Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover artwork by Douglas Leal] Listening to the new album from Brazil’s Deafkids, Cicatrizes Do Futuro, I’ve been thinking about rivers. [indignant voice from the back]: WHAT? Mea culpa, friend. I’m here today to preach the gospel of Under the …
[Album artwork by Harshanand Singh] The third album is in some ways a litmus test for a band’s longevity. Three albums is a sufficient sample size—you can generally tell where a band is headed, whether they’ll last, whether they speak …
[Pre]-historically speaking, the boys, Nocturno Culto and Fenriz, have always been influenced by the likes of Celtic Frost, Bathory, and all things ‘80s. In fact, they don’t shy away from the fact that it’s always been about that era. After …
[Cover art by Quinn Henderson] You’re familiar with the term, “unc,” right? If not, it generally refers to a washed up older feller whose personality in large part revolves around extravagantly performing confusion and/or displeasure at the mere notion of …
Of all the criticisms thrown at black metal, the lazy, tired “black metal has no riffs” argument is easily the most likely to jerk the eyeballs of anyone with any experience in the style involuntarily …
Welcome, friends, to the March 2022 edition of Staff infections, your monthly glimpse into the listening habits of your pals here at Last Rites. Last month I expressed my hope that Vladimir Putin’s threatened invasion …
[Cover artwork by Oskari Räsänen] Iron Griffin’s Storm of Magic is one of the mightiest true metal albums you’ll encounter in 2022. [[KLAXON]] Just what the hell do you mean by “true” metal, you bastard. …
“But metal must be evil!” they wailed, fingers clutching their obsidian pearls. “It’s about darkness and despair!” they protested, all the while missing the true power that lies within the heart of the music. Certainly, heavy …
There’s something strangely exotic about a band as committed to its aesthetic as Sabaton. Appreciating the differences from one album to the next is less about stylistic shifts than about pace and tone. Not that …
If I were forced to pick a single word to describe Messa’s third album, Close – just one word – it would be patient. Don’t mistake me: Messa’s doom is not slow or directionless or …
[Artwork by SeventhBell / Jack Welch] We all have those certain bands we champion like heroes and attempt to push into the lives of virtually anyone lucky enough to coexist in our sphere. And when …
[Cover art by Adam Burke] BIG There is no shortage of styles of music or bands that want to make their songs feel and sound big. Common approaches to doing so include adding orchestral elements, …
