Staff Infections – September 2024

Howdy, dear readers. It’s time for our monthly review of the Last Rites staff’s listening habits—a little feature we call Staff Infections. Here’s hoping September finds you and yours in fine health and spirits, but if it doesn’t, we understand; it’s rough out there. Do you know what isn’t rough? The competition for album of the month. We have a runaway winner this time around, with no runners-up. It’s a rare occurrence, but given the stature of the winner, not an unfathomable situation.

Everybody’s favorite Ancient Egyptian themed death metal band put out a new record, and it has easily taken the top spot this month. Not so much because of an overwhelming showing itself—four playlist appearances is a respectable number, though hardly a landslide victory—but because there was literally no competition. Nonetheless, The Underworld Awaits Us All, the band’s second post-Dallas-Toller-Wade effort, finds Nile in fine form, but you don’t have to take my word for it, as our man Spencer Hotz has an absolutely ape-shit review for you right here.

Before we move on, I must give an honorable mention to Morbid Angel, which, through our guy Josh’s efforts, has six playlist appearances this month. Sadly, Josh didn’t get any backup from the other staff. But just because Morbid Angel didn’t win any prizes this month doesn’t mean we can’t talk about the band a little.  So, in the comments, along with your playlist, give us your favorite Morbid Angel Album. Myself, while I respect and enjoy the Tucker-era albums, I’m rather partial to the Vincent era, and truthfully, I could pick either Altars of Madness or Blessed Are the Sick, depending on the day. On this day, though, I’ll go with Blessed Are the Sick.

That’s all for now, folks. Be sure to listen to the staff-curated Spotify playlist below, and have yourselves a good month.

[Spotify Playlist]

 

  • Zach Duvall
    Concrete Winds – Concrete Winds
    Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All
    KEN mode – Venerable
    Pissed Jeans – Half Divorced
    In Aphelion – Reaperdawn
    Stabbing – Extirpated Mortal Process
  • Andrew Edmunds
    Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All
    Amorphis – Halo
    Marshall Tucker Band – Carolina Dreams
    Whitesnake – Ready An’ Willing
    Melt-Banana – 3+5
    Immolation – Acts Of God
  • Captain
    Graves at Sea – The Curse That Is
    Suma – Ashes
    Pyrrhon – Exhaust
    Malady – Toinen Toista
    Slowdive – Souvlaki
    Andrew Hill – Smoke Stack
  • Manny-O-War
    Marnz Malone – Tina’s Boy
    Coffin Rot – Dreams of the Disturbed
    Rush – Permanent Waves
    KayMuni – Signed to the T
    Undeath – Lesions of a Different Kind
    Vasum – Carnal Law
  • Danhammer Obstkrieg
    Aluk Todolo – LUX
    Devin Townsend – Lightwork
    Zeitgeber – Fellow Prisoners of the Splendour and Travail of the Earth Part 1
    Blind Guardian – Somewhere Far Beyond Revisited
    Townes Van Zandt – Our Mother the Mountain
    Delving – All Paths Diverge
  • Josh Heath
    Morbid Angel – Altars of Madness
    Morbid Angel – Blessed Are the Sick
    Morbid Angel – Covenant
    Morbid Angel – Domination
    Morbid Angel – Formulas Fatal to the Flesh
    Morbid Angel – Gateways to Annihilation
  • Ryan Tysinger
    Sacred Outcry – Damned for All Time
    Sacred Outcry – Towers of Gold
    Queensrÿche – The Warning
    Fates Warning – Parallels
    Vendel – Out in the Fields
    Nuclear Tomb – Terror Labyrinthian
  • Isaac Hams
    Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All
    Gillian Welch – Woodland
    A Forest of Stars – A Shadowplay for Yesterdays
    Thy Catafalque – Naiv
    Sargeist – Let the Devil In
    Nero – Between II Worlds
  • Jeremy Morse
    Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All
    Solitude Aeturnus – Into the Depths of Sorrow
    Solitude Aeturnus – Through the Darkest Hour
    Al Di Meola – Casino
    Sepultura – Chaos A.D.
    Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – Déjà Vu

Posted by Jeremy Morse

Riffs or GTFO.

  1. Vulture – Sentinels
    Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All
    Leprous – Melodies of Atonement
    Cradle of Filth – Existence is Futile
    MEER – Wheels Within Wheels
    Dimmu Borgir – Stormblåst

    Reply

  2. White Dog – Double Dog Dare
    Coffins – Sinister Oath
    Shadow Knell – s/t
    Man or Astroman? – ROYGBIV
    Judas Priest – Ram It Down
    Ockeroid – Crow Country OST

    As far as Morbid Angel goes I don’t know if this is the hipster answer or the basic b*tch answer but I’ve always like Altars of Madness best. Covenant has its moments but the first album was always the best mix of catchy/innovative to me.

    Reply

  3. Noxis -Violence Inherent in the System
    Zeal & Ardor – Greif
    Hellripper – Coagulating Darkness
    Hellripper – The Affair of the Poisons
    Spectral Wound – Songs of Blood and Mire

    Domination holds kind of a special place in my mind because it was the first Morbid Angel album I heard. It may not be there best album, or even which one I’ll choose to listen to first if I’m in a MA mood these day, but that first exposure still holds sway.

    Reply

    1. *their best album. Ugh.

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  4. Cobra the Impaler – Karma Collision
    Octoploid – Beyond the Aeons
    200 Stab Wounds – Manic Manual Procedures
    Pod People – Oblivion
    Hamilton Cast Recording

    Altars of Madness is the only Morbid Angel album I’ve listened to, so I guess it wins by default.

    Reply

  5. Brocas Helm – Defender of the Crown
    Ouijabeard – The Well To Hell
    Hellbutcher – s/t
    Lizzy Borden – Master of Disguise
    George Harrison- Cloud Nine
    Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart – s/t

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  6. The Crown – Hell is Here
    Fontaines D.C. – Romance
    A-ha – Hunting High and Low
    Queensryche – The Warning
    PJ Harvey – Is This Desire?
    Wovenhand – Mosaic

    Covenant has always been my favorite Morbid Angel record. They were superlative on that tour. I am out after Dave Vincent leaves the band the first time.

    Reply

  7. Cognizance – Phantazein
    Vale of Pnath – Between the Worlds of Life and Death
    Cognitive – Abhorrence
    Heaven Shall Burn – Veto
    Imperialist – Quantum
    Fen – The Dead Light

    I like almost all of Morbid Angel’s records but my favorite is Covenant. Altars of Madness is very close behind. The evil, rampaging riffs and blazing drumming are off the charts on both of those records, but there is more varied songwriting on Covenant.

    Reply

  8. Nightwraith – Divergence (AotY so far)

    Oxygen Destroyer – GotU

    ABSU – Tara

    Wallachian Cobwebs – Night Sobbed…

    Twisted Tower Dire – Make it Dark

    Propagandhi – Supporting Caste

    Summoning – Let Mortal Heroes…

    Donny Benet – Mr. Experience

    Reply

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