Category: Reviews
Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! – Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! Review
Friend, I wonder if you would agree with me when I say that authenticity in black metal is a dead letter. I don’t mean that black metal is always played inauthentically, but rather that the …
Leatherhead – Violent Horror Stories Review
[Album artwork by Mario López] You would never know the very USPM-sounding Leatherhead are Greek. Yet here we are, reviewing Leatherhead’s sophomore effort, the bluntly titled Violent Horror Stories, which is … you guessed it, …
Dwellnought – Monolith Of Ephemerality Review
Monolith Of Ephemerality is the ambitious debut of Italian quartet Dwellnought, which formed in 2023 and released one prior demo last year. The band proclaims it blends black metal and doom, but you’ll find moments …
Cryptic Shift – Overspace & Supertime Review
[Cover art by Jesse Jacobi] A recent conversation among friends – all current or former Last Rites writers – discussed Opeth’s (in)famous song “Black Rose Immortal,” and its merits and pitfalls. Some friends love the …
Turbo’s Tribunal – Mills Of Tribunal Review
After a particularly strong 2025, the bar is high for traditional metal in 2026. And the debut from Turbo’s Tribunal, Mills of Tribunal, just clears it. The band Turbo’s Tribunal is but one Danish man, …
Invictus – Nocturnal Visions Review
[Cover artwork by Juanjo Castellano] I dove into Nocturnal Visions – Invictus’s sophomore effort – having heard zero seconds of the Japanese death metal band’s debut, The Catacombs of Fear. In some ways, it’s an …
Big Big Train – Woodcut Review
Artwork by Robin Mckenzie Do you like beautiful things? Your answer to that question is surely “yes, of course,” but also likely involves some concept of “beautiful” that might be up for discussion between individuals. …
Cobweb – Cobweb EP Review
[Cobweb Logo by Tanya Finder] As an individual who’s spent the better part of the last four decades venerating and meditating over the works of Mercyful Fate (and King Diamond), I have made my stance …