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 …
Metal nichers have this curious/insufferable ability to keep collecting records from their favorite metal fetish, even if most of them tend to get lost in the anonymity of large numbers. Something about the joy we …
By design, album art is supposed to reflect the music, to be some visual representation of the aural experience contained within the grooves or bytes or magnetic bits or whatever. A large part of album …
It’s well into May, dear readers, and Maryland Deathfest will soon be upon us. That means most of the Last Rites staff will be heading off to Baltimore on Memorial Day weekend to spend some …
“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 …
In Stereogum’s latest edition of The Black Market (aka the best metal column on the web), Ian Chainey broke down all of the thoughts and natural reactions that long time fans have to new material …
What matters more to you between innovation and enthusiasm? I know what my choice would be. And I know at least a few among you who would very likely disagree… The week after this digital …
It’s no secret that the apple that is doom metal has fallen a tad out of the public eye. Yes, America is still in love with Pallbearer and his brother, Darryl, and his other brother, …
Listen, I don’t feel like spending a lot of time apologizing or contextualizing or tiptoeing around my point, so I’ll get right to it: I am of the opinion that A) Dimmu Borgir is a …
