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 Grizzly Butts. This’ll also include a list of upcoming releases and some preliminary notes on upcoming reviews or coverage. If I can’t hear it, I won’t cover it! 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

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THIS WEEK IN NEWS (3/28/20 – 4/03/20)

• Hypnotic Dirge Records have announced the upcoming debut album from Bay Area extreme ambient post-rock trio FORLESEN entitled ‘Hierophant Violent‘ will release on April 18th. If you are a fan of Lotus Thief, Kayo Dot, Botanist and their darker black metal side-projects there is some DNA from each in this piece by virtue of members making up Forlesen’s collaborative line-up. What I’ve linked here is a sort of music video for an excerpt from one of the two 18+ minute songs that make up the album. Pre-order on the label’s Bandcamp and watch/listen to the preview over on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]

• Testimony Records have announced the debut full-length album from Stockholm black/death metal band SODOMISERY entitled ‘The Great Demise‘ is set to release on May 22nd. You’re going to get those ‘Terminal Spirit Disease’ vibes about 10 seconds into the first preview track, “The Messenger”, though the vocals are bit more standard and lean towards melodeath/thrash stuff from the early 2000’s. There is a lot going on in the song otherwise including an atmospheric break that builds towards a solo. Curious to see where the full album ends up going as I really like their big sound and that cool main riff. Listen to “The Messenger” on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]

• Seattle’s freshest epic heavy/power metal band GREYHAWK have signed to true metal/heavy rock label Fighter Records and announced their debut album ‘Keepers of the Flame‘, for release on June 16th on CD and 12″ vinyl LP. These guys are actually pretty tasteful in terms of what we’ve got for heavy/power metal up in the pacific northwest United States and Greyhawk always manage to keep things catchy and not too cocky. They’re feelin’ a bit motivational on “Don’t Wait For the Wizard”, the first single from the album. If the rest of the record has this much spirit, I’m looking forward to it. Check it out on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• Iron Bonehead Productions have set their nukes for June 5th when a new EP from Finnish war-blasted black/death metal band FRONT entitled ‘Antichrist Militia‘ will release on CD and 12″ vinyl. The first preview track, the title track, reminds us exactly what Front are the second it begins with its chunking death metal riffs and late 90’s/early 2000’s era Marduk influences. It isn’t war metal, though, if anything there are some straight crust/hardcore punk riffs in the thrash of it all (see the second half). Tons of energy, big sound, very menacing stuff in preview. Check out “Antichrist Militia” on Iron Bonehead’s SoundCloud: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• New York technical noise-rocked and cutting edge death metal band PYRRHON cut right to the bone and free the skull of its swelling with their fourth full-length album, ‘Abscess Time‘, to be released on June 26 through the very much on a roll in 2020 Willowtip Records. Twelve songs and nearly a full hour this time, this is to be their opus! Vocalist Doug Moore comments: “This album is about watching the human world slowly slide towards collapse while you’re too busy trying to survive until the next day to do anything about it,” timely, brutal and holy hell is this album a scorcher. Writhe as the first single “Another Day in Paradise” twists its horror over on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• Bordeaux, France based progressive and technical death metal band EXOCRINE are slated to release their fourth full-length album, ‘Maelstrom‘, this June 26th through Unique Leader Records. Although they’ve now fully swerved into modernized prog-death with their last few records these guys definitely kept their sound brutal. The crossing of spaced-out synths, tapped riffs, and airy parts with suffocating brutality all blasts at such a fast pace… Well, I’ll save it for a review. Check out the music video for the appropriately titled “Maelstrom” over on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]

• Hell’s Headbangers Records have writ in blood April 24th as the day of release for death metal trio EXPUNGED‘s debut mini-album, ‘Expunged‘, on 12″ vinyl. Expunged is a take on classic early 90’s death metal by way of W.D. (ex-Dead Soul Alliance, Evolution Fail) who is joined by K.F. (Töteblut) on drums, and Jo “Steel” Capitalicide (Ice War) on vocals/bass. Sounds a bit like that first Benediction album, has a rough edge to it with some second tier Swedish death rhythms (or, Massacre’s ‘Inhuman Condition’ EP?) in there too. Sounds promising based on the preview track “Disposed in War and Chaos”, which I think surprises most by way of Capitalicide‘s uncharacteristic (but actually good) death vocals. Check it out on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]

• Shaytan Productions have announced the eighth full-length from Saudi Arabian black metal project AL-NAMROOD entitled ‘Wala’at‘ will release on June 22nd on CD and 12″ vinyl LP. The first preview track available “Alhallaj” has a triumphant pagan metal feeling to it while still of course showcasing the ‘oriental black metal’ feeling of the bands legacy. Very bold and inspired performances, especially the vocals on this track. This one has me intrigued, it feels more passionate than the previous release already and has a little bit of an Ancient Rites kind of bombast but obviously quite different. Check out “Alhallaj” over on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• Canadian black metal ordo BLIGHT are set to release their debut Luciferian vision ‘Temple of Wounds‘ via Svart Records this June 5th. To mark the announcement they have released a lyric video for “A Violent Light”, the first single from the album and a good showcase for when and where the band stand out from the norm with a particularly melodic dirge that breaks into an effective clean vocal refrain at its peak. Blight comes from the musicians responsible for Insect, a late 2000’s band deemed as one of the earliest black/deathcore styled groups, though they formed to move away from trendcore that shouldn’t suggest their sound aims for plain or orthodox black metal. Check out “A Violent Light” over on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• Portland, Oregon eclectic grinding n’ doomed death metal sludgers TITHE are finally ready with one of the more anticipated full-lengths of the year with ‘Penance’, to be released by Tartarus Records on May 15th on 12″ vinyl LP and digitally. The record features artwork from Jef Whitehead and the band features members of Lord Dying, Infinite Waste, and Sabateur. If you’re only familiar with their 2017 EP, which was pretty laid back to start, get a load of “Palindrome” and its brutal rip! Check it out on Tartarus’ Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• Listenable Records have released “Mountains of Madness”, the first single from Swedish heavy rock band CHRONUS‘ upcoming full-length, ‘Idols‘, which will see the light of day on April 24th (EU) and May 8th (NA). Chronus are catchy enough but the themes of their lyrics are even more interesting, using Lovecraft and twisting that spiritual descent to narrate a failing relationship. I get the feeling that it may be a gloomy hard rock record and I’m looking forward to it. Listen to “Mountains of Madness” on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• Werewolf Records have announced they’ll handle the release for Laitila, Finland based black metal project MORKETIDA‘s upcoming mini-album, ‘Traveler of the Untouched Voids‘ on 12″ vinyl. This stunningly presented EP, crammed with morbid psychedelia and staunch Finnish black metal style will be released on April 24th and feature some righteous cover artwork that looks to be from Octus of Faustian Pact, though I could be wrong. Check out the opening track, “Descent of Purple Mist”, on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• NOTABLE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Pyrrhon, Cosmic Putrefaction, Forgotten Tomb, Tithe, Esoctrilhum, Funeral Leech, Old Corpse Road, Pile of Priests, Forlesen, Pale Horseman, Atavistia, Shadowdream, Omniarch, Evoker, Lady Beast, Eternal Armageddon, Torn in Half, Tombstoner, Wolves Den, ACxDC, Many Blessings, Morte Lune, Expunged, Sanctifying Ritual, Skepticism, Grave Circles, Slagmark, Marmalade Knives, Cosmic Burial, Everyday Heroes, and several more. Look for coverage in the near future. Don’t see your album listed? Send it to me: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

GRIZZLY BUTTS‘ WEEK IN REVIEW (3/28/20 – 4/03/20)

FEATURES:

• …From the Tomb 3/30/20: “In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned.”
  • This year Ten From the Tomb changes to …From the Tomb and is no longer limited to ten releases. It will post every Monday with a list of at least ten new releases coming out during that current week and a short review will be included for each one. This week features reviews for 15 new releases.
  • Favorites: Freeways, Duivel, Beggar, Pale Mare.
• The Top 20 Albums of March | 2020
  • Typically one of the biggest release months of each year due to it preceding Spring touring and announcement of Summer festival appearances on their way, this March was business as usual for many until mass cancellations due to widespread plague pushed us indoors. Many of these releases will end up on my Top 50 of 2020. A few key releases for the month were postponed and would’ve otherwise been on the list.
  • Bands included: Sweven, Cénotaphe, Malokarpatan, Afterbirth, Balmog, My Dying Bride, Sutrah, Disembowel, Solothus, Membaris, Wake, Cardinals Folly, Enepsigos, Velnias, Thanatos, Angerot, Serpent Column, Ancient Crypts, Demonic Death Judge, Death the Leveller.

REVIEWS: Big releases this week from Live Burial, Aana, Lady Beast, Luctus, and I did not receive it for review but I am enjoying the latest Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs album. A new Testament album also released today in case you missed it. Very slow week for reviews on my end due to quality time with the significant other, been watching Game of Thrones again and finally finishing the last two seasons. Anyhow, reviews for Sepultura, Membaris, Demonic Death Judge, Enepsigos, Anthropophagous, and Saltas will likely come before Monday.

• Wake – Devouring Ruin (2020) | REVIEW
• Live Burial – Unending Futility (2020) | REVIEW
• Nekrovault – Totenzug-Festering Peregrination (2020) | REVIEW
• Disembowel – Echoes of Terror (2020) | REVIEW

RELEASED/OVERLOOKED THIS WEEK (4/01/20 – 4/03/20)

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

• HÄXANU – Snare of All Salvation [Amor Fati Productions]*
• FREEWAYS – True Bearings [Temple of Mystery Records]
• NOCTURNAL PRAYER – Advance on Weakened Foes [Inferna Profundus Records]
• COMANIAC – Holodox [Metalworld] Postponed due to plague
• LUCTUS – Užribis [Inferna Profundus Records]*
• NIGHT – Night [The Sign Records] 7″
• LUCIFER STAR MACHINE – Devil’s Breath [The Sign Records]
• PALE MARE – II [Seeing Red Records]
• LIVE BURIAL – Unending Futility [Transcending Obscurity Records]+
• SKAM – The Sound of Disease [Redefining Darkness Records]
• ANDE – Vossenkuil [Self-Released]
• SATYRUS – Rites [Self-Released]
• AARA – En Ergo Einai [Debemur Morti Productions]*
• FORNDOM – Faþir [Nordvis Produktion]
• WEED DEMON – Crater Maker [Electric Valley Records]
• DUIVEL – Tirades uit de Hel [Ván Records]
• BEGGAR – Compelled to Repeat [APF Records]
• ERRANT – Errant [Manatee Rampage Recordings]
• GRIEVE – Grieve [Werewolf Records]
• ENDLESS FORMS MOST GRUESOME – Endless Forms Most Gruesome [Inverse Records]
• HOHENSTEIN – Weisser Hirsch [Purity Through Fire]

UPCOMING RELEASES (4/04/20 – 4/10/20)

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. A plus (+) indicates that the album has already been reviewed. Click/Tap on RECORD LABEL name for preview, stream, or store.

• GRIM FATE – Perished in Torment [Xtreem Music]*
• GAYTHEIST – How Long Have I Been On Fire? [Hex Records]*
• RITUAL DICTATES – Give in to Despair [Artoffact Records]*
• GLOOM – Awaken [Slovak Metal Army]
• FLIGHT OF EDEN – Dante’s Inferno [Self-Released]
• BRASS OWL – State of Mind [Self-Released]
• AKURION – Come Forth to Me [Redefining Darkness Records]
• KOOL KEITH x THETAN – Space Goretex [Anti-Corporate Music]
• LIKE RATS – Death Monolith [Hibernation Release]
• SYMBOLIK – Emergence [The Artisan Era]
• MYTH OF I – Myth of I [The Artisan Era]
• CURSE UPON A PRAYER – Infidel [Saturnal Records]
• THY DYING LIGHT – Thy Dying Light [Purity Through Fire]
• MENTAL DISASTER – The Repulsive Abomination [Death to Music Productions]
• DOOL – Summerland [Prophecy Productions]
• ACROSS THE SWARM – Projections [Time to Kill Records]
• BARRENS – Penumbra [Pelagic Records]
• CORDYCEPS – Betrayal [Unique Leader Records]
• SOVEREIGN – Neurotic [Redefining Darkness Records]
• CURSE – The Awakening… and the Old [Redefining Darkness Records]
• NOROTH – It Dwells Among Us [Caligari Records]
• SAVAGE ANNIHILATION – Soumises à la procréation [Xenokorp]
• VANESSA SKANTZE – Writhing Treasure Feast [Scry Recordings]
• SHADOWDREAM – Jazz Soundtracks for Embalming [Epictronic Records]

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.