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 …
From the land of Kierkegaard and King Diamond comes Dead Instrument, a grindcore four-piece that peddles perfectly blistering blasting. Think the hyperactive razor’s edge of Discordance Axis meets the turbo-charged attack of Yacøpsæ, duking it out in …
Originally written by Jordan Campbell The 2014 Decibel Magazine tour concluded in Maryland last Sunday. It was a big deal. We should probably say something about it. Here’s the thing, though. Concert reviews typically shove …
THIS IS IT! Volume Ten has finally arrived. And with it, so does the end of Last Rites’ 80s Essentials lists. We hope you’ve had as much fun reading them as we did putting them …
“…Let’s start with the dungeness crab salad with avocado mousse, and I’ll have the Moroccan spiced squab with orange-cumin carrots as my entree, please.” “Excellent choice. And for you, madam?” “I’ll have the arugala & …
Originally Written by Jordan Campbell Thomas Gabriel Fischer’s career has been one of the most tumultuous in metal history. Recounting the 80s exploits of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost is unnecessary. Just as interesting—for completely different …
originally written by Juho Mikkonen Not many underground metal albums have been able to establish such a cult following as Whiplash’s 1985 full-length debut, Power and Pain (featured in the ninth installment of you know …
Originally written by Matt Longo I don’t hate fun. Part of the reason why so many of us curious, despondent, introverted, angry, energetic loons love the metal is its inherent emotional release. That being said, …
originally written by Craig Hayes This is the fourth installment in a five-part series. In Mainstreaming Metal, LR scribe Craig Hayes looks back on his experiences as a beacon for underground heavy metal within the …
