Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover art by Jeff Gibson] During an early spin of Paired Sentinels, the fifth full-length album from Chicago’s Anatomy of Habit, a question-so-stupid-I-now-must-ask-it-in-public occurred to me: Does post-metal have anything to do with post-punk? If we really want to turn …
[Cover art by Clare McCarthy] A brutal death metal album with a beautiful cover? Consider me intrigued by the contrast alone. Brutal death metal, despite its typical gory imagery, lyrics, and tone, has a peculiar charm. But it’s not just …
[Cover art by Adam Yates] Look, I’ll freely admit that I listen to and love some truly pretentious death metal. Hell, I ranked Ingurgitating Oblivion’s last album as my seventh favorite in 2024, and that album has its head so …
[Cover Art by Kristian Valbo] I love the story behind the music. Not that it has to be some dramatic, sensational, or lurid tale. Rather, I just really appreciate how a little window into the artistic process can color one’s …
[Cover artwork by Rotting Reign] Having slept on the first few releases from Australia’s Snorlax, I approached Toxic Current—the Aussie one-man blackened death metal band’s third full-length—with fresh ears. I won’t bore you with any …
[Cover art by Paolo Girardi] There are currently nine bands named “Ripper” listed on ye olde Metal-Archives, but it’s tough to imagine any of them earning the moniker as well as the boys from Chile …
Greetings once again, dear readers. It’s time for Staff Infections, where we listen, you read and everybody has fun. Before we get to the fun part, however, we should acknowledge the recent passing of a …
So, there’s a thing that happens behind the scenes at Last Rites HQ called ‘Sunday Funday’ where we each pick a random album for the LR collective to listen to during the week, and then …
When we write about music, we often proceed from a premise that is useful but essentially false: namely, that music has a fixed, objective reality. Don’t we all know, at some level, that music is …
[Cover art by Mario Lopez] “What is the correct number of people to have in a rock band?” I have precisely one memory from my high school chemistry class, and it’s debating that question with …
For Vindsval, Blut Aus Nord’s many modes are the point. “Our albums are built around the control of contrasts — darkness and light continually feed one another, and the band’s entire discography is shaped by …
[Cover artwork by Simon Bisley] Stormkeep’s full-length debut, Tales of Othertime, caused quite a stir in 2021. And by that I mean it was quite popular. Deservedly. It was big. It was melodic. It had …
