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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FIVE BEST OF THIS WEEK

[#1] SOVEREIGN (‘Altered Realities‘, Dark Descent Records)
[#2] VEMOD (‘The Deepening‘, Prophecy Productions)
[#3] A/ORATOS (‘Ecclesia Gnostica‘, Les Acteurs de L’Ombre)
[#4] BOUNDLESS CHAOS (‘Sinister Upheaval‘, Dying Victims)
[#5] KONTACT – (‘Full Contact‘, Dying Victims)

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NEW RELEASES

Catch up with the latest new release announcements for albums I am most likely to cover here.

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Les Acteurs de L’Ombre have announced they will release French black metal quartet GRIFFON‘s third full-length album on February 16th of this year. ‘De Republica‘ will feature six songs and once again be graced with a fine album cover art from Adam Burke (Nightjar art). No preview song just yet but pre-orders are open for folks who’re already die hards. I was a fan of their second album ‘ὄ θεός ό βασιλεύς’ a few years back and I’m looking forward to diving into this one as well where the themes are suggested as exploring “the relationship between politics and divinity.” Check out pre-orders here:

https://lesacteursdelombre.net/product-category/bands/griffon/

Sepulchral Voice Records have announced ‘Procul His‘ the second full-length album from German death/doom metal legendry DROWNED. The album will release this coming January 26th. These folks have been around for years and have always taken their time to achieve an exacting, impactful result and you’ll recall I was a huge supporter of their first LP, ‘Idola Specus‘. I’m a little late on the news for this one but I will be reviewing it next week.

20 Buck Spin have announced the second full-length album from Portland, Oregon-based black metal band HULDER who have quickly expanded into a fuller-fleshed and live capable band at this point. ‘Verses In Oath‘ will be released on LP, CD, MC, and digital platforms on February 9th. They’ve clearly built upon the strengths of the last two releases and the Aeternus and Ancient influences seem to really shine within previews. Thumbs up from me here early in the process. Check out the latest single “Hearken the End”:

Skin Graft Records have announced the upcoming release of CUNTROACHES self-titled debut album will land on February 23rd. The Berlin-based experimental noise rock/punk continue down their unconventional approach to melty drug-addled noise. Check out the early preview songs:

Canadian technical progressive death metal group APOGEAN have announced their debut full-length. ‘Cyberstrictive‘ will be released March 8th this year by way of The Artisan Era on vinyl, CD, and digital. This will be their first recording with new vocalist Mac Smith and its themes will explore the double-edged sword of technology while highlighting the multitudes of damage that the digital age has and will spell doom for folks.

Everlasting Spew Records have announced ‘Ruin‘ the debut full-length album from Chicago-based death metal quartet WOUNDS. Their style is inspired by peak mid-2000’s tech-death action and the literature names a few (Deeds of Flesh, Spawn of Possession, Psycroptic) and they’ve done a fine job of it based on what I’ve heard thus far. The album will be released this coming March 15th.

New York City-based death metal quintet HYPOXIA have announced their third full-length album, ‘Defiance‘, will release by way of Selfmadegod Records this coming February 23rd on CD, Vinyl, and digitally. The band features members of Monstrosity, Vile, Secrecy, Castrator, Total Fucking Destruction, etc. Previews are sounding brutal right off the bat with “Bleed for Blasphemy” here:

Werewolf Records have announced DRUADAN FOREST‘s fifth album. ‘Dismal Spells Part 2 – The Night Circus‘ will release on CD and vinyl LP formats. This will be a more medieval feeling sequel to their ‘Dismal Spells From the Dragonrealm‘ album as they provide a part two. This second medieval chapter is stripped back to about ~40 minutes (rather than over an hour) and promises the ever-experted keys of V-KhaoZ who is fresh off the brilliant ‘The Nighthold‘ record from his black metal project Vargrav. I particularly enjoy his work and I’m looking forward to this CD.

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/druadan-forest-dismal-spells-pt-2-the-night-circle.asp

Chicago-area technical death metal band WOUNDS have announced their debut full-length will release by way of Everlasting Spew Records this coming March 15th. On ‘Ruins‘ their sound touches upon mid-2000’s tech death tradition directly while updating that sound to their own taste. Check out the first preview song “Birth of a New Light”:

Epic heavy/power metal band GREYHAWK have announced their second album ‘Thunderheart‘ which will be released in April 2nd this year through Fighter Records on CD, 12″LP, Cassette & Digital formats. They’ve continued on with the big personality of their first record here as is evident by the title track:

Denver, Colorado-based stoner doom metal band HASHTRONAUT have signed to Blues Funeral Recordings for the release of their debut album, ‘No Return‘, which releases this March 22nd alongside opening up pre-orders and releasing a music video for “Rip Wizard”. Their stoner sludge/doom sound should be immediately familiar and offers some decent enough hooks on this first single:

Regain Classics (a division of Regain Records) has announced March 15th as the release date for reissues of Swedish heavy metal band SILVER MOUNTAIN‘s back catalog. Their first two albums, ‘Shakin’ Brains‘ (1983) and ‘Universe‘ (1985) will see reissue on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape.

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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

NARBELETH – A Pale Crown (2024) | REVIEW

An Exhaustive Study: Melodic Black Metal Redux [Pt. II] – ‘Mourning, Gravestones and Ghasts’

MEPHITIC GRAVE – Dreadful Seizures (2024) | REVIEW

VEMOD – The Deepening (2024) | REVIEW

BOARHAMMER – II: Chemognosis – A Shortcut to Mushrooms (2024) | REVIEW

MEGA COLOSSUS – Showdown (2024) | REVIEW

DISSIMULATOR – Lower Form Resistance (2024) | REVIEW

NECROTUM – Defleshed Exhumation (2024) | REVIEW

SACROFUCK – Święta Krew (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:

DROWNED – Procul His [January 26th, Sepulchral Voice]
DEPARTURE CHANDELIER – Satan Soldier of Fortune [February 1st, NWN! Prods]
HAIL CONJURER – Satanic Phenomology {February 1st, Bestial Burst/Tour de Garde]
HASTURIAN VIGIL – Unveiling the Brac’thal [February 2nd, Invictus Productions]
UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN – Häxan Sabaoth [February 2nd, Iron Bonehead]
SINISTRUM – Infernal Dawn [February 2nd, Morbid and Miserable/Adirondack Black Mass]
GOLDEN CORE – Kosmos Brenner [February 2nd, Helvetes Indre Kretser]

SHORT REVIEWS + VIDEO:

Short Reviews arrive every TWO weeks this year. These are some of the albums being considered for January 24th. All selections are tentative and not final.

FUNERAL WINDS – 333 [January 26th, Osmose Productions]
THE OLDEST HOUSE – A Worm Through Time [January 26th, I, Voidhanger]
BLOOD RED THRONE – Nonagon [January 26th, Soulseller Records]
HOLLOW WOODS – Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants [February 2nd, Signal Rex]
PERVERATION – Putrefaction of Infinite Apogee [February 2nd, Comatose Music]
GHOUL – Noxious Concoctions [February 2nd, Tankcrimes]
OBSIDIAN TONGUE – The Stone Heart [February 2nd, Self-Released]
METH. – Shame [February 2nd, Prosthetic Records]
BILIOUS MIASMA – [February 2nd, KTFQ]
HAUNTOLOGIST – Hollow [February 2nd, No Solace]

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