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 …
“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 …
What’s left to say about Overkill that hasn’t already been said a thousand times during the course of their near forty years of existence. The synopsis: they roared out of the gate with a five …
Of the many elements of a successful record label, perhaps one of the most difficult to achieve is a unified aesthetic. While it’s not a prerequisite for success – and certainly, the larger the label, …
I’m going to go ahead and admit a fault here: writing reviews of traditional metal can get difficult. It is the medium in its purest, most undiluted form, and more often than not has few …
I don’t pretend to be any kind of expert on show business, heavy metal or otherwise, at any level, especially whatever level it is that somehow marks the transition from ordinary to significant. But (and …
For a band that was originally shrouded in a fair bit of mystery and anonymity, Blut Aus Nord has come perilously close to oversaturating its own relatively niche market. Although Vindsval and company have slowed …
“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 …
I’m going ahead and calling it now: 2019 is going to be a blowout year for traditional heavy metal. With promising releases on the horizon, or at least rumored to be, from the likes of …
