terraasymmetry Features

NEWS, Week in Review & Upcoming Releases (4/09/21)

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 week. 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 (3/27/21 – 4/02/21)

  • Florida death metal legends KILLING ADDICTION have finally unveiled the first single from their anticipated second full-length album ‘Mind of a New God‘ which will release via Xtreem Music this coming June 1st on all formats. “Prophecy Armageddon” is already sounding like a sharp, technical yet thrashing follow up to the much loved ‘Omega Factor’. Definitely will be first in line for this one as I’m a huge fan. Check out “Prophecy Armageddon” over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • After nearly a full decade popular United States power metal act PHARAOH are back with their fifth album ‘The Powers That Be‘ due out this June 18th on Cruz Del Sur Music. So far we’ve just got the album art, some info on guests and a short trailer. I like the artwork, looks a bit like late 90’s PC game box art. Check out the short trailer on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Signal Rex have announced May 28th as the release date for raw black metal act ARMNATT‘s third album, ‘Eternal Flame‘, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape. A product of Portugal’s ever rusted and mind-rending raw black metal sphere, Armnatt is entirely adherent to the traditions of pure black metal at the impetus of the second wave. Check out the first preview track “Darkness Embrace” over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Sentient Ruin have announced Italian dark death metal band HADIT will return after a six year wait with their debut album, ‘With Joy and Ardour Through the Incommensurable Path‘, set to be released on May 7th in collaboration with Caligari Records and Terror from Hell Records. Inventive, somewhat technical black/death metal with plenty of unexpected twists and turns based off of the first preview track “A Digression and Her Eternal Domain Above the Atmosphere”, surrealistic energy throughout. Check the song out over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Philadelphia based epic heavy/power metal band BLAZON RITE have announced they will release their first full-length album, ‘Endless Halls of Golden Totem‘, this coming May 28th through the fine folks at Gates of Hell Records. So far no preview tracks so, for now check out their Bandcamp and previous EP: [LINK]
  • Svanrenne Music have announced pre-orders are open for Russian old school death metal duo DISADAPTIVE‘s second EP ‘With Worms To Feast‘. The CD and Cassette releases actually include both of the band’s EP releases to date with last year’s well-received ‘To Walk the Path of the Damned’ in there too. These guys put a lot of thought into their lyrics and melodic ideas, make sure you check them out! For now you can listen to the 2020 EP over on YouTube or Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Cruz Del Sur Music have announced the a special vinyl re-release of PALE DIVINE‘s classic album ‘Cemetery Earth‘ this coming May 28th. This should be a source of great excitement because this is perhaps one of the best doom metal albums of the last three decades! The re-release is part of an ongoing fundraiser for Solstice’s guitarist Rich Walker, a supporter of the band from their start in the 90’s and a legendary presence for heavy and doom metal. Two of my all time favorite bands benefitting from me buying a record I’ve loved for years, of course I’m getting a copy! There are a trio of compilations you can grab over on the label’s Bandcamp for the same cause and it turns out they’re also releasing a version of Orodruin’s ‘Epicurean Mass’ too so, head over to the label’s website and get the details: [LINK]
  • Awakening Records have announced Chilean death/thrash metal solo project THIRSTY DEMON will release their debut full-length ‘Unconscious Suicide’ this coming April 24th. Thirsty Demon is old school slaughterer Cristian León, from Hellish, Hemisfero, and Armoured Knight but this album aims for the throat of Infernal Conuration, Atomic Aggressor and that late 80’s death/thrash precision mania. If you are a fan you know that means tons of riffs in the vein of early Pentagram and Morbid Angel. Check out the first preview song “Sadistic Desire” over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Awakening Records have announced another evil thrasher for release this April 4th, this time from Spanish black-thrashers NUCLEAR REVENGE and their album ‘Dawn Of The Primitive Age‘. Plenty of Kreator and Possessed influence on this one, ripping and brutal stuff. Check out “Summon the Nameless Ones” over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • British heavy prog-psych quartet BOSS KELOID return with their latest full-length ‘Family The Smiling Thrush‘, which is set to be released worldwide June 4th via Ripple Music. The first single from the popular band showcases a pretty wild evolutionary step into peak 70’s prog refrain and buzzing modern heavy rock rushes on “Gentle Clovis”. I really enjoyed this song, particularly the electric organ groove and it sounds like the community-centric message of the lyrics is intensely positive. Check out “Gentle Clovis” on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Caligari Records have set May 6th as the release date for the debut EP from Canadian death metal band DISEMBODIMENT, ‘Mutated Chaos‘, on cassette tape format. Foul, throat-scraping vocals and drums that are clearly there to give a beating. Great sound, even if the guitars are quiet the energy is right. Check out “Mephitic Gunk of Petrified Limbs” over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Paper Salamander Games have made a demo of thier musical action platformer video game IN RETROSPECT available on Steam and Itch.io. The retro-styled visuals and relatively simple 2D side-scrolling gameplay essentially task the player with experiencing levels based on the stages of cognitive mental development, allowing you to choose what path is most important to you via which items you’ll grab. The game is currently in development though I don’t believe they’re going for an Early Access angle, worth checking out for the chiptune-adjacent music thus far and the demo runs about a half hour. Hit those earlier links for the demo, and check out the game’s website here: [LINK]
  • All In Games! and developer Capricia Productions have announced OF BIRD AND CAGE an interactive symphonic metal concept album, created in cooperation with popular rock and metal artists will launch on PC this coming May 20th. Think of it as a step above Dragon’s Lair and closer to the interactive shows you can play on Netflix but with a kinda creepy symphonic metal opera playing out with your choices in mind and what look like timed events and mini-games to keep you engaged. Per the press release: “Gamers can play as Gitta Barbot, a 25 year-old drug addict who tries to escape the physical and mental prison of her captor — Bres Lupus. Make quick choices that will have dire consequences and watch how your actions reveal new paths while struggling to keep your sanity. It’s a modern take on Beauty and the Beast.” Modern as in, not at all romantic and just disturbing? The story features current and former members of Asking Alexandria, Guns N’ Roses, Epica, Within Temptation, Kobra and the Lotus, and but uh, you’ll probably be more excited that Snowy Shaw (ex-King Diamond) and Mike Lepond (Symphony X) are involved. Check out the trailer over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Swedish duo JORDFÄST have revealed a new single “Hädanförd” from their upcoming debut album ‘Hädanefter‘, which is scheduled for release via Nordvis Produktion this May 7th. Their goal is to create a “captivating and theatrical black metal journey” and I believe they’re onto something with this clip from the extended song, check it out on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Multi-national brutal technical death metal collective SOLUS EX INFERIS have announced their debut full-length album, ‘Daemones Ceramici‘ will be self-released this coming July 9th. They’ve also released a single “Destroying Malevolence” and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t live up to the grotesque mutant firestorm depicted in the cover art. Solus Ex Inferis were founded by guitars Dave Sevenstrings alongside Marco Pitruzzella (Six Feet Under, Sleep Terror, ex-The Faceless), Sahil Makhija (Demonic Resurrection, Reptilian Death), among others and looks to explore some worthwhile thought on religion, hypocrisy, and the detestable nature of humanity. Check out “Destroying Malveolence” over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Hungarian death metal quartet MEPHITIC GRAVE have announced they will release their debut album ‘Into The Atrium Of Inhuman Morbidity‘ this coming May 7th in partnership with the folks over at Carbonized Records. Filthy and lunging death metal, definitely basement level grime all over this one. Check out the first single “Chthonicon” over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • NOTABLE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Grey Aura, Nephila, Paysage D’Hiver, Nordgeist, Disembodiment, Crescent, Pale Divine, Slithering Decay, Kosmodemonic, Warish, Disadaptive, Luna’s Call, Gift of Blindness, Gateway, Blazon Rite, Hadit, Armnatt, The Marigold, Subterranean Masquerade, Terminalist, Ancient Malignity, Interpolant, Seputus, Seance Of…, Beyond Mortal Dreams, Laceration Mantra, Inhuman Condition, and several more. Look for coverage in the near future. Don’t see your album listed? Send it to me: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com
HEAVY FEATHER – ‘Mountain of Sugar’ (The Sign Records)

SITE WEEK IN REVIEW (4/03/21 – 4/09/21)

Spreading myself thin this week, probably going to be drafting reviews through the weekend again. Heavy Feather, Superlynx, Malformity, Angrrsth are all coming up sooner or later. Announcing a bunch of stuff in the next couple of weeks so, if you read this every week or follow social media it’ll all hard to miss.

AGGRAVATOR – ‘Unseen Repulsions’ (Empire Records)

UPCOMING RELEASES (4/10/21 – 4/17/21)

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.

  • AGGRAVATOR – Unseen Repulsions [April 16th, Empire Records] +
  • VETTER – Av Sublim Natur [April 16th, Duplicate Records] #
  • MALUM – Devil’s Creation [April 16th, Purity Through Fire] *
  • INTONATE – Severed Within [April 16th, Willowtip Records] *
  • INCARCERATION – Empiricism [April 16th, Dawnbreed Records] #
  • NEIL MERRYWEATHER & THE SPACE RANGERS – Kryptonite [April 15th, Regain Records] #
  • NEIL MERRYWEATHER & THE SPACE RANGERS – Space Rangers [April 15th, Regain Records] #
  • VECTOR SEVEN – Electric Blood [April 16th, Darkhan Music] #
  • SHRINE OV ABSURD – Monotony [April 17th, Godz ov War Productions]
  • SUPERLYNX – Electric Temple [April 16th, Dark Essence Records] *
  • ANGRRSTH – Donikad [April 17th, Godz ov War Productions] Premiere 4/13
  • MUSTASCH – A Final Warning – Chapter One [April 16th, Tritonus Records]
  • TO THE GRAVE – Epilogue [April 16th, Unique Leader]
  • SZNUR – Dom Czlowieka [April 17th, Godz ov War Productions]
  • WILCZYCA– DrakoNequissime [April 17th, Godz ov War Productions]
  • SEVEN DOORS – The Gates of Hell [April 16th, Redefining Darkness Records]

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