ethereal friend.

We actually have a quartet of albums tied for the top spot this month, with no runners up. First we have the triumphant return of Cirith Ungol with Forever Black. The band’s first album in 29 years is due out on April 24th, and we will likely have a review in the near future. Next, we have Visitations from Enceladus, the forthcoming debut full-length from British technical death / thrash outfit Cryptic Shift. Last month’s winner, Elder’s Omens, again takes a share of the blue ribbon. Omens is also out on April 24th, and although there is no review yet, there’s still time for us to get our shit together. Finally, rounding out the first place finishers is Danish black / folk / etc artist Myrkur with her recently-released third full-length, Folkesange. Have a listen to a few samples below.

 

 

Until next month, you all stay safe and socially distant out there, and have a listen to our staff-curated Spotify playlist while you share your own “special quarantine edition” playlists in the comments.

  • Zach Duvall
    Bestial Invasion – Monomania
    Pearl Jam – Gigaton
    Stevie Wonder – Where I’m Coming From
    Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair
    Steve Vai – Passion and Warfare
    Dimhav – The Boreal Flame
  • Andrew Edmunds
    Iron Maiden – Brave New World
    Defeated Sanity – Chapters Of Repugnance
    Agathocles – Commence To Mince
    Architectural Genocide – Cordyceptic Anthropomorph
    Devangelic – Phlegethon
    Suture – Carnivorous Urge To Kill
  • Danhammer Obtkrieg
    Four Tet – Sixteen Oceans
    Sölicitör – Spectral Devastation
    Cirith Ungol – Forever Black
    Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts V/VI
    Elder – Omens
    Menace Ruine – Venus Armata
  • Fetusghost
    King Bong – Alice in Stonerland
    Bongzilla – Amerijuanican
    Bong Threat – Bong Threat
    Earthbong – One Earth One Bong
    Bongripper – Hippie Killer
    Bongripper – The Great Barrier Reefer
  • Manny-O-War
    Nils Frahm – Empty
    Otzi- Storm
    Furia – Martwa Polska Jesien
    Witches Hammer – Damnation is my Salvation
    Cryptic Shift – Visitations From Enceladus
    Gwenifer Raymond – You Never Were Much of a Dancer
  • Captain
    Christian Muenzner – Path of the Hero
    Cryptic Shift – Visitations from Enceladus
    Kurnugia – Forlorn and Forsaken
    Cirith Ungol – Forever Black
    Elder – Omens
    Paul Chambers – Bass On Top
  • Dave Pirtle
    Master Boot Record – Floppy Disk Overdrive
    Myrkur – Folkesange
    Kill Ritual – The Opaque and the Divine
    Soilwork – Figure Number Five
    Arch Enemy – Burning Bridges
    g//z/r – Plastic Planet
  • Ryan Tysinger
    Afterbirth – Four Dimensional Flesh
    Pa Vesh En / Temple Moon – split
    Black Cilice – Summoning the Night
    Malokarpatan – Krupinské ohne
    Trono Além Morte – As Portas da Ruína
    Golden Light – Sacred Colour of the Source of Light
  • Megan Astarael
    Spectral Lore & Mare Cogitum – Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine
    Ulcerate – Stare Into Death and Be Still
    Barshasketh – Barshasketh
    Street Cleaner – Annihilation
    Solar Fields – Blue Moon Station
    Myrkur – Folkesange
  • LoneWatie
    Gigafauna – Frozen Wastes
    Conception – State of Deception
    Novena – Eleventh Hour
    Ivanhoe – Blood and Gold
    Quel Che Disse Il Tuono – Il Velo Dei Riflessi
    Long Earth – Once Around the Sun
  • Jeremy Morse
    Striker – Armed to the Teeth
    Shards of Humanity – Cold Logic
    Blood Incantation – Hidden History of the Human Race
    Sky Shadow Obelisk – The Satyr’s Path
    Dawnbringer – Snake
    ZZ Top – Rio Grande Mud

Posted by Jeremy Morse

Riffs or GTFO.

  1. Blut Aus Nord – “Hallucinogen”
    Sweven – “The Eternal Resonance”
    The Deathtrip – “Demon Solar Totem”
    Blood Incantation – “Hidden History of the Human Race”
    Warlock – “Hellbound”
    Entombed – “Clandestine”
    Celtic Frost – “Into the Pandemonium
    Metal Church – “Metal Church”
    Jonathan Hultén – “Chants from Another Place”

    Reply

  2. Gamma Ray- Heading For Tomorrow
    Razgate- After The Storm…The Fire!
    The Spudmonsters- Stop The Madness
    The Crown-The Burning
    Skyclad- The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth
    Palace- Reject the System

    Reply

  3. Void of Sleep – Metaphora
    Sweven – The Eternal Resonance
    Malokarpatan – Krupinske ohne
    Psychonaut – Unfold the God Man
    Vader – Welcome to the Morbid Reich

    Reply

  4. Earth Rot – Black Tides of Obscurity
    Blood Incantation – Hidden History…
    Powerwolf – Sacrament of Sin
    Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
    Slayer – Season in the Abyss
    Paradise Lost – Medusa

    Reply

  5. Diplodocus – Slow and Heavy
    Schizogen – Spawn of Amighty Essence
    Today is the Day – No Good to Anyone
    Burzum – Thulean Mysteries
    The Berzerker – s/t
    Architectural Genocide – Cordyceptic Anthropomorph

    Reply

  6. Assassin – Upcoming Terror
    Rotting Christ – Non Serviam
    Testament – Titans of Creation
    Mayhem – Daemon
    Sepultura – Schizophrenia

    Reply

  7. Hey dudes,

    This is Matt from Gigafauna. I’ve followed the site since back in the Metal Review days and I can’t count how much good music I’ve discovered thanks to you guys. So it was unexpected as hell to see my band in this edition of Staff Infections. Thanks for giving it a spin LoneWatie and thanks to all the staff for continuing to bang out the great reviews.

    FWiW I’m hooked on the new Afterbirth and Wake records. White Stones is also reminding me of what I used to dig about Opeth hehe.

    Reply

  8. Rush – 2112
    Intronaut – Fluid Existential Inversions
    Old Man Gloom – Seminar IX: Darkness of Being
    Giant Squid – Minoans

    Reply

  9. Gloosh – Timewheel
    Unfathomable Ruination – Finitude
    Gomorrah – Gomorrah
    Septycal Gorge – Scourge of the Formless Breed
    Obsolete Mankind – Dystopian Heuristics
    Uncreation – Overwhelming Chaos
    Æpoch – Awakening Inception
    Hyperdontia – Nexus of Teeth
    Exodus – The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A

    Reply

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