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 …
When Last Rites decided to do a Devil’s Dozen for Fates Warning, there was the usual consternation over what was to be included even after the initial votes had been tallied. I had trouble with …
“Album Of The Day” is a Last Rites Facebook feature we started recently whose purpose is quite straight-forward: highlight one album per day and say a few words about it. Understanding that not everyone chooses …
The story of Fates Warning spans decades and is complex in terms of music, musicians, genre definitions, and public perception. On a musician level, this is the story of Jim Matheos, guitarist, primary songwriter, and …
When paths diverge… only to collide. It has been a while since any transmissions from the godfathers of stoner doom have been received. Sure, there was a one-song EP that saw the replacement of Chris Hakius …
It’s undeniable that After will remain the classic Ihsahn record. If someone wants to get into his work, that’s the album they select. It’s not even out of the realm of possibility some would rate After higher …
FAST RITES: because sometimes brevity is fundamental. Consisting of two former members of Flourishing and former Castevet drummer Ian Jacyszyn, the debut EP of Aeviterne ought to excite fans of slightly noisy, oddball death metal. …
Spain’s premier pan-Scandinavian death metallers return with this EP, a continuation of their rotting blend of gnarly Swedish buzz and morbid Finnish atmosphere, and all to the usual results: Very respectable, highly enjoyable, not at …
[On May 5, 1978, AC/DC released the almighty Powerage, their fifth album. Forty years later, we’d like to talk about it.] With all due respect to the likes of Back in Black and Highway to Hell, …
