Reviews

When I first listened to this album, it sounds to me familiar. I try to recognize the artist, check the names, mention Wright Brothers and give up for while. But then when I listen once again and once again, believe me its hypnotic and trancy and addictive. I mention that I know this kind of songwritting. One of my listeners calls me during my show and said: Hey, what's that band they are better than usuall trance acts, they rock but its quintessence of trance. I've agreed with him. I've checked this record couple times and then. Eureka! Wright brothers - main composers of Fields Of The Nephilim. That's the reason that Last Rites sounds familiar to me. That's it! Their groove, mystical aura. Rites aren't so harsh and raw as early fields but their music flow from the same source or better is build upon the same ingredients as their former incarnation. Its dark, strange, weird and even danceable. Genre: Gothic Anz.

Concreteweb.be LAST RITES: "Guided By Light" (Dreamcatcher Records Suburban) Release: 2002 This album is marketed as the fantastic new album from Fields Of The Nephilims Wright brothers. Well this is true and not true. Nod Wright, one of the two Wright brothers that were the real driving force behind Fields Of The Nephilim, recorded and produced this album .The second ex- Fields Of The Nephilim member, Paul Wright is lead guitarist of the band. An until now unknown third brother, Alexander Wright, is clearly the main man. He wrote all the songs by himself and is also responsible for the vocals and the percussion. And well this long-time hidden brother is nothing less than a genius. Not only is every song awesome, his voice is also magnificent. Although the album is released at the end of last year, I already dare to say: ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2002. M.V.

METALSTORM Rock Reviews Guided By Light If there's such a thing as being excited and bummed all in the same breath, that describes my mood right about now, and the sadness sets in like the setting sun the further along we go in spite of what could turn out to be a true Goth-Rock classic in the making. Firstly, it only stood to reason the long-awaited and apparently hung up Fields of the Nephilim reunion record would yield in the name of some progress, sooner or later something had to give-not an assumed dismissal, but now, as before, not quite the same. Last Rites features the brothers Wright, Nod and Paul-vocals and guitar-along with James Quinn and Bob Ahern rounding out the brand new line up and presenting their pale lit vision through piercing eyes, undaunted, captivating, a bridged past to future, an elemental, dark and feverish debut record with an ironically twisted name and perfect title.I loved all things Nephilim-the classic "Fields" days, Carl McCoy's solo Gothic/Industrial venture that should've been bigger yet the few heads it did manage to twist, it twisted right off from the sheer jaw dropping power and magnificence none had a right to expect and probably too few learned to appreciate. All the while, the remains of the FOTN. band produced "What Starts Ends" as Rubicon, a more uplifting shot in the dark, showier and short-lived; then the anticipated reunion lurking not far off in the distance. Last Rites embraces their Goth-grown past in producing a melodiously catchy, ethereal, and edgy debut, Nod Wright handling the vocals in the finest Eldritch-who knew (?) tradition, lifted slightly above ground by a bristling autumnal presence. "Race A Train's" standout electro-inspired aura brings instant dance floor credibility to late night rave-goers, proudly, meticulously detailed, easily consumed "Obsession" dances further in the dark, slowly this time, a hunter on the prowl-its "Lets Do a Creation" chorus darts in and around an ulterior verse, mindful of the morning, darkness and dread will have their way under a low lying cloud of passion and abduction."What Starts Ends," came out a few years ago but the title always seems to hold true and even now, more so than before, the reverse, and a new beginning, the dawn of a new era takes shape.Last Rites are real, a cold chill grips the dampened air engulfing the past, squeezing out its very last faded memory until there is only future, and a glimmer of hope signals a break in the obscurity and a bright ray pierces the darkness, cutting through the fields of yesterday's sorrow, and the shadow's recast from heaven above. . Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.eduMETALSTORMPRODUCTIONS

Shakenstir - Music Matters Guided By Light Gothic the band might be, but this mellow and haunting album deserves a wider rock and alternative dance audience.The dark, heavy, slow-paced and relentless Resolution made an immediate impression.A strong subterranean drum rhythm underpins simple guitar chords and tangible melody - a little special this track.And the standard is pretty well maintained through the album although nothing quite hits the level of the devastating opener and acoustically led and epic Galleon. Recommended.

LAST RITES A UK Gothic Industrial Masterpiece

The Source November 12 2001

This Album is by two ex members of Fields of the Nephilim and it's like the Neph meets Ministry? A great album, one to listen to on a dark and stormy night or in the glory of a Summer day. If the opening chords don't bring forth a smile of anticipation then you're not really listening. This album sounds like it was written to play live, and with the forthcoming gigs one can only hope the sound comes across as well from musicians who aren't the Wrights, as the boys do all the work on the album. A glorious piece of work.

typical Paul Wright manner. The guitars sound heavier than they use to, but very nice indeed. Regarding the capability of the mysterious Alexander Wright, I establish that he has a good voice and obviously, he has succeeded with this dark guitar based project. Now, it seems even weirder that the Fields guys recruited Andy Delany for Rubicon. There aren't any bad tracks on this album, but there are less interesting ones, like the instrumental piece "Galleon" for example. Why didn't they add vocals to it? The best track, "Resolution", is a superb piece of dark rock music. It's one of those tracks that you can listen to again and again, but yet, you never seem to get tired of it. It's pretty slow, somewhat heavy and solemn, almost making me think of My Dying Bride in their very best moments, but don't let that comparison scare you. This is something else, something different and not that gothic. JOHAN / SWEDEN

METALITALIA Recension Magazine May 2002 (Translated where possible!) Been born for will of Nod Wright and its brother Paul, than many of you they will remember between the rows of the Fields Of The Nephilim, the The Last Rites with the debut Guided By Light. gives to the press a job more than remarkable that resuscita that experimental taste in a context by now nearly completely forced face all. Easy-listening like l.attuale scene dark/gothic. The Last Rites, forts also of outlandish songwriting a lot of drums-oriented (listening to a song as Where The Day Ends. you will understand to what I refer), they cannot that to segnalarsi as one of more the fascinating originals and release of the last times in this field, thanks above all to of the mature and calculated compositions much that they leave to trasudare all accumulated l.esperienza from ours in the period in company of Carl McCoy(approposito, than fine ones will have made with its Nefilim) and in the successive parenthesis to Rubicon name; to render their proposal particular, they are some decidedly curious stilistiche choices, like as an example the mix, sung one to an inferior volume regarding the other instruments, that it often ends for confondersi between I reverberate of the other instruments, or still the choice of the guitar sounds, than also being distorted, does not have those sound typical of the gothic rock/metal and they approach more of the modernism that could make the joy also of a public stranger this sonorit. Songs like Resolution., Land Of Oblivion. and Obsession. answer to the conformismo and dell.attuale l.ariditˆ costituiranno un.ottima scene goth rock, therefore like single Race To Train., indicated from ours like future club-hit, are so particular and on the generis that at least second me difficultly it will be able to take root more on the ruffianissima audience of the nocturnal premises daaark. of the planet. After all a great beautiful disc, advised also to who has not never loved the Fields Of The Nephilim or the other incarnations of the siblings Wright, and that instead it appreciates music intelligente., for how much it is of all the subjective one to find one definition for l.intelligenza in music. Thelema. Voto 4/5

Silent Scream Webzine Guided by Light Review. Artist :Last Rites. Record Comp: Dreamcatcher 2001 Length 48:35 Genre: Cyber Metal / Dark Notes Vote 8. Unrelenting, merciless, martial, Last Rites are the new cyberdark creature of Wright brothers (in the past members of the glorious Fields Of The Nephilim) and offer an interesting mix of typical metal riffs, rhythmical atmospheres and future-like approach, all in a well assembled puzzle whose pieces are represented by industrial sounds, gothic lyrics and, more in general, dark aesthetics. Similar to the soundtrack of a gloomy Si-Fi movie, the eight tracks of this "Guided by Light" draw resembling landscapes to the ones painted by the Swiss Samael in the past succeeding to elaborate a modern even dancing cyber metal (try to listen to the second track "Race a Train", perfect for the dance-floor of a gloomy futuristic dark club). The morbid woof with electronic is the main point of the whole work and the deep glacial vocals of Alexander Wright, more declaimed than sung, contribute to create a futuristic synthetical atmosphere that embraces the listener and take him to sorrowful future lands or into a space station around our planet. Though the use of "human" instruments is the base of their sound (the latin guitar as incipit to "Galleon" or the acoustic drums of the whole CD which are never overwhelmed by the samples) the effectiveness of their offer grounds on samples and on the ability to digress the subject guitars-bass-drums-samples without missing to produce a futuristic effect. Nothing too heavy then, but eight involving compositions that seduce with their involving rhythms, with their gloomy majestic approach, with their cosmic Giger-like appeal, succeeding to conquer a little space in the electro-dark dance panorama traditionally dominated by German bands. Flavio Ignelzi

Rock Sound Magazine Sept 2001 Guided by light

With Fields of the Nephilim still apparently stuck in the studio, Alex and Paul Wright have shown up under the guise of Last Rites, with an album magnificently draped in the gothic legacy of the Nephs. Its not just that Guided by Light sounds suspiciously like the music intended for the new Nephs album, but that its so aurally gripping that if said album ever does appear, it suddenly has an awful lot more to live up to. Casting a totally unforced claustrophobia, almost drowning in dark atmosphere, Last Rites ply sheeted layers of guitars across doom-ridden keyboards in a manner that, while recalling the Nephs, could never be described as pastiche. A devastatingly bleak psychedelia worthy of anything on Elizium haunts Land of Oblivion, whilst Race A Train easily recaptures the violent tension of Power or Preacherman. A Gothic gem. Alex Whitehead 4.5/5

Slashgoth.org Last Rites : Guided By LightDream Catcher

Gothic the band might be, but this mellow and haunting album deserves a wider rock and alternative dance audience.The dark, heavy, slow-paced and relentless Resolution made an immediate impression. A strong subterranean drum rhythm underpins simple guitar chords and tangible melody - a little special this track.And the standard is pretty well maintained through the album although nothing quite hits the level of the devastating opener and acoustically led and epic Galleon. Recommended.

So they are back! I'm of course talking about the Wright brothers from The Fields of the Nephilim and Rubicon. This time it's a new constellation including Bob Ahern on bass and James Quinn on guitars. Who handles the electronics is a mystery as is usual when it comes to rock bands. This album is darker than anything Rubicon ever did and is closer to the sound of Fields of the Nephilim. Still I don't want to think too much of the Wright past, hard as it may be, this because I think that they deserve attention not because of their past but because this is a great album. There are flaws but not that many e.g. the production could have been better, they could have asked for help with the electronics because it feels as if they don't have the experience nor the skill to master the true art of incorporating electronics in rock music. So, what does it sound like? Well, it's definitely goth, dark guitar driven music with electronic excursions, not always improving the music but definitely not tainting it. Mr. Wright is an OK singer, not great but adequate, better than many in the genre nowadays. He uses his own voice as well as he can, not deliberately trying to sound dark and dangerous. It is real music, which doesn't feel fake in any way. Songs like "Resolution", "The Powers That Be" and the instrumental track "Galleon" will create a buzz that should last for a while. There are also danceable tracks like "Race A Train" and "Where The Day Ends" so you can let go, Sufi style. Hopefully they will solve the problem of electronics and mixing for the next album, making the sound more complete. Magnus Nilsson

MELTDOWN MAGAZINE ISSUE 8 WINTER 2001/2002 LAST RITES / MIST OF AVALON GARAGE, LONDON 7 SEPTEMBER by Stuart Moses. Ex-Fields of the Nephilim drummer Nod may write and sing on the Last Rites debut CD, but sensibly he's hired a singer for gigs. Starting, as the album does, with Resolution, the sound was ear-splittingly loud, meaning there was a loss in subtlety. The new singer had an Ian Curtis-like intensity and looked like he had seen some things in his time. His vocals are harsher than Nod's, but they worked. An ill-advised cover of the Nephilim classic Phobia sounded more like Motorhead's Ace Of Spades than it ever did before, and served only to remind us who Last Rites weren't. However, the instrumental Galleon and the Eastern-infected climax of The Powers That Be gave a good example of how powerful a band can be. Stronger on atmosphere than tunes you can actually hum, Last Rites are a worthier heir to the Nephilim's crown than Rubicon or the Nefilim.