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 THIS WEEK

[#1] LVME (‘Of Sinful Nature‘, NoEvDia)
[#2] FARSOT (‘Life Promised Death‘, Lupus Lounge)
[#3] IHSAHN (‘Ihsahn‘, Candlelight)
[#4] SHAARK (‘Hybrid War‘, Smile Music)

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UPCOMING RELEASES

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

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British death metal band SLIMELORD have announced their debut full-length ‘Chytridiomycosis Relinquished‘ is readied for release through 20 Buck Spin. Suggested as a “fully formed operatic fantasy adventure” inspired by classic death metal ranging from Disembowelment and Edge of Sanity to Immolation and Tomb Mold, they’ve been described as death/doom in the past but get ready for an album which does well to match the chaotic and colorful slime energy of its album art. It’ll release on LP, CD, MC, and digitally this coming March 8th.

Faroe Islands-based death/doom outfit HAMFERРwill release ‘Men Guðs Hond Er Sterk’, their third full-length album this coming March 22nd by way of Metal Blade Records. The narrative concept behind is inspired by the 1915 whaling disaster off the Faroe Island village of Sandvik where fourteen men died driving whales ashore in the bay while the village watched. This sets the album up for an interesting tonal grey area, tragic but I suppose one could pick sides between whales and men. Anyhow, I was a big fan of their 2018 LP and have been beyond stoked to hear they’ve still got the right idea.

Iron Bonehead Productions have announced they will release New Zealand-based black/death metal band HERESIARCH‘s second full-length album. ‘Edifice‘ will release on CD and vinyl LP formats this coming April 12th. Surely you remember the chaotic reaper of a debut back in 2017, Death Ordinance but since then they’ve swapped out the rhythm section took root following that album’s release and their sound had evolved beyond that point, giving us glimpses in shorter split releases. Don’t expect them to have lost their fundamentals, described in the press release as “death metal muscle, black metal atmosphere, grindcore aggression”. So far a stunner in previews, check out the first preview:

Minnesota-based surrealistic death metal band ABERRATION, featuring members of Void Rot, Nothingness and Suffering Hour, have announced their debut album ‘Refracture’ will be released on LP, CD, MC, and digital formats via Sentient Ruin this coming March 22nd. Set to “permanently reshape the lineaments of experimental and underground USDM” this one stood out from the first listen and should be well worth talking about next month:

Portuguese black metal band LVME have joined the ranks of Norma Evangelium Diaboli and simultaneously announced the immediate release of their second full-length album, ‘Of Sinful Nature‘. Which was released on February 16th. Their style bends the traditions of black metal into many surprising directions while showcasing the value of an all analog experience including drum production and mastering. Great record, I’ll be reviewing it next week.

Edged Circle Productions have announced black metal project OBSIDIAN SUN‘s debut will release this coming March 29th on vinyl, CD and digitally. ‘Burning Obsidian Sun‘ comes by way of Obscura who is best known as key member of Asagraum. They’ve suggested the style of this band is more in line with the Teutonic black metal style of the early 90s while keeping with the standards of their other band. I’m interested to see what this references specifically.

Iron Bonehead Productions have announced April 12th as the release date for the third album from United States borne black/death metal band CRUCIFIER. ‘Led Astray‘ will release on CD and vinyl LP formats. Formed in 1990 by vocalist/drummer Cazz Grant but not readied for a debut LP until 2003 their story is protracted but not atypical of their era, keeping it forever underground without trends beyond their original vision. Check out the first preview song “Smite”:

Electric Valley Records have announced Italian doom mountaineers CANCERVO‘s third LP, ‘III‘, is scheduled for March 29th this year on vinyl and digital formats. Mountain themed and fuzz riddled, you’ll recall I’d really appreciated their second LP for the leap it made into form and I’m expected just as profound a jump into this one. The album’s theme “promises to immerse listeners in the timeless struggle between the sacred and the profane — a theme deeply ingrained in the folklore of the valley beneath the shadow of Mount Cancervo.” and sure, that sounds like my kind of thing once again.

Australian vintage 70s hard rock band TAROT have announced their second full-length album, ‘Glimpse of the Dawn‘ is finally readied.This will be their first for Cruz Del Sur Music who will release the album on April 12th on CD, vinyl, and digitally. Expect “Heavy, Hammond B3 organ hard rock for a new generation” check out the first single, “The Winding Road”:

Italian death metal act CHARUN have announce their debut album Impending Decline, due out March 29 via New Density Records. Charun formed circa 2021 after they’d shut down previous band Coram Lethe. This band is a bit more brutal and features a different vocalist/guitarist, classic death metal sounds with some blackened hits in there too. Check out a short teaser to get a sense of how it’ll sound:

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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

ALFAHANNE – Vår tid är nu (2024) | REVIEW

CONTAMINATED – Celebratory Beheading (2024) | REVIEW

GRIFFON – De Republica (2024) | REVIEW

STYGIAN CROWN – Funeral For a King (2024) | REVIEW

CHAPEL OF DISEASE – Echoes of Light (2024) | REVIEW

Short Reviews | February 11th, 2024

An Exhaustive Study: Melodic Black Metal Redux [Pt. VI] – ‘Night’s Shade Befalls the Holy’

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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:

LVME – Of Sinful Nature [February 16th, NoEvDia]
MESSIAH – Christus Hypercubus [March 1st, High Roller Records]
FATHOMLESS RITUAL – Hymns for the Lesser Gods [March 1st, Transcending Obscurity]
LUNAR SPELLS – Sacraments of Necromantical Empires [March 1st, Northern Silence Productions]
ANGMODNES – Rot of the Soul [March 1st, Meuse Music Records/Tragedy Productions]
APOGEAN – Cyberstrictive [March 8th, The Artisan Era]

SHORT REVIEWS + VIDEO:

Short Reviews arrive every TWO weeks this year. Next entry: 2/21/24 (Feb. 21st)

NECROWRETCH – Swords of Dajjal [February 2nd, Season of Mist]
FANGE – Perdition [February 23rd, Throatruiner Records]
THEY CAME FROM VISIONS – The Twilight Robes [February 23rd, Eisenwald]
COLTRE – To Watch With Hands… To Touch WIth Eyes [February 23rd, Dying Victims Productions]
DISASTROID – Garden Creatures [February 23rd, Heavy Psych Sounds]
VINCENT CROWLEY – Anthology of Horror [February 23rd, Hammerheart Records]

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