Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover art by Jef Whitehead] Cognizance’s In Light, No Shape serves as a useful reminder that when it comes to our musical preferences, our whats are subservient to our whys. If, for example, you are a fan of the early …
[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 …
Because I’m clearly a paragon of awesomeness, I keep a Page-A-Day calendar on my desk. Tragically, this year, my go-to choices of 365 consecutive Grumpy Cat memes or a year’s supply of terrible Dad Jokes …
Doom (the genre not the game or the [amazing] punk band) is having something of a resurgence in 2019. Perhaps “resurgence” is the wrong word. Doom, of the clean vocal variety, has existed since before …
Sometimes the only way to conquer something is by feeding it. Immersing yourself in it, becoming it. Going against what every instinct embedded in your subconscious screams against in protest. Stepping into the fire, you …
“Album Of The Day” is a Last Rites Facebook feature we started whose purpose is quite straight-forward: highlight one album per day and say a few words about it. Understanding that not everyone chooses to …
[Cover art by Lucas Korte] Grind persists. Last year was one of my favorite grind years, giving us the devastating full length by Axis of Despair, a new Cripple Bastards, Terrorizer and Needful Things, and …
Let’s take a moment, if we may, to talk about the “ah-ha” moment. That moment when all of a sudden, an album just clicks. Sometimes it comes right away, sometimes after two or three listens, …
Ah, speed… Some of us are built for it; some of us have a need for it. And way back some thirty years ago, it was one of the most important criteria by which a …
Have any two bastard children of the blues been as intertwined as punk and heavy metal? One would be hard pressed to make a strong enough case to dispute it. Sure, plenty of other rock-oriented …
