Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover artwork by Michael Cloutier] Prog, of course, is known for technical musicianship and songwriting complexity above all else, a reputation well-earned by the early giants of the genre and happily maintained by their progeny ever since. It’s also true …
[Cover artwork by Timbul Cahyono] In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I’ve always found the concept of the split to be flawed. It works best when there’s a shared theme or the band’s involved cover each …
[Cover art by Mars Triumph] Petrichor, the sixth full length album from Greece’s epic metal stalwarts Battleroar, commences with the sound of rain and an invitation to reflect. That word, “petrichor,” is a relatively new one (coined by scientists in …
To start, let’s acknowledge that you and I don’t really know each other. This means, among other things, that I can’t say what “war metal” means to you. To some extent, maybe you just throw your hands in the air …
I’m sure that when Ash Pearson and Justin Hagberg chose to name their debut album Give In To Despair, it probably just sounded really metal and maybe tied some lyrical themes together. But here we …
Last Rites is currently running a 10-part series highlighting 100 essential metal albums from the past decade. I decided to wedge myself into the conversation by volunteering to write this two-part feature, which explores a …
[Cover artwork by Chris Kiesling / Misanthropic-Art] “No fun, no core, no mosh, no trends”: it’s basically the first line of the black metal rulebook as decreed by Øystein “Eur Fave Onymous” Aarseth and Deathlike …
We are currently, for lack of a better term, in the midst of a global crisis. Across this beautiful blue sphere spinning lackadaisically around the sun people are coming down with a respiratory illness known …
Friends, we have officially reached the halfway point of our journey. We’ll go ahead and pull off the interstate at the next rest area so you can finally stretch your legs, visit a bathroom (that …
Hey there, Bear here—named after Bear Bryant. No, I’m not exactly thrilled about that. In my defense, and as is generally the case, I had no say in my name. If I had, I would …
“Everyone is gonna die. There’s no escape. Your lungs turning black. No one can save you… Welcome to World War Three.” Prescient lyrics mark the early landscape of Titans of Creation on the second track, …
Raise your hand if you thought that 2018’s Misery Rites was a monstrous grind album, both a high-water mark of the genre and for the band? Our own Mr. Edmunds saw the light and recognized …
