ENDTYMER is the semi-weekly recap, blogspace, and new release round-up column. It hits at the end of (most) every week with the intent of covering notable new releases, sharing news of new releases, and musing over various personal listening habits. It is largely informal, might contain 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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FOUR BEST OF LAST WEEK

[#1] NARBELETH (‘A Pale Crown’, Folter Records)
[#2] MERIDION (‘Caverns’, Iron Blood & Death)
[#3] SVDESTADA (‘Candela’, Self-Released)
[#4] DECONSEKRATED (‘Ascension in the Altar of Condemned’, Iron Blood & Death)

TWO BEST OF THIS WEEK

[#1] KRVNA (‘The Rhythmus of Death Eternal’, Zazen Sounds)
[#2] ENGULF (‘The Dying Planet Weeps’, Everlasting Spew)

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NEW RELEASES

Catch up with the latest new release announcements here. I’ve changed this format to focus on key announcements from releases I am more likely to cover. It will then be followed by detailed list of notable upcoming new releases and songs from already announced releases with links to streams/videos of songs and singles beyond. This will be one of the last Endtymer features for 2023 and the feature will change drastically in 2024.

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20 Buck Spin’s first release of 2024 is ‘Lower Form Resistance‘, the debut full-length from Montréal, Quebec-based technical thrash/death band DISSIMULATOR. Taking some older-school cues from the thrash ’til death ethos while putting their own tech-thrash spin on it this band is essentially Chthe’ilist (excepting Phil Tougas) and folks who feature in Beyond Creation and Sutrah. The album releases on January 26th on LP, CD, and digital formats. Preorders are up already.

Iron Bonehead Productions have announced March 22nd as the release date for Bonn, Germany-borne duo MOON INCARNATE‘s debut album. ‘Hymns to the Moon‘ on CD and vinyl LP formats. Moon Incarnate is a new project from Christian Kolf (Valborg) and Matin Vasari (Beyondition) with drummer Peter Scartabello (Sky Shadow Obelisk) recording his drum tracks over in the states. Consider their gothic horror themes fitting for the arcane melodic death/doom metal sound, a morbid call back in time from their own perspective. Check out the first preview track “The Tempest” at Iron Bonehead‘s Soundcloud:

AUSTERE have revealed “Faded Ghost” the first single from the black metal duo’s new album. ‘Beneath the Threshold‘ will release their fourth full-length on April 5th this year. The band commends on the single: “Initially, ‘Faded Ghost’ was written as a ‘breather’ for the record, but while we were working at the details during its creation, the song evolved into what we now consider to be the second part of ‘Just for a Moment…’ – an older song of ours. […] The material featured on ‘Beneath the Threshold’ was always meant to be more riff-based and driving, while we were also determined to keep our multi-layered guitar and keyboard parts. In order to retain the feel of an open, atmospheric song, we structured ‘Faded Ghost’ in more or less the same manner as ‘Just for a Moment…’. Once again, we employed clean vocals and additional harmonies for the entire track. Lyrically, we are delving into an obscure and dark subject, with all personal elements seemingly removed. You are invited to speculate what it’s about.” Surprised to see a new album from these guys already after their return but all signs point to this being even better than the last.

Aural Music have announced March 8th as the release date for the second album from French Gnostic doom metal band ECCLESIA. ‘Ecclesia Militans‘ concerns itself with 12th century dark medieval age of Holy Inquisition taking inspiration from Candlemass, Solstice (U.K.) and Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath. Check out the new track “If She Floats” over on Bandcamp:

Boston-based desert rock trio SUNDRIFTER will release their latest full-length, ‘An Earlier Time‘, via Small Stone Recordings on February 16th. The band comment on the first single: “‘Begin Again’ is a constant battle to overcome negative self-talk and the pain that it can bring telling you of your failures, and the excitement that comes when you decide to acknowledge them and begin again. I’d say the name says everything. It’s a statement of intention from the band. It’s taken far longer than we’d have liked to make this record, but time has its upsides. I’d like to think we’ve used it to hone in on a sound that better reflects our collective influences as a band, both musical and non-musical. ‘Begin Again’ tonally evokes all those influences, whether it be space and the desert or any of the spiritual concepts expressed lyrically, all while retaining the signature characteristics of our brand of heavy psychedelic rock.” I’d enjoyed their last album, looking forward to this one:

Armageddon Label have announces March 8th as the release date for Tijuana/San Diego-based hardcore punk band AGONISTA‘s debut album. ‘Grey and Dry‘ will release on vinyl LP. Vocalist/drummer Adrian Balderrama explains the first preview song “Abuse/Diffuse”: “‘Abuse/Diffuse’ is a song about domestic violence between partners and family members. It’s about how traditions and certain cultures and values lead to people staying in relationships – even though love has been replaced with abuse and violence – all to save the family or not to be a statistic of failure.” Check out the song over on Bandcamp:

Polish experimental/post-black metal project HAUNTOLOGIST have posted an early stream of their debut LP ‘Hollow‘. The album will be released on CD by way of No Solace this coming February 2nd and is available for pre-order. Hauntologist is a relatively new project from black metal musicians The Fall (Over the Voids…) and Darkside (Mgła, Kriegsmaschine), the roots of the project go back many years apparently. Not-so typical modern black metal sounds which escalate their experimentation over the course of the full listen.

Wolves of Hades have announced March 22nd as the release date for DÖDSRIT‘s fourth album. ‘Nocturnal Will‘ will release on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats. I’m not entirely sure what they’re talking about in the press release, something about carrying the grief of the past into the future, but the new album sounds great so far. Check out the new song “Celestial Will”:

HAIL CONJURER have announced ‘Satanic Phenomenology‘ will release this coming February 1st by way of Bestial Burst (CD) and Tour de Garde (Cassette) as well as digitally via Bandcamp. The band’s main protagonist describes this record: “Satanic Phenomenology stretches the concept of black metal even further than the previous Hail Conjurer albums. The album, presented as an occult and ritualistic study of nine steps into the demonic realm and the tremendous and disillusioned essence of satanic reality, consists of both the most traditional and melodic black metal songs Hail Conjurer has done to date, but also the abstract and experimental collages of subtle sounds and noise, escaping the definitions of metal music.”

Norwegian avant-garde/progressive black metal band BORKNAGAR have announced their upcoming monumental twelfth studio album. ‘Fall‘ will be released on February 23rd via Century Media Records. Borknagar founder and mastermind Øystein G. Brun comments: “Although Fall represents a wide array of musical and lyrical ideas, the fundamental theme behind the album is based on the fascination and appreciation of the very outskirts of life. Those places, and those beings, in the vast periphery of our own existence that very few live to see or even learn to know about- but still are profoundly essential for our existence. With Fall, we seek to portray and cherish all that holds up and pushes boundaries — against the great fall.” I’d followed all of their stuff through ‘Urd‘ but haven’t checked out the last three or so, interested in this one. The album’s first single and opening track “Summits” is available now:

“In the great abyss, Ginnungagap, the lifeless primordial Yme floats and gives birth to jotun offspring by mating the right leg with the left leg. This threatens the balance and the gods therefore kill Yme, and from his body the world and the cosmos as we know it are created.” GOLDEN CORE have released “Tåkeheimen”, the second single from their upcoming album ‘Kosmos brenner‘ which will be released on February 2nd by way of Helvetes Indre Kretser. You might recall their 2019 album ‘Fimbultýr‘ and for my own taste this one is even better.

Portland, Maine-based atmospheric black metal band OBSIDIAN TONGUE have announced their new EP, ‘The Stone Heart‘. Obsidian Tongue features Brendan Hayter (Shabti, Thrawsunblat, Obsequiae-live) who presents this EP as the first release in a series of three that were completed between 2020 and 2022. Their sound “effortlessly merges prog, psych, post-punk, and classical music influences into their black metal foundation” check out the preview song available “The Stone Heart” features guest vocals from Tanner Anderson of Obsequiae and Majesties:

Athens doom metal band ACID MAMMOTH have announced their fourth album ‘Supersonic Megafauna Collision‘, which will be released on April 5th through Heavy Psych Sounds. Vocalist and guitarist Chris Babalis Jr. describes the release: “While the previous album was composed and recorded during a state of total COVID lockdown in 2020, our new album was composed and recorded after the world had gotten back to a new state of normalcy, after we had toured and played shows all over Europe, and all that enthusiasm and excitement we gathered while touring was put into this new album. We wanted to record a heavy and explosive album with lots of fuzz, that retains what made our sound great in our previous releases but take it a few steps further, and that’s exactly what we did. The album starts as a celebration of all things fuzzy with the title track “Supersonic Megafauna Collision”, and it just gets darker and darker as the album progresses, until it concludes in complete and utter heartbreak with the song “Tusko’s Last Trip”, telling the heart-wrenching real story of Tusko, an elephant who was murdered as a result of cruel human experimentation.” I liked their last record so I’m interested in covering this one:

https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/acid-mammoth-supersonic-megafauna-collision

Wolves of Hades and Argento Records have announced March 28th as the release date for Dutch black metal band VERWOED‘s second full-length album ‘The Mother‘ on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats. You can check out the first single from the album “The Child” over on Bandcamp:

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THIS WEEK’S VIDEOS / REVIEWS

Catch up with the latest YouTube video review/features and written reviews here. New videos post each week for the most part. You can click on the link provided to read the review/article, each review has the related video embedded in the original post as well. Videos are fairly casual and meant to accompany the written review with some extra context and generalized notes. The written review and the video review are complimentary -not- interchangeable. Please subscribe, share, and leave a comment, etc. if you feel like it.

NOTE: Right-click and “Open in New Tab/Window” to view on YouTube or try youtube.com/@terraasymmetry

DECONSEKRATED – Ascension in the Altar of Condemned (2024) | REVIEW

DIPYGUS – Dipygus (2024) | REVIEW

BOUNDLESS CHAOS – Sinister Upheaval (2024) | REVIEW

COMMAND – Resver (2024) | REVIEW

A/ORATOS – Ecclesia Gnostica (2024) | REVIEW

ANCIENT VVISDOM – Master of the Stone (2024) | REVIEW

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NEXT WEEK:

Here is a tentative list of what is coming up next week in terms of reviews. The following records have been listened to extensively, a preliminary review has been drafted (or completed), and I’ve locked them in for coverage. In terms of the “Short Written Reviews + Video” column, these are more tentative, some of them may be cut if I do not have enough time to get around to everything. These choices are subject to change as the final drafts evolve and other releases might potentially take priority:

LONGFORM REVIEWS + VIDEO:

NECROTUM – Defleshed Exhumation [January 22nd, Memento Mori]
SACROFUCK – Święta Krew [January 26th, Godz ov War Productions]
COGNIZANCE – Phantazein [January 26th, Willowtip Records]
HEAVY SENTENCE – Warriors of Madness [January 19th, Dying Victims Productions]
THE OLDEST HOUSE – A Worm Through Time [January 26th, I, Voidhanger]
DOLOROSA – Summoning Ancient Bleakness [January 26th, Altare/Amor Fati]

SHORT REVIEWS + VIDEO:

Short Reviews arrive every TWO weeks this year. These are some of the albums being considered for the week of January 8th-15th. All selections are tentative and not final.

LUCIFER – Lucifer V [January 26th, Nuclear Blast Records]
LORD DYING – Clandestine Transcendence [January 19th, MNRK Heavy]
MASTER – Saints Dispelled [January 19th, Hammerheart Records]
KALT VINDUR – Magna Mater [January 26th, The Circle Music]
FUNERAL WINDS – 333 [January 26th, Osmose Productions]
BLOOD RED THRONE – Nonagon [January 26th, Soulseller Records]
CRUCIBLE – The Savage Weapon [January 26th, From the Vaults]
UNFORMULAS / CEREMONIAL DEATH – Aftermath of Death Vol. 1 [Aftermath Music]

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