Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover artwork by Old Hag] When I initially realized that Arckanum’s first album after a long hiatus—and, technically, its breakup—would be released on All Hallows’ Eve, I devised this rather cutesy and far-fetched idea to compare the entire album to …
[Album artwork / art direction by Joseph Niet / The Creative Corporation] Offering up a textbook definition of “holy crap, time flies,” Black Sabbath’s swan song, 13, was released 13 years ago, on June 7th, 2013. In a curious move, …
If you’re just now catching up, well, we’re just now catching up. Seth Buttnam and I (plus one uninvited guest) are rounding up some of our favoritest grindcore (or grind-adjacent) releases of the past however many months, since we (read: …
[Album artwork by Truls Espedal] It’s 17 albums for Enslaved now, comprising a discography I find exceptionally challenging to wrap my arms around. What’s going on here? Does anyone else forget that the relatively rote and by-the-numbers Frost is actually …
Have you ever wondered what Helloween would sound like if Michael Kiske sounded more like Michael Sweet of Stryper? No, you didn’t. Because why would you? Hell, I adore both bands, and I’ve never once …
This Ram is sometimes a confusing beast. On paper, their fiery trad metal sounds perfect – it’s heavily indebted to Judas Priest, and nods to Mercyful Fate, Accept, and Omen float around in the periphery. …
There are many types of homes. You’ve got saltboxes, colonials, federals, a-frame, shingle, Victorian, foursquare, lodge, gablefront, storybook, split-level, etc. But, there’s really only one desirable way to live, and that’s definitely inside a cavernous, …
Class is back in session, kids. You’ll have to excuse my lengthy absence; I was on a lengthy research sabbatical. I don’t know how often class will meet in the future, but, for now, we’ve …
If you’re among the cherished tens and tens of regular readers we have here at Last Rites, you might notice something about us as a group: we aren’t particularly negative. This isn’t because we simply …
I’ve had my ear on Germany’s Wojczech since their 2005 full-length Sedimente. That one hit the right spot for me back then, with its crust-fueled riffing, grindcore dissonance, balance of punk drive and outright blasting, …
Godflesh has always had an uncommon connection to metal and industrial music—despite the obvious inclusion of both styles in their sound, one need not be a devoted fan of either to appreciate their work. Sure, …
Lihhamon has largely flown under the radar, despite some claiming they own some lost demo cassette that is certainly killer but they just can’t “find it right now.” Full length Doctrine was originally self released …
