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 might be thinking, “Scorched? Didn’t they put out an album earlier this year?” You’d be right. Back in early April, Pittsburgh-based label 20 Buck Spin released Excavated for Evisceration, a compilation of their 2015 …
Typically, when I’m writing a review, I read up on the band — bios, interviews, press releases, anything that will help me understand where the music is coming from: its inception, its influence, its intent. …
Welcome back, ladies and gents. It’s time for another lesson in Riffology, and, as I intimated in our last lesson, we will be examining another track from Morbid Angel’s Altars of Madness, namely, “Chapel of …
“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 …
Although heavy metal’s musical hubs have shifted over time, Birmingham retains pride of place not only for being arguably the earliest forge (Black Sabbath), but for being both an incubator and an accelerator. Follow the …
Let’s face it, sinner—when you die, you will be judged, and, more likely than not, your soul shall be cast forever into the eternal pits of Hell for an existential torture the human mind cannot …
Vreid has hit a bit of an identity crisis. After the most consistent run of albums of their career (Milorg, V, and Welcome Farewell), they changed it up a bit on Sólverv. That somewhat surprising …
FAST RITES: because sometimes brevity is fundamental. For as long as there’s been a threat of nuclear disaster, people have lived in fear of dying as a result of a nuclear disaster. Personally, I’ve never …
