Tag: Symphonic

Epica – The Alchemy Project Review

Epica could record an album of Karol G covers and no one would bat an eye. So the fact that the band is collaborating with musicians from Shining, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Soilwork, Aborted, Insomnium, Uriah Heep,

Stratovarius – Survive Review

The metaphor isn’t hard to spot in the cover art of Stratovarius’ 16th album, nor in its title, Survive. The world’s pretty fucked up these days and we may very well be beyond the threshold,

Grave Digger – Symbol Of Eternity Review

At this point, 42 years in, the title “Symbol Of Eternity” may as well refer to Grave Digger themselves. Like their fellow Germans in U.D.O., Chris Boltendahl and his cast of comrades have carved out

I Am the Night ‒ While the Gods Are Sleeping Review

[Cover art by Kristian “Necrolord” Wåhlin] The Grand World of Heavy Metal Music is no stranger to works of tribute, typically to an era or sound or Days of Yore, but sometimes bands zero in

Best of 2021 – Chris C: It’s Been A Year

This has been a strange year in music. Blood Incantation announced their hour-long, ambient Century Media debut. Andi Deris proved the best bobbing head on the new and remarkable Helloween hydra. Melodic black metal not

We Have The Power – The Top 30 Power Metal (And Power-Related) Albums Of 2021

Hails and good fortune, heroes! Welcome to the launch of List Season here at Last Rites. As has become tradition, we kick things off with brand-spankin’-new edition of We Have the Power, our annual roundup

Dialith – Atrophy Review

[Cover artwork by Marta Sokołowska] It was 2019 when we last ran into Danbury, Connecticut’s Dialith here at Last Rites—back when the band’s fantastic debut full-length, Extinction Six, beat out 106 other power metal (and

…And Oceans – Cosmic World Mother Review

The evolution of …and Oceans from an excellent but fairly standard symphonic and melodic black metal band in the late 90s to a group incorporating plenty of industrial and avant-garde influences was not entirely unlikely