terraasymmetry Features

SYNCHRONY: Music News, Week in Review & Upcoming (12/07/2019)

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

  • Transcending Obscurity Records have announced the debut EP from INNARDS entitled ‘Back From the Grave, Straight in Your Face’ to be released February 21, 2020. This Portuguese trio features members of brutal deathgrind band Grog and the bassist from 90’s obscure gothic metal band Unburn. Their style is very straightforward retro death metal with influences from early grindcore. The track they’ve included for preview “The Fog” was also included on the most recent label sampler, check it out on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Detroit area instrumental (Huh? You stopped reading…) progressive death metal project THOREN have announced the coming release of their third full-length album, part two of the ‘Gwarth’ sessions featuring current and former members of Imperial Triumphant and Evilyn. ‘Gwarth II’ releases February 7th, 2020 through Drylands Records. This is one of those ultra-‘Obscura’ acts that focuses on dissonant and highly technical runs for style. I know instrumental metal is definitely ‘musician metal’ by default but check out this preview on YouTube and see what you think: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • It won’t be long before we’ve got some of the finest releases of January in hand via Memento Mori who have set January 27th, 2020 for release of old school death/doom act PROSCRITO‘s debut record ‘Llagas y Estigmas‘. There is plenty to love here, with liquid darkness by way of Javi Feliz’ Moontower Studio and Proscrito’s focus on the room-filling noxious dread that cites early Cianide, Samael, Goatlord, and the early Netherlands death/doom crowd as influences. Witness the great looming madness as it creeps its veil across your sight, beat your head against the veil’s occlusion on “Persistiendo” on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Swedish heavy metal act DEAD KOSMONAUT have announced their sophomore full-length entitled ‘Gravitas‘ will be released through the fine folks at High Roller Records on January 31st, 2020. These guys have an easygoing classic heavy metal/hard rock sound that was subtly eclectic back in 2017 on their debut, it’ll be interesting to see how they follow it up. Check out the opening track, “Black Tongue Tar”, on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Cutting obsidian waves emanate from within! Amor Fati Productions have gifted the world a great deathly pale to cower beneath as they announce December 21st, 2019 as the release date for CULT OF ERINYES‘ fourth full-length, ‘Æstivation‘. I only know the band from their ‘Transcendence’ EP back in 2016, so I am excited to go through their discography in preparation for this new release. Rupture under the slashing riff and watery blood-stained torment of the silvery majesty they’d present first, “Corruption”, on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Ohio heavy/power metal project IRONFLAME have announced their third full-length album, ‘Blood Red Victory‘, will enter the fray ah via Divebomb Records/Metalworld Switzerland on February 7th, 2020. Ironflame comes from Andrew D’Cagna who most will know from his work with Obsequiae, Nechochwen, and as vocalist on Icarus Witch’s 2018 comeback record. This third album sounds a bit more ‘power metal’ in terms of melodies, at least if judging the lyric video for “Seekers of the Blade,” which you can watch on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • From the infinite coffin of outer space to the great spiritual mysteries within, Finnish melodic black metal heirophants AETHYRICK once again align with venerable ancients The Sinister Flame for their second full-length ‘Gnosis‘. Witness the unveiled macrocosmic innards of the self on January 24th, 2020. I loved ‘Praxis’ back in 2018 but didn’t discover it until the clusterfuck at the end of that year so I am beyond enthralled by the fumes of this second great event. Experience the opening of “Onieric Portals” on YouTube in preparation: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Netherlands death/thrash die-hards THANATOS are ready to unveil their seventh full-length, ‘Violent Death Rituals’ which will release on Listenable Records in late March, 2020. Not a ton of info just yet beyond the album artwork and a note that the band self-produced this album with Dan Swanö mixing the final product. It is also the first release to feature former members on Liar of Golgotha and Melechesh on the rhythm section. More details soon, follow them on Facebook to keep up to date: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Iron Bonehead Productions‘ infinite pool of darkness sounds the trumpets of desolation once more in calling to life Portuguese primitive black metal blasters NECROBODE for the release of their debut ‘Sob o Feitiço do Necrobode‘ to be aligned with the antichrist on February 21st, 2020. Marvel at their seething through the teeth fixation on the first single, “Satanás Governa”, on the label’s SoundCloud: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • PALE DIVINE have announced their signing with Cruz Del Sur Music alongside news that they’re in the studio working with producer Richard Whittaker for their sixth album, ‘Consequence Of Time’. That’s right! My favorite ‘modern’ doom metal band will have a new record out around May 2020. Incredible news and an entirely appropriate home for the band after two fantastic albums with Shadow Kingdom Records. Follow the band on Facebook to keep up with the news: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Selfmadegod Records have announced the signing of Polish death metal act BANISHER alongside the release date of February 29th, 2020 for their fourth album, ‘Degrees Of Isolation’. Banisher is the main project of Hubert Więcek, who is best known as the current bassist for Decapitated and guitarist for Redemptor. Expect lots of groove! Follow the band on Facebook to keep up to date: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Hail Koliada! Slovak metalians MALOKARPATAN have revealed details for their third album, ‘Krupinské ohne (The Fires of Krupina)‘. Set the date for March 20th, 2020 for all formats of this anticipated album by way of Invictus Productions and The Ajna Offensive. Alongside the release of their new album vinyl reissues of both previous records ‘Stridzie Dni’ and ‘Nordkarpatenland’ will also be released. Pre-orders are up already: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • RidingEasy Records have announced they’ll be releasing the debut from Swedish retro-rockers THE GONERS, a quintet featuring former members of Salem’s Pot and Yvonne. ‘Good Mourning’ will be out on March 13th, 2020 and the preview track “World of Decay” has a millennium-bound Hellacopters kinda sound. I love that cover art. Check it out on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  •  The devotion to their occult mastery knows no boundaries! Fear their powerful void-surge as Iron Bonehead Productions announces a February 21st, 2020 release date for Chilean death-artists INVOCATION‘s latest EP, ‘Attunement to Death‘. Transcend the corporeal, embody ultimate darkness, shun all light, cast the “Flying Ointments” and unbind all realities on SoundCloud: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Italian power/heavy metal band AIRBORN have set December 20th, 2019 as the release of their… Video game?! Yep, Airborn: Cosmic Rebels was developed by frontman Alessio Perardi using Unity’s 3D Engine, and will be available for free on well known indie gaming platform Itch.io! Awesome news, and the screenshots look very slick. If you like the project and would like to support Airborn they’ll be putting up the soundtrack on Bandcamp, featuring newly recorded instrumental versions of some of their best songs. The soundtrack will be up on Bandcamp on the 20th alongside the game. For now, check out the trailer on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • NOTABLE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Aethyrick, Proscrito, Cult of Dom Keller, Growing Horns, Cult of Erinyes, Surgical Strike, Innards, Krosis, Solace, Elden, NEDXXX, Annihilator, Grant the Sun, Xenobiotic, Necropsy, Irae, and a few more. Look for coverage in the near future. Don’t see your album listed? Send it to me!

GRIZZLY BUTTS‘ WEEK IN REVIEW (12/01/19 – 12/06/19)

WEEKLY FEATURES:

  • Ten From the Tomb 12/03/19: Marching in the fields of eternal mist.
    • This week I focused solely on albums that came out this week and this will be the continued ‘soft launch’ of a new Monday feature that provides shorter reviews for albums coming out that week.
    • Must hear: Witchbones, Trepas, Hellehond, Imprecation.
    • Next week (12/09) will cover new releases for the second week of December.
  • Thrash ‘Til Death #49: Sepultura (Brazil) 1984-1991
    • I love early Sepultura. Not only were they pioneers, scene leaders, enthusiastic ‘big picture’ thinkers and keen opportunists but they put in serious work to become a world class band by the time their third album, ‘Beneath the Remains’, would release. There are few bands with as widespread influence as Sepultura but the final entry in this series, Death, will certainly be daunting not only in terms of documentation but for envisioning their own massive influence.
  • 20 Underground Death Metal Albums You Missed in 2019
    • Here is the fourth of many sub-genre specific ‘end of the year’ lists for 2019. It was such amazing year for Death Metal! There are still plenty of good/great things to check out but I’ve hit most of the stuff that isn’t released/releasing in December. For this list I tried to focus on more unsigned or underappreciated bands. I know the term ‘underground’ is odd but the idea is essentially aimed at under-served and fantastic acts.
    • Highlights: Yawning Void, Sadistic Drive, Insurrection, Oniricous, Gnosis, Sijjin, Vultur.
  • Top 10 Video Games of 2019
    • Every year I look back at all the video games I played and wonder how I ever found the time. My routine is pretty simple, though, I sit down around 10:00pm every night and play for 1-3 hours. Just goes to show you what else I could accomplish if I fucked off of the dumb hobby, right?
    • Includes: Slay the Spire, Control, Void Bastards, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, The Messenger (PS4), Blasphemous, Metro Exodus, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and The Surge 2.

REVIEWS: The big releases this week were from: Blot & Bod, Revel in Flesh, Helleborus, and you seriously need those Pagan Altar remasters. I didn’t ask for copies of Fen‘s latest album or Carcariass‘ comeback record, only because I knew I wouldn’t have time to review either record. I will continue to finish November reviews and I will not have a Best of 2019 until I have heard everything from December. I do not want to be writing about 2019 well into February like I did 2018. All lists and a final plan for coverage will be decided upon and set by December 15th. There is no point in rushing it.

RELEASED/OVERLOOKED THIS WEEK (12/01/19 – 12/06/19)

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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 (12/07/19 – 12/13/19)

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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 donate to help keep me in front of the computer writing about metal. Thanks.

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