Staff Infections – April 2022

Get your antibiotics ready, friends, it’s time for Staff Infections. Staff Infections, if you didn’t know, is our monthly examination of the Last Rites staff’s listening habits. Typically I also spend a little time discussing the current state of the world, but the world has been depressing the shit out of me lately, so let’s get right to to the album of the month.

Truth to tell, there isn’t a whole lot to discuss with regard to the album of the month. Only two albums appeared on multiple playlists, with two showings a piece. First and most pertinent is Immutable, the latest album from the inimitable Meshuggah. Zach Duvall offers his even-handed take on the album right here. Sharing first place with Immutable is An Hour Before It’s Dark, the grimly titled 20th album from Prog-rock icons Marillion, a review for which can be read somewhere other than here.

Ok, kids, it’s group discussion time. While you are sharing your own playlist in the comments and having a listen to our staff-curated Spotify playlist, have a think on this: If you could remove one member of a metal band to be replaced by a member of another metal band, in order to improve the band or just make to make things interesting, who would you pick and why? There’s only one rule: Metallica is out of bounds. I know everyone wants to replace Lars or Kirk with more technically proficient players, but that’s too easy. Dig a little deeper. For instance, Defeated Sanity is one of my favorite brutal death metal bands, but, while the group has had several vocalists over the years, none of them have had what I would call a commanding presence. So, who better to give the band a more a more dynamic vocal performance and a Hell of a lot more engaging stage show than ex-Suffocation vocalist Frank “the tank” Mullen? Good luck and see you all next month.

  • Andrew Edmunds
    Obituary – Slowly We Rot
    Obituary – Cause Of Death
    Unholy Grave – Thunder Vibration
    Captain Three Leg / Traffic Death – Split
    Marillion – An Hour Before It’s Dark
    Undergang – Misantropologi
  • Ryan Tysinger
    Inanna – Void of Unending Depths
    Abigor – Leytmotif Luzifer
    Deathspell Omega – The Long Defeat
    Sloppy Seconds – More Trouble Than They’re Worth
    Suppression – The Sorrow of Soul Through Flesh
    Downcross – Hexapoda Triumph
  • Zach Duvall
    Nevermore – This Godless Endeavor
    Meshuggah – Chaosphere
    Meshuggah – Immutable
    Radiohead – OK Computer
    Radiohead – Amnesiac
    Messa – Close
  • Captain
    Katharos – Of Lineages Long Forgotten
    Emperor – In the Nightside Eclipse
    Extreme Noise Terror – Extreme Noise Terror
    Static Abyss – Labyrinth of Veins
    Acid King – Busse Woods
    Jóhann Jóhannsson – Mandy Original Soundtrack
  • Lone Watie
    Iron Griffin – Storm of Magic
    Karcius – Grey White Silver Yellow and Gold
    Marillion – An Hour Before It’s Dark
    Monophonics – It’s Only Us
    The Cure – Seventeen Seconds
    The Marshall Tucker Band – Where We All Belong
  • Dave Pirtle
    Meshuggah – Immutable
    Warrior Soul – Out on Bail
    Becoming – In the Name of God
    Fierce Deity – Power Wisdom Courage
    Trick or Treat – Creepy Symphony
    Stabbing Westward – Chasing Ghosts
  • Jeremy Morse
    Defeated Sanity – Psalms of the Moribund
    Van Halen – A Different Kind of Truth
    Black Sabbath – Mob Rules
    Sturgill Simpson – High Top Mountain
    Free – Fire and Water
    Riot – Fire Down Under
  • Spencer Hotz
    Analepsy – Quiescence
    Moonlight Sorcery – Piercing Through The Frozen Eternity
    Freja – Tides
    Days Of Desolation – Circles
    Organectomy – Existential Disconnect
    Mutoid Man – Bleeder
  • Danhammer Obstkrieg
    Radiohead – The King of Limbs
    Monster Magnet – Spine of God
    Kyuss – Blues for the Red Sun
    Velvet Cacoon – Genevieve
    Beherit – Drawing Down the Moon
    Kraftwerk – Computer World

Posted by Jeremy Morse

Riffs or GTFO.

  1. Deathspell Omega – The Long Defeat
    The Neptune Power Federation – Le Demon De La’Mour
    Girlschool – Screaming Blue Murder
    The Psychedelic Furs – Mirror Moves
    Blut Aus Nord – Hallucinogin
    Bütcher – 666 Goats Carry My Chariot

    Band member swap? I dunno. I kinda wished Uno Bruniusson would have gotten the drum spot vacated by Jakob Ljungberg. That’s pretty petty and small potatoes though.

    Reply

  2. Messa – Close
    Deathhammer – Electric Warfare
    Possessed -Seven Churches
    Melted Bodies – Enjoy Yourself
    Bones UK – Bones UK
    Skeletonwitch – Beyond the Permafrost

    Cheap answer… I’d put Alex Hofmann (replacing his replacement, Anthony Palermo) back in as Fallujah’s vocalist.

    Neil Fallon taking over vocals in High On Fire would be interesting. Anders Bjorler stepping in for David Andersson in Soilwork. I would’ve loved to see what the dearly departed Riley Gale could’ve brought to Exodus. Introducing Tomb Mold’s newest lead guitarist – Jeff Loomis. Honestly, for me, it’d be awesome to slot Pyrrhon’s Doug Moore into an number of bands, just to see what happens – Blood Incantation, Wolfbrigade, Obituary.

    Left field choice wacky experiment, stick with me here … take Kelly Clarkson’s undeniable vocal prowess and have her front Iron Maiden.

    Reply

  3. Deathspell Omega – The Long Defeat
    Satan – Earth Infernal
    Ultha – All That Has Never Been True
    White Ward – Love Exchange Failure
    Idol of Fear – Trespasser

    Lunar Shadow with Ray Alder on vocals

    Reply

  4. pLAYING Currently: Merkabah – Moloch
    Molasses – Through The Hollow
    The Infernal Sea – Call Of The Augur
    Svarttjern – Shame Is Just A Word

    I’d replace the guy who sings in Monolord for the guy in Uncle Woe

    Reply

  5. Slugdge – Esoteric Malacology

    Burial – Inner Gateways to the Slumbering Equilibrium at the
    Center of Cosmos

    Hath – All That Was Promised

    Iron Maiden – Senjutsu

    Mortiferum – Disgorged from Psychotic Depths (so much better than their new album)

    Concilivm – A Monument in Darkness Review

    Regarding the question: I would focus on the band Obscura, replacing not a person but the damn vocoder machine that has infested the past couple albums with unbearable robot vocals.

    Reply

  6. Meshuggah – Immutable
    The Saints – (I’m) Stranded
    Porcupine Tree – The Incident
    Jon Batiste – WE ARE
    Amenra – Dr Doorn

    In terms of a heavy metal personnel change, Dream Theater but with Tim Aymar (Pharaoh) on vocals. Think he’d add a different texture and range without sacrificing any of the power LaBrie brings to the band.

    Reply

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