Last Embrace serves as an impressive, if rather confusing, final will and testament from underground favorites Spirit Caravan, who quietly split up after a short but critically acclaimed two-album/one-E.P. run in the late ’90s. Another brainchild of American metal icon Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich (ex-Saint Vitus, ex-the Obsessed), Spirit Caravan could be said to have rated as the most acclaimed and trouble-free endeavor of his star-crossed career; so many longtime supporters were surprised and dismayed when it too was laid to rest in what seemed to be premature fashion. Without wishing to dwell on the past, however, the obvious practical question about Last Embrace has to be: wouldn’t it have been wiser and more satisfying to compile a proper Spirit Caravan anthology, rather than cobble together two previously available albums with assorted extras and rarities? True, many of the extras featured here are exactly what diligent collectors would wish for in such an anthology, but why weren’t any there tracks from the excellent — and truly impossible to track down Dreamwheel E.P. — unearthed for inclusion then? Given Wino’s speedy redirection of his energies into new project Hidden Hand (and temporary involvement with Victor Griffin’s Place of Skulls), and bassist Dave Sherman’s similarly speedy departure to front Earthride, these questions aren’t likely to be answered anytime soon. But until such time as they are, first-time fans who have yet to sample the albums named above will find that Last Embrace provides an easy, affordable, and expanded chance to do so. – Eduardo Rivadavia
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