Category: Features

Fast Rites – Volume 7: The One (Mad)Man Binge and Purge

There were a number of albums that came across my desk as I pondered what I would follow up my review of Prong’s latest with. Some garnered more interest than others; some were destined to

R.I.P. Merle Haggard (1937 – 2016)

This is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to write, right up there with eulogizing Ronnie James Dio. Strangely, shortly before the news of each passing, I had just reaffirmed that they

A Devil’s Dozen – Root

Along with Master’s Hammer, Root helped to define Czech black metal in the late 80s and early 90s. Through a series of demos and early albums, the band crafted a raw, ragged, and riff-centric approach

Metal Isn’t Dead, You’re Just Lazy

In the beginning of 2013, I joined Twitter, and in the years and months since, I have gained a wider appreciation and scope of the metal underground as it relates to blogs, journalism, and the

Battle Royal: 80s Metallica Vs. 80s Slayer – Two Bands Enter, One Band Leaves

If you’ve been a regular reader of Last Rites over the years, you know we’re pretty kind to the 80s. That has a lot to do with the fact that a number of us who

5Q5A – Tau Cross

  Last year, Tau Cross‘ eponymous debut took the top spot on Last Rites’ Best Of list, and with good reason. The logical continuation of Amebix‘s final gasps, Tau Cross is a record that feels

A Devil’s Dozen – Candlemass

There was doom before Candlemass. There was Black Sabbath, of course, but one could argue that Sabbath transcends all sub-genres. The NWOBHM brought the likes of Witchfinder General and Pagan Altar, and a few years