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 …
You can sum up the music of Australian punk band Dark Horse in seven simple words: pure intensity, distilled to its rawest essence. To be honest, I’m going to say a few more words than …
There’s no shortage of crabby old-school black metal fans who would like you to believe that the scene as a whole has strayed so far from the original recipe that it’s hardly worth acknowledging enthusiasm …
Let’s begin with a pair of tentative maxims: 1) If you only ever look for the new—the cutting edge, the bold, the progressive, the iconoclastic—in music, you are likely a sad-hearted doofus who has never …
Hey, your barn door’s open. April Fools! Ahhhh, admit it, we got you. Wait, what? You have an actual barn and the door is currently open? Well, you better close it, Mr. and/or Mrs. McDonald. …
“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 …
Straight to the point: Sulphur English is the darkest and most brutal record that Inter Arma has made yet. It is also far less immediate than albums like Sky Burial and Paradise Gallows. Immediacy is …
[Cover Illustration by Adam Kindred] There is plenty of great metal starting to seep through the cracks here in 2019, and a bunch of it is getting reviewed right here at Last Rites. But for …
Metal is made up of certain characteristics, just like life itself. A bird is not just a flying dinosaur—it is a specific kind of animal defined by a LOT of characteristics. Same with a snake …
