terraasymmetry Features

SYNCHRONY: Music News, Week in Review, & Upcoming Releases (7/12/2019)

SYNCHRONY is a weekly feature focusing on relevant heavy music news, new releases, upcoming releases, as well as a week in review to help folks keep up with all of the content on GrizzlyButts. This’ll also include a list of upcoming releases and some preliminary notes on upcoming reviews or coverage. Some Seattle, Washington area live shows will be intermittently featured. If you have New Releases, show announcements, or important heavy music news that’ll be relevant or interesting to folks contact me at: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com Priority to PR/label submissions and straight up if I can’t hear it, I won’t cover it.

THIS WEEK IN NEWS

  • Purity Through Fire have announced August 19th as the international release date for the debut 7″ from GREVE entitled ‘Nidingsdåd utav det Uråldriga’. Greve is intentionally reminiscent of the early second wave Swedish black metal brought to you by the alchemical mastery of prolific musician and Ancient Records head Swartadauþuz (Azelisassath, Bekëth Nexëhmü, Musmahhu, etc.). We’re gifted a preview and within you’ll find chilling atmospheric dryness, and perhaps some emotive yearning in its grotesque majesty. The keyboards are fantastic! Listen to “I Svarta Solens Magi” on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Chicago, Illinois blackened death/thrash band SONS OF FAMINE are bringing their debut full-length to the rotten crypts of Horror Pain Gore Death Productions and they’re calling it ‘As Razors Gnaw Like Wolves’. Their sound is insistent, almost Angelcorpse-esque in its attack but loose and flowing as 2009-era Absu. Who cares? Well dude, these are the guys from CorpseVomit and Imperial Savagery, they’ve been ripping shit up since what… 1992? They’re still kicking ass, too. Check it out for yourself on August 2nd when the album releases or try this preview track “Lord Of The War Cry” on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Los Angeles heavy psychedelic desert rock band ETHER FEATHER have announced their self-released album ‘Devil – Shadowless – Hand’ will be available to stream and download on September 6th. Think of later Kyuss, a bit of mid 80’s doom and a lot of late 70’s blues rock all mushing together for a backyard barbecue in the 105 degree heat. The groove of “Your Half in the Middle” is pristine, check it out on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Columbus, Ohio-based psychedelic garage doom band PALE GREY LORE have aligned with the stellarly fellowes at Small Stone Recordings for the release of their sophomore full-length, ‘Eschatology‘, which’ll be released on September 6th. The theme of the album sets the stage in a world where the apocalypse came slow and harsh, a poisoned and inequality stricken stage for humanity to suffer within. “Sunken Cities” finds the band experimenting with tension, space, and heavier sounds as they expand beyond the sound of their debut. Check the song out on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  •  Edged Circle Productions has set August 23rd as the international release date for the debut EP from death metal quintet DARKENED entitled ‘Into the Blackness’. Well, lets call this a collective of professionals rather than jumping to the ‘supergroup’ label as the band includes current and former members of Bolt Thrower, Funebrarum, Demisery, A Canorous Quintet, and Excruciate. So, a mix of fellows who know their stuff and are good at it. the style is generally similar to later Bolt Thrower with a heavily Swedish treatment on the guitars. I was somewhat “Meh” in response to the preview track “The Offering” at first but, well, it is very memorable and I came back to it a few times since. See what you think on SoundCloud: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Seattle, Washington blackened death/thrash metal band SLUTVOMIT might’ve taken their sweet time in creating ‘Copulation of Cloven Hooves’ but the follow up to their Invictus Productions debut is well worth the wait! They’ve set September 6th as the international release date for the album. I was thinking they’d veer towards the style of their other project Hexenslaught since that demo in 2016 but this is pure Slutvomit! Heed “Baphomet’s Call” on this Nifelheim-esque track up on Bandcamp now: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Oregon hardcore punk band CLITERATI will release their latest full-length ‘Ugly Truths / Beautiful Lies’ on August 30th via Tankcrimes. A half hour hardcore punk record intended to be a socio-political exposé on the current divisive administration of the United States, Cliterati have really outdone themselves this time around. They’ve got this like, 90’s heavy youth crew thing at times and Bay Area crustiness others. See what you think, check out the first single “Latinx Taken”: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Dying Victims Productions have announced September 20th as the international release date for GALAXY‘s debut mini-album, ‘Lost From the Start‘, on CD and LP. You might see that cover and be expecting sci-fi thrash but whoa buddy, think more along the lines of classic Satan, early Megadeth, Riot, early Helstar and 80’s US power metal in general. Listen to dude’s range, he can really wail all over the place. Wait for the last half, it rips! I loved this first preview track “Dreaming Out”, check it out on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Iron Bonehead Productions have announced September 20th as the international release date for black metal/ambient collective ANCIENT MOON‘s second album entitled ‘Benedictus diabolica, Gloria Patri‘, on CD and LP. Ancient Moon’s membership is a mystery, in fact basically everything is kept quiet so, just enjoy the music. Deeply atmospheric, ritualistic, and probably a good alternative to those shitty Batuskha records you’re fawning over. Here is an eight minute preview of the first of two twenty minute parts of the full album: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Shadow Kingdom Records has set October 25th as the international release date for SAVAGE MASTER‘s third full-length, ‘Myth, Magic & Steel’, on CD, LP, and cassette. No preview track yet but you can expect quality occult obsessed classic heavy metal with a knack for memorable songwriting. If you don’t know the band yet, they’ve just put everything up on Bandcamp, too. [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • German death metal band ABYTHIC have done something unique with their second full-length album, ‘Conjuring the Obscure‘ which is a conceptual piece divided into four chapters, where the vocals are split between four different vocalists. The style of the album goes from Finnish death metal and moves towards a Florida death metal sound. As you’ll see this preview track “Shrouded in Perpetual Darkness” must be on the Finnish side of things, it rules!: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • HYPE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Mylingar, Sorcery, Possessor, Temple of Dread, Devourment, Darkened, Slutvomit, Abominism, Crimson Moon, Hope Drone, Ufomammut, Leather Lung, Bestialord, and several more. Look for coverage in the near future. Don’t see your album listed? Send it to me!

GRIZZLY BUTTS‘ WEEK IN REVIEW (7/07/19 – 7/12/19)

WEEKLY FEATURES:

  • Ten From the Tomb 7/08/19: Far from the body, far from Earth.
    • This week Patreon Patrons chose the subject of Ten From the Tomb and it’d been an even mix of Dungeon Synth and Black Metal. I’d meant to focus on ambient black metal at first but I found a few records that fit better alongside the dungeon synth theme.
    • Must hear: Malfet, Flamen, RRAAUMM.
    • Next week’s theme will be decided by me, and it’ll be review requests from independent bands.
  • Thrash ‘Til Death #28: Terror (Ohio, United States) 1986-1995
    • Terror was an important fixture in the Ohio extreme thrash metal movement and would edge right into the classic death metal to come from the area.
    • Next week (7/16) will feature Detroit, Michigan underground death-thrashers Fatal 19875-1991. An excellent and virtually unknown force in the late 80’s death/thrash underground of the United States.

INTERVIEWS:

  • On the Impermanence of Being amidst the Celestial Rebirth of Tomb Mold with Derrick Vella (2019) INTERVIEW
    • An extensive interview with Tomb Mold‘s guitarist/co-founder that took place in the span of just over six months, covering an array of personal subjects and detailing his creative process. These questions really just came from my own curiosity and natural conversations and it wasn’t meant to be an interview initially.
    • I don’t do interviews often unless the artist is interested or inspired and in this case I was thankful that Derrick is a welcoming, friendly and altogether zen human being.
  • A Damned, Strange Old Tale: When Grizzly Butts Met Purification (2019) INTERVIEW
    • I was very inspired by Purification‘s self-released debut album back in June and to the point that immediately upon listening to it I contacted the band for an interview. I sent a very unusual set of questions, almost playing out as a dialogue between a peasant and a philosopher king.
    • All credit for the scene-setting and writing (other than the questions) goes to Purification (well, hail Lord Crondor specifically) who took my questions and ran with it in an incredible way. If you are a fan of NWOBHM era doom, traditional doom metal, and bands like Spiritus Mortis you really have to check their album out!

REVIEWS: Had to catch up a bit after the move to a new house last week so I figured I’d kick things off with one of the biggest death metal releases of the year with Tomb Mold‘s third full-length. Otherwise I tried to balance stuff out last week with new stuff this week. Impure is a major release for my taste, absolutely love it!

UPCOMING SHOWS: [That I’ll likely attend]

  • VELNIAS w/Maestus 7/17/19 @ Highline – Seattle, WA
  • ACID KING w/Wizard Rifle, Warish 9/21/19 @ Highline – Seattle, WA
  • VOIVOD & REVOCATION w/Skeletal Remains 9/25/19 @ El Corazon – Seattle, WA

RELEASED/OVERLOOKED THIS WEEK (7/08/19 – 7/12/19)

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NOTE: This small sample includes overlooked releases that are not yet reviewed or covered but are recommended. Some of these will still be featured in other coverage. An asterisk (*) indicates that a review is drafted or in preparation. Click/Tap on RECORD LABEL name for preview, stream, or store.

UPCOMING RELEASES (7/13/19 – 7/19/19)

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NOTE: This is not a comprehensive list, some titles are already reviewed and/or covered and some have yet to enter the final queue for consideration and processing. An asterisk (*) indicates that a review is drafted or in preparation. Click/Tap on RECORD LABEL name for preview, stream, or store.

Did I miss something important this week? Send me an e-mail and tell me about it. It is always worthwhile to speak up for the lesser known stuff. Please remember you can contribute to my Patreon @ only $1 USD per month ($12 a year) to help keep me in front of the computer writing about metal. Thanks.

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