Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover artwork by Subhuman at Desert Dungeon] Let’s talk about our love for quirky metal. Okay, sure, any definable level of ‘quirk’ is obviously subjective, but I’m guessing you know we’re not talking about the guy who loves The Black …
[Cover art by Mister Curse] Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface. Stack Overflow in…Corpse Pile Interface? “What’s in a name? That which we call a corpse pile, by any other word would smell as putrid” – billy shakes Forgive my …
[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 …
Sometimes, a guy needs to turn his brain switch firmly to the “off” position. While there is no shortage of music to fit such times (pretty sure Judas Priest just released a song called “Metalizer”), …
Redeemer Of Souls is Judas Priest’s best album in nearly 25 years. Reeling from the near-universal disdain for the ambitious Nostradamus, Redeemer is straightforward, the sound of Priest returning to form, cherry-picking stylistic highlights from …
Shadow Kingdom Records, as is becoming habit, has dug up some more obscure 80s recordings and given them the spiffy reissue treatment. This time around beneficiary is Chicago death metal outfit Terminal Death, whose entire …
Black metal, with all of its offshoots, movements, and ideologies, lends itself to some creative descriptions. The easiest way to describe Sweden’s Nidsang on sophomore effort Into the Womb of Dissolving Flames? A violent churn. …
For two albums now, Mastodon has been a regular band. No matter how flimsily the ‘four elements’ scheme actually informed the band’s music, the Atlanta quartet’s run from the rampaging tumult of debut album Remission …
[In the spirit of the recent round-ups of things you may have missed out on in the first half of 2014, the resident grindfreakers at Last Rites pulled together a quick write-up of a few …
originally written by Craig Hayes New Zealand four-piece Beastwars has been on the receiving end of high praise at home and abroad since forming in 2007. The band’s steadfast maxim, “Obey the Riff,” might seem …
originally written by Craig Hayes The roll call of New Zealand metal bands finding fans offshore is ever growing. Bands like Vassafor, Ulcerate, Diocletian and Witchrist have led the charge, and in recent years, groups …
