Generally Impressed With Riffs
To put it mildly, I’ve been a bit sidetracked this year, so I apologize to all zero of my readers for not keeping them informed on the state of grindcore as I see it. Thankfully, I have some conscientious compatriots …
[Cover Artwork by Julia Proszowska] Something about the internet that only occurred to me recently is that it’s changed the way we think about death. Like just about everything else, the very notion of death has lost so much of …
[Cover artwork by The Blacksmith] I will freely admit that anonymity when it comes to art largely puzzles me, particularly as it relates to music. Aliased with some sort of elaborate costume? There’s potential there; who doesn’t love a little …
[Cover art by Larisa Brechun] With age, you begin to understand that genuine loss is not the haunting shadow you once thought. It isn’t a short-lived grief that disappears in a few days. Instead, it’s more than a shadow; it’s …
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, …
Затхлий запах смерті Приніс з собою вітер Лише холод і туга безкрая У небі роїться круків зграя Вся земля вагітна мерцями – svrm, “Земля вагітна мерцями” The musty smell of death Wind brought with him Only …
