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] ROTTEN TOMB (‘The Relief of Death‘, Death Division Rituals)
[#2] EVOKED (‘Immoral Arts‘, F.D.A. Records)
[#3] HEMOTOXIN (‘When Time Becomes Loss‘, Pulverised Records)
[#4] DEMORED (‘Well of Liquid Souls‘, Neckbreaker Records)
[#5] NADSVEST (‘Slovo meseca i krvi‘, Soulseller Records)

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UPCOMING RELEASES

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

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Danish-Turkish death metal quartet HYPERDONTIA return with their third full-length album this June 21st once again by way of Dark Descent Records and Me Saco Un Ojo Records on vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital formats.. Among the very best out there keeping the high-standard of classic death metal alive these folks haven’t disappointed yet and from the sound of “Death’s Embrace” this one will rule, too:

I Hate Records have announced June 21st as the release date for ‘Magna Pestilencia‘ the debut full-length album from Swedish death metal band ABYSMAL WINDS. Heavily inspired by the thrashing spectrum of United States and U.K. death metal of the classic era these folks bring a blackened touch to the dark inspiration provided by Incantation, Sadistic Intent and Grave Miasma. No preview song just yet but their demo smokes, check that out for now.

https://www.instagram.com/abysmalwinds/

United States death metal band BLACK HOLE DEITY will release their debut full-length album ‘Profane Geometry‘ this coming July 5th by way of Everlasting Spew Records. Featuring members of Malignancy and former Chaos Inception folks this Alabama based quartet have been working on this record since they’d been in the process of their EP a few years back. “Musically, we wanted to stay with the same style, of old school death metal mixed with more modern influences. Lots of guitar solos, some melodic sections, some heavy breakdowns. Drum and guitar recording took place at Mike Heller’s studio in Los Angeles during fall-winter 22-23. Vocals were recorded at my (Cam’s) home studio summer of 23. A long mix session ensued to deliver the final result. There are no keys or synths on the album; all sounds are from stringed instruments. Concept-wise, PROFANE GEOMETRY is about experiences beyond human understanding. Gore and violence is very common in the genre but we chose to take a more sci-fi/supernatural horror approach, with songs about war with aliens, metaphysical experiences, and of course a song about good old fashioned nuclear annihilation“. The first preview song is named after an enemy from Elden Ring? Cool if true.

On July 5th this year Finnish death metal band CRYPTIC HATRED will release their second full-length album ‘Internal Torment‘ by way of Italian label Time To Kill Records. They’ve cited Florida death metal and Finnish death atmosphere as a starting point for this one. See what you think from first single, “Homicidal Intentions”:

Seattle, Washington-based death metal trio NOROTH have announced they will release their latest full-length album ‘Sacrificial Solace‘ on June 7th by way of Carbonized Records. Guitarist Mike comments on the opening track and first single, “Black Serpent”: “We wanted the beginning of the album to sound like you were opening the gates of Hell and then immediately descended into a sewer. I wrote the opening riff to sound like you were getting crushed by feces. Lyrically, ‘Black Serpent’ delves into the sinister tactics religion uses to infiltrate and intertwine itself with the foundations of societies, governments, and personal lives, exerting control, manipulation, and abuse, all while escaping any consequences.”

On June 10th Sun & Moon Records will release two full-length albums from Transylvanian black metal band SICULICIDIUM. ‘A halál tengely‘ (The axis of death) which features their own brand of vintage east-European black metal style. On ‘Az elidegenedés melankóliája‘ (The melancholy of alienation) they create an experimental album featuring “dark country” folk songs, electronica, dark ambient, and something nearby funeral doom. Stoked to see what all they’ve created between the two albums.

Edged Circle Productions have announced they will release the upcoming third full-length album from Swedish / Canadian quintet DARKENED. The band features folks known for their work in Excruciate, A Canorous Quintet and Grave, and now they add drummer Perra Karlsson (Destroyer 666, Suffer). ‘Defilers of the Light‘ will release on June 14th. Check out the title track:

Southern California desert rock pioneers FU MANCHU will release their 14^th album, the double LP The Return of Tomorrow, on June 14^th through At The Dojo Records. Designed as a double vinyl listening experience, the first LP features 7 songs in their signature heavy fuzz rock sound whereas the second LP sees the band mellowing out with slower tempo jams. Completely stoked for this one as I’ve been a fan of these guys since the mid-90’s.

Indiana blackened thrash metal band WRAITH have signed to Prosthetic Records for the release of their latest album, ‘Fueled By Fear‘, which is set for release on June 28th. Thematically the album “explores a dystopian landscape where the boundaries between fiction and reality are blurred, and global and political tensions form in a powder keg of fraught possibilities. Whilst the tales they weave are rooted in reality and an interest in religion, history and political science, they have given themselves free reign to explore the outer reaches of nightmarish possibilities.” I’m curious to see how their sound has developed in the meantime:

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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

PENTAGRAM – Eternal Life of Madness (2024) | REVIEW

The Top 20 Albums of March | 2024

Short Reviews | May 1st, 2024

The Top 20 Albums of April | 2024

LIFVSLEDA – Evangelii härold (2024) | REVIEW

NOKTURNAL – Shades of Night (2024) | REVIEW

DESOLUS – System Shock (2024) | REVIEW

SARCOUGHAGUS – Remnants (2024) | REVIEW

SUNNATA – Chasing Shadows (2024) | REVIEW

HEMOTOXIN – When Time Becomes Loss (2024) | REVIEW

FUNERAL STORM – Chthonic Invocations (2024) | REVIEW

TORTURERS’ LOBBY – Deadened Nerves (2024) | REVIEW

UFOMAMMUT – Hidden (2024) | REVIEW

STRYCHNOS – Armageddon Patronage (2024) | REVIEW

ROPE SECT – Estrangement (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:

LUCIFUGE – Hexensabbat [May 24th, Dying Victims Productions]
FLAIL – Within the Firths of Futility [May 25, Gramschap/Forbidden Sonority]
ADVERSARIAL – Solitude With the Eternal [May 31st, Dark Descent Records]
WINDSWEPT – Der eine, wahre König [May 31st, Primitive Reaction]
BLACK WOUND – Warping Structure [May 31st, Chaos Records]
LAETITIA IN HOLOCAUST – Fanciulli D’Occidente [May 31st, Dusktone]
ABREAKTION – Bornhatred [May 31st, Chaos Records]
José Luis Cano Barron – ‘From Hades to Valhalla… BATHORY – The Epic Story’ [May 29th, Pagan Records & Monomaniax]

SHORT REVIEWS + VIDEO:

VALE OF PNATH – Between the Worlds of Life and Death [May 24th, Willowtip Records]
MORGUE – Close to Complete Darkness [May 24th, Godz Ov War Productions]
HELLBUTCHER – Hellbutcher [May 31st, Metal Blade Records]
HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY – The Mortuary Hauntings [May 31st, Pulverised Records]
WORMWOOD – The Star [May 31st, Black Lodge Records]
SWAMPBEAST – Offering of Chaos, Lamenting in the Blood of Man [May 31st, Translation Loss]
KRATER – Phrenesis [May 31st, Eisenwald]
DEATHCULT – Seven Are They 7″ [May 31st, Edged Circle Productions]

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