Godless – Adversus Parousia Review
[Cover art by Fenomeno Design] Did you know that Chile is pretty darn good at death metal? If not, you must be new around these parts, in which case, I say, welcome friend! We’re glad to have you here and …
Metalmorphoses: Shifting The Paradigm, Pt. 1
Like you, the devout and steadfast metal fan, we at Last Rites take very seriously and personally our relationships with the bands we love. Invested heavily with emotion in the musical manifestations of our very identities, …
Toxaemia – Buried To Rise Review
Forgotten early Swedish death metal band Toxaemia gets the double-disc deluxe treatment with Buried To Rise, but there’s a bit of a hitch – it’s the same disc twice, albeit in different forms. The first …
Subrosa – No Help For The Mighty Ones Review
The final short story in James Joyce’s collection Dubliners is entitled “The Dead,” and begins with the following line: “Lily, the caretaker’s daughter, was literally run off her feet.” The story involves an elaborate dance …
Silent Stream Of Godless Elegy – Návaz
Traditionally, bands with an exceptional lead guitarist, if they’ve got their wits about them, craft their sound around that player’s leads and solos. Nothing’s more frustrating than getting an album from one of those acts …
Rotten Sound – Cursed Review
originally written by Chris McDonald If someone asked me to give an example of what the “extreme” in extreme metal is supposed to denote, Rotten Sound would be one of the first bands I would …
Vreid – V Review
Round about a decade or so ago a boldly-titled comp called True Kings of Norway was released on Spikefarm Records. Featured were embryonic early works by Emperor, Immortal, Arcturus, Dimmu Borgir, and Ancient, obviously slapped …
Moonsorrow – Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa Review
originally written by Chris McDonald Its been said plenty of times, on this site and others, but it bears repeating: Moonsorrow epitomizes the term “epic” in a heavy metal context. Time and time again, these guys …
Crystal Viper – Legends Review
It’s been said before (and it’s about to be said again) that Poland has a deserved reputation for metallic excellence but not necessarily for bold genre-expanding innovation – which is to say, if a generalization …