ENDTYMER is the semi-weekly recap, occasional 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, 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] MAGES TERROR (‘Damnation’s Sight‘, Invictus Productions)
[#2] VANHELGD (‘Atropos Doctrina‘, Dark Descent Records)
[#3] OBSCENE (‘Agony & Wounds‘, Nameless Grave Records)
[#4] SKELETHAL (‘Within Corrosive Continuums‘, Hell’s Headbangers)
[#5] DISKORD/ATVM (‘Bipolarities‘, Transcending Obscurity)

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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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Carbonized Records have announced ‘Senescence‘, the debut full-length album from Santa Rosa, California-based progressive/psychedelic death metal trio VILE RITES will release this coming August 16th on cassette, CD and 12″ vinyl. The majestic descent depicted in the cover artwork from Justyna Koziczak is colorful yet dark, fitting for an album which is violent and classicist as it is a bold statement of modern highest-standard death metal. They’d kindly given me access to this one a bit early so I’m already in the throes, a contender for the best I’ve heard in 2024 and inarguably a leader in progressive death territory of late, a remarkable debut. If you’re already familiar with their 2022 EP ‘The Ageless‘ you’ll hear the work they’ve put into this one immediately as you jump into “Shiftless Wanderings”:

Rotted Life Records are of course on an insane kill-streak this year as they’ve announced yet another smoking skull in this latest EP from Atlanta, Georgia trio CEMETERY FILTH who’ve once again switched up the line-up and morphed their sound to suit a still Floridian touch with some early prog-death motions in tow. ‘Senses of Detriment‘ will release this August 16th on cassette, CD, and 12″ vinyl. Holy hell check out this first preview song “Cyclocognition”, if the rest of the EP is that sharp I’m already sold:

Iron Bonehead Productions has announced September 20th as the release date for DEATHLESS VOID‘s debut full-length album. ‘The Voluptuous Fire of Sin‘ will release on CD and 12″ vinyl as well as digitally. This Netherlands-based black metal troupe hit us with a demo/EP back in 2022 where I’d described their work as: “Furious as classic Katharsis but angular and over the limit as a Mystískaos variant ‘Deathless Void‘ crafts feral black metal from shadows and smoke, implying chaos with layers of haze and finger-straining chords ringing atop.” in review of their EP. Much as I don’t like the album art this record sounds excellent so far, noisome and ruthless. Their cacophony continues here via “Vortex Climax”:

Testimony Records have announced the latest album from German death metal trio TEMPLE OF DREAD will release this year. Once again graced with the work of the indomitable Paolo Girardi ‘God of the Godless‘ will release this coming October 4th. They’ve released the opener “Carnage Ritual” and from the sound of things they’re up to their usual pure death-thrashing attack for this record. I’d share the video for the song here but they’ve blocked embeds of it, for now check out their Bandcamp:

For the sake pre-empting their appearance at the Chaos Descends Festival this month Gates Of Hell Records have announced they’ve signed Detroit power metal band DEMON BITCH alongside a “coming soon…” sign attached to the promise of a sophomore album, ‘Master Of The Games‘ which is finished and submitted. Expect reissues of their back catalog, specifically their first EP and debut LP. To top things off we’ve got a preview track from the new album titled “Into The Archway”, an exceptional theatric waltz with a glorious sort of (early) Fates Warning feeling to it.

Austrian epic death doom metal band ENDONOMOS have announced they will release their latest album, ‘II – Enlightenment‘ this coming September 27th by way of Argonauta Records. The first single is “Atheon Anarkhon” Which the band comment: “Atheon Anarkhon” could be translated as “no god, no sovereign” and deals not only with the inseparability of atheism and anarchism, but mainly how their counterparts (theism and autocracy) contradict human nature and corrupt the human mind.” Of course the atmosphere of this song sells itself slow and steadily:

Bay Area-based occult doom metal trio CASTLE have released the a video for “100 Eyes” the first single taken from their upcoming sixth album ‘Evil Remains‘, due out September 6th via Hammerheart Records. Frontwoman Liz Blackwell comments on the song: “Our first release from the new album is a message and a reminder to eliminate the distractions that prevent oneself from being the master of your own mind. Our latest video pulled our artistic community together to film a visual representation of self-discovery and empowerment.” Of course there is some alluring magick at work here, tripped and bluesy as ever but still speaking heavy sense. Check out the song/video here:

Brutal Records have announced the signing of Italian death metal quartet KAIVS for the release of their debut full-length album ‘After the Flesh‘ on October 18th this year. I recall liking their ‘Horrend‘ EP last year and now it sounds like they’ve expanded that raw sound into a solid album. Big, buzzing HM-2 level guitar tone and all that isn’t usually my thing but I’d enjoyed the attack of this version of the song:

Philadelphia’s own grunged-up psych-gazers EXECUTIONER’S MASK will release their latest album ‘Almost There’ via Seeing Red Records, a La Carte Records and Summer Darling Tapes this coming August 30th and at this point I’m surprisingly impressed with this one. Vocalist Jay Gambit explains the meaning behind the dreaming dread of the song: “Devoured is actually an inversion of the song Wisdom by Brian Jonestown Massacre. It’s about the all consuming force of a magnetic attraction. It’s about being consumed by something or someone while it sleeps. It’s about human to human addiction in all its ugliness. it’s a plea for sobriety from codependency and a wail against loneliness.” and yes, it was the BJM reference that got me to check out the album:

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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.

Still editing a number of videos (about ~12) which’ll post this weekend or on Monday evening.

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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:

ORANGE GOBLIN – Science, Not Fiction [July 19th, Peaceville Records]
KRYPTICY – The Non-Return [July 22nd, Memento Mori, Violence in the Veins]
THE OTHER SUN – Daimon, Devil, Dawn [July 23rd, The Ajna Offensive]
DEATH RACER – From Gravel to Grave [July 26th, Dying Victims Productions]
MAYHEMIC – Toba [July 26th, Sepulchral Voice]
VOID WITCH – Horripilating Presence [July 26th, Everlasting Spew Records]

SHORT REVIEWS + VIDEO:

Short Reviews will be changing into a different format starting in July. You’ll see once we’re there.

UPRISING – III [July 18th, AOP Records]
FEBRUUS – Surveillance Orgy [July 19th, Transcending Obscurity]
OCCULTA VERITAS – Irreducible Fear of the Sublime [July 19th, I, Voidhanger Records]
SHUN – Dismantle [July 19th, Small Stone Recordings]
WORSHIPPER – One Way Trip [July 19th, Magnetic Eye Records]
MIDNIGHT ODYSSEY – Closer to the Sky [July 19th, I, Voidhanger Records]
SARAJAH – Sarajah [July 19th, Argonauta Records]
ALBURNUM – The Withered Roots of Reality [July 20th, Self-Released]
HARVESTMAN – Triptych: Part Two [July 21st, Neurot Recordings]
CASTRATED – Surgical Vicissitude [July 19th, Comatose Music]
NORDEIN – Reisa [July 19th, Silent Future/Nordvis]

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