Last Rites - "Nemesis" (MASD Records, 2017)

Band: Last Rites
Title: Nemesis
Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
Release Date: 23rd December 2017
Time: 32.43 min
Rating: 88/100













What can I suggest you today that is the day of the dead, otherwise known as Halloween? LAST RITES! Write this name down because we're taling about a veteran Italian band that realized an outstanding fourth album named "Nemesis"! Hailing from Savona, Ligury (North Italy), Last Rites started their path in 1997, so "Nemesis" represent a special release for the band because, through it, they celebrated their 20th anniversary. For this, you'll find, on two pages of the nice booklet of this album, some pics (also on stage) that cover the career of the band from the early days to the recent ones. In this range of time, the band has been always strongly leaded by the singer/guitarist Dave, the only current member remained of the original line-up. Another interesting thing to underline is that "Nemesis" has been dedicated to the memory of Vic Mazzoni, a talented metal musician died in 2016 at the age of 42 years old. Now, let's start to talk about this memorable piece of metal!

Released by the Italian label MASD Records, "Nemesis" consist of 8 songs in which you will be bombarded through a death/thrash metal characterized by a notable variety. In fact, Last Rites are able not only to be very aggressive but also melodic, and this can happens even in the same song. In addition, they know when the songs need some enough complex passages and, talking about technical skills, I have to mention, at least, the ability of the guitarist Fens to create long and creative guitar solos that can even move emotionally the listeners. Another winning feature of Last Rites comes surely from the vocals of Dave, whose tormenting screams reminds me a lot of the Mille Petrozza of the good old days, and this is a big compliment since I love this kind of wicked vocals! There is need to add that Dave alternate these screams with some growls, so to give more malice to the music.

Of all the songs, I'll mostly mention my favorite ones, also in order to make you understand what are the numbers that represent better the Last Rites' sound. Firstly, I appreciated a lot "Architecture of Self-Destruction", very intense with its back and forth vocals between Dave and the guest Mattia Casabona. Secondly, "Ancient Spirit" is a perfect combination between aggression and melody, and without forgetting that the drummer Laccio (known to playing in the past in the Oi! punk band Klasse Kriminale!) spews forth here some blast-beats. This song is followed by "Fallen Brother", a strange track because it see not only the (post-humous) participation of Vic Mazzoni (lead guitar) but also the contribution of two musicians (Fabio Zunini at the bass and Luca Grosso at the drums) that played with him in the melodic power metal band Projecto, with the result to create a number with some elegant lead guitar riffs and whose engaging mid-section has surprising ballad solutions. Very remarkable is also the outro of the same "Fallen Brother" titled "Glory to the Brave", full of epic keyboards. As last favorite song of mine, there is "Realm of Illusions", that contains a fantastic guitar solo with some neoclassical influences.

To say the truth, the entire album deserve to be mentioned! For example, can I forget to mention the misanthropist "Human Extinction", that's certainly the most violent, grim and death metal-oriented song of the album? Maybe, only the one "26.04.1986" (that remember the Chernobyl's disaster) doesn't convince me in its entirety since it isn't so powerful but without ruining the album.

So, we have arrived at the end of this long review. I enjoyed a lot by writing it because I enjoyed a fuckin' lot by listening to "Nemesis". This because Last Rites plays a very versatile death/thrash metal that, for me, is stylistically close to the Polish trio Rotengeist, whose last album has a cover artwork similar (at least, for the symbols represented and for their order) to the one of "Nemesis"...and not talk about the ultra-abused figure of the Vitruvian Man, that you saw already on these pages through the review about the last Cult of the Horns! Additionally, some lyrics into this album are great and really deep, like the ones for "Fallen Brother" ("It's not an end, but another step/of our journey through time"). So, good job Dave and co., and continue to kick a lot of asses...for other 20 years, if possible!

P.S.: on 24th October 2018, MASD Records celebrated its first year of existence. For this, it announced its first festival, that will be on 2nd February 2019 at the Scandicci Circus Club (in Scandicci, in the province of Florence, Tuscany). Last Rites, that was the first band to sign with this label, will be in the bill of this festival along with other bands of MASD Rec, included the thrashers Self Disgrace, that has in the line-up Isabella Fronzoni, known for her militancy into International acts like Ice Age or even Girlschool (GULP!)! THRASH 'EM ALL!!!

Tracklist:

1 - Paradox of Predestination
2 - Architecture of Self-Destruction
3 - 26.04.1986
4 - Ancient Spirit
5 - Fallen Brother/Glory to the Brave (outro)
6 - Human Extinction
7 - Realm of Illusions
8 - Souls' Harvest

Line-up:

Dave - vocals/guitars
Fens - lead guitar
Bomber - bass
Laccio - drums

Guests:

Mattia Casabona - additional vocals ("Architecture of Self-Destruction")
Vic Mazzoni - lead guitar ("Fallen Brother")
Fabio Zunini - bass ("Fallen Brother")
Luca Grosso - drums ("Fallen Brother")

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/lastrites0
BandCamp: https://lastrites0.bandcamp.com/
MASD Records: https://www.facebook.com/masd.records/