Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover artwork by Timbul Cahyono] In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I’ve always found the concept of the split to be flawed. It works best when there’s a shared theme or the band’s involved cover each …
[Cover art by Mars Triumph] Petrichor, the sixth full length album from Greece’s epic metal stalwarts Battlelore, commences with the sound of rain and an invitation to reflect. That word, “petrichor,” is a relatively new one (coined by scientists in …
To start, let’s acknowledge that you and I don’t really know each other. This means, among other things, that I can’t say what “war metal” means to you. To some extent, maybe you just throw your hands in the air …
Kia ora, compadres. Welcome to the latest edition of In Crust We Trust. Below you’ll find a bunch of ear-wrecking noise to help you process and/or drown out the 24/7 horror show currently occupying our screens. Wherever you are, and …
In all of heavy metal’s fifty-ish glorious years, how many conversations have been had the world around concerning some variation on the theme “Who is the heaviest of them all?” Tens of thousands, no doubt. …
Surprises are relatively rare in this age of hyper-publicity. Yet every once in a while something like Azaab’s Summoning the Cataclysm falls from the sky to clock you in the noggin before landing at your …
Get your antibiotics ready, friends, it’s time for Staff Infections. Staff Infections, if you didn’t know, is our monthly examination of the Last Rites staff’s listening habits. Typically I also spend a little time discussing …
[Cover art by Lordigan] To listen to and fully enjoy Analepsy requires a state of mind matching the above. The band’s wares are most effective when you’ve turned off your brain and you can be …
[Artwork: João de Sá from a 16th century anonymous Flemish painting, The King’s Fountain] With Heltekvad, Ole Pedersen Luk of Afsky sacrifices little aggression in adopting a medieval theme. And though I am still not …
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been listening to Agathocles and thought, “Goddamn, this raw-as-shit rudimentary grinding mayhem is awesome, but I wish it had more neoclassical sweep-picking.” And then I’d have another …
Boy, I sure am a big ol’ dummy. (How’s that for a lede, eh? “I sure am stupid. Now be sure to read on and totally trust my expert opinion!” But seriously, do that…) Why …
When it comes to commonplace tropes in storytelling, the line between a blessing and a curse can get thorny pretty quick. If you’re a fan of the fantasy genre, for example, you are at risk …
