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 …
Another month, another Rogga Johansson album to review… And like the rest, this one’s a Swedish death metal album… Who would’ve expected that? * For this debut from his new outfit Grisly, Johansson The Swedeath …
Founded just before the dawn of the second-wave of black metal, Archgoat spawned at an exciting time—when black metal was just beginning to forge its own sonic identity rather than just being speedy heavy metal …
“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 …
We’re each of us the sum of our experiences, aren’t we? And because most of us are human beings with both a sense of shame and an intense desire to connect with other people (somehow), …
FAST RITES: because sometimes brevity is fundamental It really doesn’t matter how vigilant you think you might be with regard to staying ahead of the seemingly endless heap of new metal that gets shoveled onto …
Not much that an old dog (or a young dog with an old dog’s heart) loves more than discovering some forgotten, dusty gem of a record that ends up as sharp and true as Excalibur. …
To get into the right frame of mind for Voluptuous Worship Of Rapture And Reason, picture an ideal raw, atmospheric black metal album cover—the dark, sinister melancholy of a dead forest, the gaping maw of …
FAST RITES: Because sometimes brevity is fundamental The slip into insanity can be comforting. Let go. We are on a rock that is spinning wildly out of control throughout the cosmos, so what’s the point …
