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 …
originally written by Juho Mikkonen When it comes to maintaining the brittle balance between drawing from the fountainhead and pushing beyond the familiar waters, many newer death metal bands could learn a thing or two …
originally written by Craig Hayes I understand that plenty of folk think a lengthy tune that sheds its hook gets real boring, real fast. That’s fair enough. Metal’s already drowning in the briny depths of …
Every music critic – and indeed, every music fan who cares and dares to dig – has pet bands, the bands that they’re forever touting as one that “should be huge” and “everyone should be …
Too often, good bands doing the intentionally old school thing go unnoticed because, by design, they don’t exactly stand out. Fans and writers looking for The Next Big Thing might pass quickly if some original …
Originally written by Dean Brown. If anything can be taken from post-Max Cavalera Sepultura, it is that the band will, regardless of the lambasting it has received since 1996, persevere to create new music, whether you …
On November 12th, Profound Lore reissued YOB’s sophomore full-length Catharsis nearly ten years to date of its original release. With a spiffy sound courtesy of Tad Doyle and a much-needed art design update thanks to people with functioning eyeballs, Catharsis 2.0 looks …
Let’s get the massive, whopping, unavoidable disclaimer out of the way first: Immortal Bird is a new band featuring none other than former Last Rites staffer Rae Amitay. I also know Rae personally and consider …
Trying to keep up with all of 2013’s releases is like committing to a filthy second job. Well, your old pals here at Last Rites are ever-so willing to walk directly into the line of …
