Darkthrone – Pre-Historic Metal Review
[Pre]-historically speaking, the boys, Nocturno Culto and Fenriz, have always been influenced by the likes of Celtic Frost, Bathory, and all things ‘80s. In fact, they don’t shy away from the fact that it’s always …
Hellripper – Coronach Review
To this day, because of the Murderer’s Row of ’80s Bay Area thrash masterpieces, someone, somewhere, is plugging a cheap guitar into an old amplifier for the first time. And someone, somewhere, is cutting the …
Ectovoid – In Unreality’s Coffin Review
A well-executed death metal riff or blastbeat provides a satisfaction comparable to savoring a cup of coffee on a quiet Sunday morning by the fireplace. So, whenever I stumble upon a killer new record, it …
Best Of 2025: Blizzard Of Jozzsh – Your Anger Is A Gift
In these end-of-year recaps, I try to wrap up with an overarching takeaway that extends beyond just music. Last year, I parodied the idea of extraterrestrial life because it was dominating headlines. This year, I …
Lamp Of Murmuur – The Dreaming Prince In Ecstasy Review
Lamp of Murmuur remains, in many ways, a mystery. A songwriter simply dubbing the name “M.” writes and records everything. To this day, even in the Metal Archives, a single letter sits beneath the “Members” …
Blindfolded And Led To The Woods – The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me Review
By way of Christchurch, progressive/technical death metal titans Blindfolded and Led to the Woods are creating some intriguing tunes. In fact, fellow Last Rites contributor Seth Buttnam compared their sound to that of their New …
Graveripper – From Welkin To Tundra Review
[Cover art by Adam Burke] Indianapolis’ appropriately named Graveripper is a combination of two of my favorite things: extreme metal and Hoosier hostility. Now, the black thrash ‘n’ roll outfit has been heavily covered here …
Krigsgrav – Stormcaller Review
In 2023, Texas metal quartet Krigsgrav released an album that resonated with me more than any that year, clinching the top spot on my AOTY list. A beautifully sinister cacophony of melodic black and doom …