Tag: Progressive

Pyramaze – Bloodlines Review

Bloodlines is modern Pyramaze distilled—catchy and frequently poppy melodic metal, with faint hints of the band’s proggier early years. Granted, that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, particularly those whose affinity for the band begins

A Devil’s Dozen – Blue Öyster Cult

Look, there’s no need to call anybody old. Let’s just say that a few of us here at Last Rites have acquired… a nice patina. Maybe you have too, in which case you’re lucky to

Ray Alder – II Review

Heavier and more progressive than 2019’s What the Water Wants, the Fates Warning singer’s sophomore effort, II, retains the former’s ethereal feel but hits some incredible highs that were perhaps lacking on that earlier effort

Henget – Beyond North Star Review

The debut album from Finland’s Henget is an attractive synthesis of styles that, while somewhat disjointed, fires with enough varied inspiration to remain compelling. The brainchild primarily of the improbably named King Aleijster de Satan

Pestifer – Defeat Of The Nemesis Review

[Cover art by David Caryn] Nothing quite reminds you of the vastness of the musical universe like finding a new-to-you band that is decidedly not new. My initial spin of Pestifer’s new EP Defeat of

Psilocybe – Strange Place Review

Have you ever thought about the concept of object permanence? In human development, this refers to the realization that something does not cease to exist when it is not being directly observed. But before babies

Altari – Kröflueldar Review

[Cover art by Altari guitarist K.R.Guðmundsson] In the press materials for Kröflueldar, the full length debut from Iceland’s Altari, the band jokes that because the record took nine years to make, they named it after

Ihsahn – Fascination Street Sessions Review

The Fascination Street Sessions EP is the most immediately satisfying material Ihsahn’s nailed his name to since 2016’s Arktis. That’s the tweet. That’s the status update. That’s the myspace post. That’s the friendster request. If