terraasymmetry Features

NEWS, Week in Review & Upcoming Releases (3/12/21)

A weekly feature focusing on select heavy music news, primarily involving new and upcoming releases with a list of ’em provided at the end. This also serves as a week in review, collecting all of the most recent content on Grizzly Butts in a brief additional list. Want to see what came out this week? Read the “Annihilate This Week” column every Monday. 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 send it to: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

THIS WEEK IN NEWS (3/06/21 – 3/12/21)

  • Ukrainian death metal band OBRIJ [Обрій] have released a music video for their latest single “Black Echelons”, a melodic death groove aimed at remembering the atrocities of Stalin’s USSR specifically the forced population transfer of ethnic minorities to mandatory settlements. The toll of these callous death marches is horrifying enough but the band focus on the still souring generational repercussions of these events. I’ve reviewed this band in the past and I continue to be impressed with their ear for honing in on the groove of mid-paced 90’s death metal. Check out the song on Bandcamp or watch the video for “Black Echelons” on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Angular, heavy noise rock/post-hardcore project DEMONS have released the first preview track from their upcoming full-length ‘Privation‘, which’ll release this coming April 30th on Spartan Records. This particular song, “Play Acting Virtue” more or less deconstructs mid-career Converge into a noise punk register while maintaining a motörized groove throughout, noise rock that lands with an bristling High on Fire sort of bombast. Check it out over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • German sludge/doom trio EREMIT have announced their imminent second full-length ‘Bearer of Many Names‘ will release this coming June 11th once again via the fine folks at Transcending Obscurity Records. They’ve posted a hefty ~19 minute preview track to start and I figure it is worth mentioning the vocalist from Ahab guests on the opening piece. I’m interested in the direction of this band, hopefully this’ll be the one to blow me away. Check it out for yourself over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Iron Bonehead Productions have announced they’re planning on releasing the 12″ vinyl edition of black/death metal act MALGÖTH‘s debut EP ‘Primordial Dawn‘ this coming June 18th. This is a less doomed project from the guys in Chasmdweller, their take on war metal influenced music featuring a second vocalist. Gnarly stuff, atypical brutal rhythms that remind me of peak goregrind brutality at times. Check out the whole thing on Bandcamp in the meantime: [LINK]
  • British brutal, technical death metal/deathcore band UNFATHOMABLE RUINATION have announced their upcoming EP ‘Decennium Ruinae‘ will release via Willowtip Records this coming May 28th on CD Digipak, vinyl LP, and digital distribution. The first track “Suspended in Entropic Dissipation” has all the modern amenities be they nuclear drops or chuggin’ breakdowns, though it isn’t my thing personally I can’t deny the brutal energy of that opener. Check it out for yourself over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Venerable epic pagan/folk metal musician, Czech first wave black metal maestro and original Root guitarist Petr Hošek has revived his CALES project after a decade and returned with a 7″ single entitled ‘Chants of Steel‘. Limited to 100 copies, the A side features current Nifelheim (Sweden) bandmate Per Gustavsson contributing vocals to the epic, ancient trundle of the title track. Pure heavy metal spirit, howling and pointing all manner of weapons in the direction of their stride. The artist has also made various releases from his legacy available online, including Crux’ underground classic ‘Řev Smrti’ and all of my personal favorite Root albums. Check it out over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Personal Records have announced May 21st as the release date for Mexican dark metal influenced death/doom band HAGEL‘s debut album, ‘Veneration of the Black Light‘. Conceived in the mid-90’s but fully realized in the 2010’s, this album’s first single “Decalogue of Misery” feels like a brilliant return to the mid-to-late 90’s Century Media catalog of ‘gothic’ doom artistry. It is the right sort of nostalgia for my taste and I’m interested to dig into the full record. Check out “Decalogue of Misery” over on Bandcamp and YouTube: [LINK]
  • German epic doom metal band WHEEL have released a second single/lyric video from their upcoming and long anticipated third full-length ‘Preserved in Time‘, which is due out on Cruz Del Sur Music this coming April 9th. Though I am doing my best to approach the full listen blind, my curiosity is breached by the allure of “She Left In Silence”, wherein shades of Trouble and Warning recall the swinging movement of their first album without sacrificing the theatrical affect of ‘Icarus’, which is to this day one of my favorite doom metal records. Release is only four weeks away, time to crack into this one! Check out “She Left in Silence” over on YouTube : [LINK]
  • Indiana-based stoner doom/sludge metal band YELLOWTOOTH have announced they will partner with Orchestrated Misery Recordings for the release of their third full-length album ‘The Burning Illusion‘ this coming April 30th. They’ve got a bit of an extreme edge to their southern rock sludge hammering on the first single, “From Faith to Flame”, which you can check out over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Indisciplinarian have announced they’ll be releasing the debut full-length from sci-fi thrashers TERMINALIST, ‘The Great Acceleration‘, this coming May 7th. Great sound, solid riffing, and the first single “Relentless Alteration” already makes a case for their sound. If you’re hot on recent Cryptosis tracks and gearing up for the impending Vektor stuff this’ll be up your lane. Love the album art, too. Definitely gotta remember to keep an ear on this label’s diverse roster more often. Check out “Relentless Alteration” over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Atlanta death metal crew MALFORMITY have announced they will release their debut full-length album, ‘Monumental Ruin‘, this coming April 19th via the awesome folks at Unspeakable Axe Records. Finally some serious death! These guys first appeared back in 1991 before releasing a long heralded demo tape in 1995 and splitting up until 2014. They’ve released two EPs since and now they’re ready to kill it with this one. Look no further than the first single “Perverse Apotheosis” for proof, this one brings back memories of discovering ‘Dawn of Possession’ as a kid with its snaking riffs and guttural register. Huge hype for this one, what a way to kick off a record. Listen to “Perverse Apotheosis” over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Holy shit, more riffs. Death/thrash metal attack OBSOLETE have announced their partnership with Unspeakable Axe Records for the release of their debut full-lenght ‘Animate//Isolate‘, coming up this April 19th on CD and cassette. These Minnapolis-based maniacs feature amongst their ranks members of prog/tech death metal bands Sunless and Australis and damnit, they can push notes. Album opener “Still” makes good on the literature’s mention of early Sadus and demo-era Cynic, truly electric stuff. Check the song out over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Hell’s Headbangers Records have announced their signing of black metal act WINTER ETERNAL for their upcoming third album, ‘Land of Darkness‘, which will release this Spring on CD and vinyl LP formats. Though the fellow behind the project Soulreaper is from Greece his stage name should cue you into the early Swedish melodic black metal influences that drive Winter Eternal’s sound alongside the early Hellenic black metal modus. Witness his own take on the style via the first single “Land of Darkness” over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • NOTABLE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Aphonic Threndody, Saille, Niadh, Steel Bearing Hand, Final Gasp, Becerus, Witchfuck, Baalberith, Abjection, Niht, Chthonica, Whipstriker, Lightning Sharks, Jess and the Ancient Ones, Minas Morgul, Unfathomable Ruination, Coscradh, Kryptik Mutation, Sanguisugabogg, Empty Throne, Yellowtooth, and several more. Look for coverage in the near future. Don’t see your album listed? Send it to me: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com
TURRIS EBURNEA – Turris Eburnea (Everlasting Spew)

SITE WEEK IN REVIEW (3/06/21 – 3/12/21)

Busy week at work, busy week for catching up with all of the great March 19th releases and a few great ones creeping up for the 12th, including Sepulcros‘ debut.

MARE COGNITUM – ‘Solar Paroxysm’ (I, Voidhanger Records)

UPCOMING RELEASES (3/13/21 – 3/19/21)

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 full review is drafted or in preparation. A pound (#) indicates a short review is warranted and in process. A plus (+) indicates that the album has already been reviewed. Click/Tap on RECORD LABEL name for preview, stream, or store.

  • MAJESTIC MASS – Onwards [March 16th, Helter Skelter/Regain Records] Reissue
  • SULPHUROUS – Encircling Darkness [March 15th, Me Saco Un Ojo] #
  • ADAMANTIS – Far Flung Realm [March 19th, Cruz Del Sur Music] #
  • TAAKE / HELHEIM – Henholdsvis [March 19th, Dark Essence Records]
  • CROOKED MOUTH & HEADSTONE BRIGADE – Crooked Headstone [March 19th, I, Voidhanger Records] #
  • BATHORY LEGION / HERMANN KOPP – Das Unheimliche [March 20th, Septenary Arts]
  • FECULENT – The Grotesque Arena [March 19th, Brilliant Emperor Records] EP
  • HERZEL – Le Dernier Rempart [March 19th, Gates of Hell Records] +
  • LUNAR SHADOW – Wish to Leave [March 29th, Cruz Del Sur Music] *
  • TURRIS EBURNEA – Turris Eburnea [March 15th, Everlasting Spew Records] +
  • OLDE – Pilgrimage [March 19th, Seeing Red Records/Sludgelord Records] *
  • MIDNIGHT ODYSSEY – Biolume Part II: The Golden Orb [March 19th, I, Voidhanger Records] +
  • MARE COGNITUM – Solar Paroxysm [March 19th, I, Voidhanger/Extraconscious Records] *
  • ILDARUNI – Beyond Unseen Gateways [March 19th, Black Lion Records] *
  • EMBRYONIC SLUMBER – In Worship Our Blood is Buried [March 19th, Werewolf Records] #
  • KANKAR – Dunkle Millennia [March 19th, Eisenwald] *
  • AMAMMOTH – The Fire Above [March 19th, Electric Valley Records] #
  • GRIEF COLLECTOR – En Delirium [May 14th, Petrichor]
  • VARANAK – Relics of Mourning [March 19th, Brucia Records]
  • DEAD SUN – Night Terrors [March 16th, Xtreem Music]
  • DEMENZIA MORTIS – Anti Kult [March 19th, Sounds of Hell Records] #

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