ENDTYMER is the inevitable weekly “music blog” series I’ve been working to avoid for some time. It hits at the end of every week with the intent of covering notable new releases, sharing news of new releases, and musing over various personal listening habits. It is a largely informal blog, has opinions, etc. so chill out a bit. I do my best to cover as much of everything I receive in some form regardless of genre or representation, don’t hesitate to send anything and everything my way: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

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ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Though I usually fixate on black metal in November this year December is the month where the real stuff seems to have all hit at once. This week’s finest was split between Satanic Warmaster‘s return and the latest album from Austrian black metal group Kringa, the latter of which wasn’t sent to me for review. Since I’d covered ‘Aamongandr‘ a fair amount and you knew it is going to be absolutely great anyhow I have to additionally recommend giving ‘All Stillborn Fires, Lick My Heart‘ a run. Otherwise you’ll want to check out the latest from Har Shatan, too. This week will more or less cover the last month’s worth of new release news since there hasn’t been a ton of (worthy) stuff announced just yet.

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COVENANT OF DEATH

Agonia Records have announced their signing of American black/death metal trio MALEFIC THRONE, another impressive addition to the Polish label’s roster. You’ll recall the project released their debut mLP back in early 2022 notably featuring key members of Angelcorpse (Gene Palubicki, John Longstreth) and Steve Tucker from Morbid Angel, of course each musician is involved in plenty of other well-known acts and their teaming up definitely had people wondering if it’d been a one-off side project or what. Well, they’re at work on a debut album, gearing up to record in 2023.

“[…] Looking for a towering presence for the vocalist position, the pair then turned their attention towards Morbid Angel’s Steve Tucker, whom they had initially met at Morrisound in 1997, when both Angelcorpse and Morbid Angel were recording side to side their own albums. Gene remembers that “on the weekends during all this, we met up at Trey Azagthoth’s house for barbecue, booze and so on. Great times! So we all knew from years ago that we could get along and do something like this. Once we started talking together about doing this stuff, it was great to have an opportunity to participate in a musical work with Steve, and also to reunite on a project with John after all these years as well.”

Check out their mLP in the meantime:

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“NEWS”

Dying Victims Productions have announced February 24th, 2023 as the official release date for Swiss heavy metal band MEGATON SWORD‘s brilliant second album. ‘Might & Power‘ will simultaneously released on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape. Sure man, I know you loved that first mLP and debut full-length but get ready for part three of their rise to domination. Their approach to epic heavy metal now evolves and you’ll get why I’m stoked on this one once you’ve heard the title track/first single “Power”:

Extremely Rotten Productions and Night Shroud Records have announced they will partner for the release of Danish death metal band DEIQUISITOR‘s latest album ‘Apotheosis‘ on CD, cassette, digital, and vinyl formats this coming January 20th. Described as “fast, brutal, and unearthly 90s-inspired death metal” we’ve got one of my personal most anticipated releases of next month to look forward to here since I’d reviewed their previous three releases favorably. Ancient apocalyptic summons divined through the occult sciences awaits! Check out the opener/first single “Humanoid” over on Bandcamp:

Shadow Kingdom Records have announced January 27th, 2023 as the release date for British doom metal trio IRON VOID‘s fourth album. ‘IV‘ will arrive on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape. I was a big fan of ‘Excalibur‘ a few years back so I’m already neck deep in this one and still loving their well-polished take on old school doom metal. Chalk it up and count on it as one of the best of the month already. Check out the first preview track:

After the violence, beyond the gore the horrifying reality of Danish deathgrind crew SEQUESTRUM is revealed, a grimy laboratory of amber jars in spectacular gather of ‘Pickled Preservation‘, their first mLP which’ll be released by Extremely Rotten Productions on January 27th. Selling points beyond the baby skeletons on the cover includes members of Chaotian, Undergang and a pretty hard-assed cover of Impetigo’s “Dis-Organ-Ized”. They’ve cut the mud off their sound a bit and put together a memorable chunk of songs here, check this one out:

Chaos Records have announced February 10th, 2023 as the release date for CADAVER SHRINE‘s debut album, ‘Benighted Desecration‘, on CD format. This is a different shade of death/doom metal from Maurice de Jong influenced by classics from Bolt Thrower, Autopsy, and such. I haven’t kept up with all of his stuff lately but this first track is pretty gnarly to start:

Former Hexvessel guitarist Jesse Heikkinen has unveiled “The Mountain”, the first single from his psychedelic folk-rock project ITERUM NATA‘s upcoming fourth album. ‘Trench of Loneliness‘ will be released on all formats this coming February 10, 2023. via Nordvis Produktion. Consider this song a deep-set break in the clouds at night, a view under starlight with strong use of percussion, Hammond-esque organs and electric leads which comes just as the forested gloom of the record begins to surround the listener. Check the song out on Bandcamp:

Blood Harvest Records have announced February 24th, 2023 as the release date for Swedish death metal trio NECROVATION‘s much anticipated comeback recordings, ‘Storm the Void / Starving Grave‘, on 7″ vinyl and cassette tape. Of course I’ve made a point to mention their second album ‘Necrovation‘ (2012) every chance I get because it’d been such a favorite during a time where Swedish death metal seemed to be bursting at the seems with new ideas, coming before ‘The Formulas of Death‘, even. Check out “Storm the Void” over on Bandcamp:

Ancient Dead Productions have announced February 10th, 2023 as the release date for Polish black metal duo TERRESTRIAL HOSPICE‘s second full-length ‘Caviary to the General‘ will release on CD and cassette tape formats. This project notable features key members of Azarath and Thunderbolt, and should immediately appeal to folks who appreciate the bestial brutality available to the Polish underground of the late 90’s through the decade beyond. This album changes up the pace a bit more, offering a dynamic yet still malevolent attack. Check out “In the Streams of Phlegethon” over on YouTube:

Herald of the infinite death cult Memento Mori has announced January 23rd, 2023 as the release date for death metal trio CONJURETH‘s second full-length album. ‘The Parasitic Chambers‘ will arrive from the label on CD first and foremost. On the last album they’d spoken to their 80’s death metal influences but kinda delivered a brutal circa ’92 edged deal (i.e. Polluted Inheritance), a nitpick on my part maybe. This time around they’ve put a bit more of the maze-like thrashing-about one would expect from the description and I’m loving the album thus far. Check out this new track “Smothering Psalms” over on YouTube:

Synthpunk trio THE C.I.A. have shared the second single from their upcoming second full-length album ‘Surgery Channel‘. “Inhale Exhale” is another example of this theme which appears to speak to the surreal intimacy of an increasingly voyeuristic society, a bit of delicacy and danger in all things being so public and a bit unreal by default. Comprised of vocalist Denée alongside well-known musicians Ty Segall and Emmett Kelly we find their talents uniquely busted-out without a guitar in sight here. The album is set to release on vinyl and digitally this coming January 20, 2023 by way of In The Red.

Southern French occult doom quartet WITCHTHROAT SERPENT have released a video for the first single taken from their upcoming full-length ‘Trove Of Oddities at the Devil’s Driveway‘, which releases this coming March 3rd by way of Heavy Psych Sounds Records. The band comments: “The House That Dripped Blood is a song about the 1971 British anthology horror film directed by Peter Duffell. Made up of four stories about Vampires, Voodoo, Vixens and Victims! Also, the cover of the album was inspired by this movie… You can hear the voice of Nyree Dawn Porter and Christopher Lee at the beginning of the song.” If you are in the mood for something a bit Electric Wizard-esque these folks have slowly developed their own vibe over the years.

Amor Fati Productions have announced February 7th, 2023 as the release date for black metal band HÄXANU‘s second album, ‘Totenpass‘, on CD and vinyl LP. If you’ll recall I was a huge, huge fan of their first LP and am stoked that A.P. has returned to this excellent Arckanum-esque project. Check out the first single “Death Euphoria”:

Solo black-speed metal/heavy rock solo project HELLRIPPER have announced their second full-length for Peaceville Records titled ‘Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags’. It will release on February 17th and it seems this time the focus is on local folklore given camped up tribute as we find on “The Nuckelavee”. When I’d reviewed their 2019 mLP and suggested it was “Satanic speed metal” I’d gotten several messages from fans who were upset, saying that the dude wasn’t a satanist. Ha, well sure, it is just heavy metal, kids. I’d always appreciated that his themes, art and lyrics focused on traditional black, speed and heavy metal subjects like anti-Christianity and eh, Satan. Not a big axe to grind here, just thought the response from readers was silly back in 2019. Looking forward to this one:

German label Trollzorn have announced fourth full-length from death metal band ATOMWINTER will release this coming February 10th, 2023. ‘Sakrileg‘ will arrive on Gatefold LP, Digi CD, and as a limited box set. I am not at all familiar with this band but this first single “Until The Loss Ov God” makes it pretty clear what they’re all about:

Chilean doom/heavy rock duo CONDENADOS have returned with a new album, ‘El Camino de la Serpiente‘, and they’ve announced Evil Confrontation Records will release this third full-length on February 10th 2023. Vocalist/guitarist Fernando Vidal comments: “This album is the result of an inexhaustible search of the authentic heavy rock sound, this is a shotgun in the face that will not leave anyone indifferent.” From what I recall these guys had more of Solitude Aeturnus-esque sound in the past, so this new song “Jinete Ácido” feels very different, immediate and classic in its intent. Check out the music video:

Dutch death metal band BODYFARM have premiered a video for “Blasting Tyranny”, the second single from the band’s fifth album, ‘Ultimate Abomination‘. Norwegian label Edged Circle Productions will release the album this coming February 24th, 2023. Expect stadium sized violent and relentless death metal from these folks on this album. Check out “Blasting Tyranny”:

Though I don’t know much about Austrian black metal band WUODAN’S WUNDE their debut full-length ‘Es glimmt empor aus ewger Nacht’, which releases via Altare Productions this coming January 16th, 2023 should appeal to fans of stuff like Trhä. You’ll hear the similarities right away on this first preview track per the lo-fi dungeon-dripping sound, the charming use of keyboards and such but this seems to bear a more forlorn moodiness overall. Check it out for yourself:

Polish sludge/doom metal band 71TONMAN will release ‘Of End Times‘ this coming March 3, 2023 by way of the good folks over at Transcending Obscurity Records. Though I wasn’t a huge fan of their first release, I’m interested to see how they’ve developed their sound in the interim. So far the two songs available for preview suggest a focus on an even heavier sound and I can appreciate upping the extremity of their gig:

Heavy, hulking Dutch death metal band DEAD WILL WALK have a brand new mLP coming down the pipeline. Dawnbreed Records have announced they’ll release ‘A New Day of Dawning‘ on the January 27th, 2023. Check out the lumbering thud of the first single, “Concrete Wombs”:

Caligari Records have announced February 2nd, 2023 as the release date for Nashville, Tennessee-based death metal trio ACT OF IMPALEMENT‘s second album, ‘Infernal Ordinance‘, on CD and cassette tape. These guys have been kinda all over the place with their stuff over the years but you’ll still get kind of a tweaked Autopsy-esque vibe from their restlessness. This record seems to find the band steadying up on their own craft a bit. Love the album art, also.

British doom metal quintet WOLVES IN WINTER have announced their debut album ‘The Calling Quiet‘ will be released by the somewhat hit-or-miss for my taste Argonauta Records this coming February 24th, 2023. Their sound, as explored through a few non-album singles thus far, purports a fusion of classic and contemporary doom metal. They’ve announced vinyl pre-orders and all that but we’ve not gotten a single or preview of the actual album just yet so, well, there you go. For now, “Sobering Thought” is a memorable, somewhat anthemic traditional doom metal song which feels like it’d been pulled right out of Maryland circa 1995. Check that out, eh:

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