Artist: Last Rites
Country: Germany
Label: Narbentage Produktionen
Formats: Cassette Tape
Year: 2026
Depending on how you look at this release, you could call it either a compilation tape or a re-release of a demo. But regardless of how you choose to describe it, it is a collection of every recording Last Rites ever made. This short-lived German Black Metal band was active in the late 1990s, and a self-titled demo tape from 1997 and a two-track rehearsal recording from a year later are all that remain as a reminder of their existence. These two recordings have now been released on this cassette by Narbentage Produktionen, the label that seems to have set itself the goal of giving all the obscurities of the German underground Black Metal scene a new lease of life.
Even though Last Rites can be regarded as one of the most obscure bands from the German Black Metal scene from the second half of the 90s, their small contribution to the scene as already been reissued once before. That was done on a limited to 1000 copies split cassette tape with Satans Sign Of War back in 2003 by a short-lived and not overly prolific label called Torment Records. A record label helmed by Brand, one of the musicians involved in Last Rites. Satans Sign Of War was a band regarded as a sort of successor to Last Rites, although both bands may well have co-existed for a while. However, this band too was short-lived and called it a day in the year 2000. But that was a year after the other Last Rites musician, Key Mefisto, had already left the band to focus on other musical projects. Under the name Woody, he co-founded the band Old in 2003, and since earlier this year, under the pseudonym Doomhammer, he has been the brand-new guitarist for Nuctemeron. Following Last Rites and Satans Sign Of War, the other half of Last Rites, Brand, made a name for himself in the dubious German Black Metal scene with bands such as Armatus and Blutkult (which he left in 2014).
Musically, Last Rites may not be the most impressive or interesting band to come out of the German Black Metal scene, but given the historical context outlined above, documenting and preserving this sort of material and information is crucial. Ultimately, the fanzines from that era are becoming rare, and even if a band like Last Rites did feature (regularly) in those underground publications, the material has often not been digitised. So, for that reason alone, it is commendable that Narbentage Produktionen is delving into this sort of obscurity. Yet it is also too easy to dismiss this musically as insignificant. Despite the fact that this represents one of the earliest steps into Extreme Metal for both musicians, Last Rites does have something to offer.
What stands out musically is that, unlike most bands from the late 1990s, Last Rites do not indulge in fast, hate-fuelled Black Metal, often following in the footsteps of, for example, Marduk, who were becoming increasingly popular at the time. Although it is certainly not all really slow, the tempo is significantly lower than what was common back then. This lends the whole thing a menacing and dark atmosphere, which is further enhanced by the use of keyboards and, at times, whispering vocals.
Of course, back then it was easier to come up with something original than it is today, with over thirty years of musical development in the Black Metal genre, but even now it’s fair to say that Last Rites has a rather unique sound. The use of those keyboard passages, which are sometimes stretched out for a very long time, is something we might call ‘Dungeon Synth’ in 2026 – a term that was scarcely, if at all, used in that context back then. Furthermore, the programmed drums give the music a distinct identity of its own; the contrast between the piano and keyboards, the sinister atmosphere and those rattling drums is certainly something that still comes out very effectively today.
In short, this is an interesting re-release, both for its historical value and context and for its musical merits. Although Torment Records released a reissue of 100 copies back in 2003 (realise for a moment that this was over twenty years ago!), Narbentage Produktionen has opted to release just 66 copies. Perhaps due to the current abundance of choice, but despite that overwhelming selection of available releases: if you have a soft spot for this sort of obscure material from bygone days with an interesting story, then this is a really nice purchase.
