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] PHAËTHON (‘Wielder of the Steel‘, Gates of Hell Records)*
[#2] GUTVOID (‘Breathing Obelisk‘, Blood Harvest Records)
[#3] CONCRETE WINDS (‘Concrete Winds‘, Sepulchral Voice Records)
[#4] DECEASED (‘Children of the Morgue‘, Hell’s Headbangers)
[#5] TEETH (‘The Will of Hate‘, Translation Loss Records)

*Phaethon‘s album releases digitally August 30th, physical copies release September 6th. I am considering it an September release in terms of “Best of the month” inclusion.

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EMBRACE SINGULARITY

This site was founded seven years ago for the sake of providing myself what no other space offered: A place to talk about music where I was not beholden to another site owner, where I could not be censored or bothered by corrupt moderators, and ultimately not be held to the irons by populism. Instead of spending any time pleasing another person’s idea of an ideal “customer” (or pleasing an arrogant editor) in terms of conveying information, opinion and entertainment I am just another fan, not an aspiring “professional” or a desperate internet grifter. This is a fanzine in practicum and in spirit, and a decidedly independent one.

In this particular space what separates a career “professional” from an enthusiast is paid full-time employment. If you want the underground’s best and worst music presented by yet another communications major trying to make an easy name in a (relatively) small pond you’ll have to accept there is good reason nobody wants that job, they need to eat and live. Folks have proven well enough over the last two decades that making a living covering “metal” isn’t possible without either punching down, embracing negativity, “drama” farming, straight up plagiarism, or reaching up into mainstream music and slurping corporate balls. I have no such aspirations but I do regularly run into people like this more and more every year, especially considering AI generated writing is literally offered, built-in and promoted by blog hosting firms like WordPress.

Mystification Zine is made possible per the creator (me, a fan) making the time and spending the money to will my own love of music into digital form(s). Nothing that I do is a job or a service, this is not a full-time gig and I am not paid. On that same note I am not looking for a job, I don’t want to work for you or anyone else, and I don’t care about making a name as a popular internet shitbag. This might seem obvious or not exactly worth saying “out loud” but I want to make it clear: I am a fan, just another fucking dude, and this site intends to be a fanzine (or at least an online equivalent) free of trashy desperation, cronyism, or any sort of shill tactics.

While I am aware there are many truly miserable, based, and beautifully flawed people who listen to heavy music I did not start this site to please or placate the whims of others with feigned “professional” skills or to create anything for the sake of your specific wants and/or needs. If you don’t like, or get anything out of MystificationZine.com I want to remind you that you can leave, click away at any time; If you’d like to be “helpful” I’d suggest NOT offering commentary and poorly thought-out advice but instead redirect your focus: The best way you can improve the world around you is to stand up out of that armchair and participate, do your own damn thing while working toward defining and executing your own standards, just as I have, and embrace a do-it-yourself attitude. The moment you stop asking others to entertain your ass and start becoming the thing that you want to see and/or hear the happier you will be.

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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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Osmose Productions have announced they will release the upcoming eighth studio album from French death metal legends MERCYLESS. Emphasizing the album’s conjuration of sinister evil, death metal built around irreligious attitudes and violent extremity, ‘Those Who Reign Below‘ promises pure old school death metal. The album releases October 25th on all relevant formats. Check out the incredible work from Nestor Avalos for the cover art and you’ll have to wait until they put up a preview song, as I believe they were taken down momentarily. For now keep up to date over on their Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/mercylesscult/

Danish occult doom-rock quintet DEMON HEAD have announced the coming of ‘Through Holes Shine the Stars‘ their fifth full-length album which finds them returning to Svart Records. Now reaching their tenth year we can consider their personae and general focus very well formed via their trek thus far and I think people will be pleasantly surprised with this album if you’ve followed the last 2-3 releases. They are promising a more ‘extroverted’ demonstration here as bassist Mikkel Fuglsang reflects on the album: “Our first four records can be seen as the pillars creating a structure in order to reach the new level that this undoubtedly is for us.” The album will release this coming September 20th on vinyl LP, CD and cassette tape.

New bassist, new tour, new single, new tape check out what Danish progressive/atmospheric black metal band ORM are up to on this new song “Slør” which is the main focus of their latest cassette single of the same name. These guys are known for longer conceptually driven atmospheric black metal songs but here they’ve made a more potently melodic statement with this ~7 minute piece. ‘Slør‘ is available digitally as well but the cassette includes an exclusive live recording of “Fra Dyden” recorded at the band’s 2024 Copenhell set. If this is the type of stuff they’re working on next I’m into it.

Redefining Darkness have announced the fourth full-length album from New Jersey death metal band SENTIENT HORROR will release this coming October 25th. They’ve not said much of anything about ‘In Service of the Dead‘ just yet beyond referencing their enduring classic Swedish death metal style. I am interested even though I am pretty sure I know exactly what to expect, the last album had some huge songs though. I promise I will like at least one album with that Boss HM-2 cranked guitar sound this year, probably.

Dying Victims Productions have announced they will release the third full-length album from Bavarian black-thrashing heavy metal band BLACKEVIL. ‘Praise the Communion Fire for the Unhallowed Sacrament will release on CD and vinyl LP formats this coming October 25th. Pay attention to this one because if you liked the direction that Witching Hour took on their most recent releases you’ll appreciate the “epic blackened thrash” feeling of this one, though it is a bit different overall. The pure heavy metal feeling of this record should interest many folks and based on my previews so far it definitely has riffs. Check out the first preview song “Divine Forces”:

Glory or Death Records have announced they’ll release the upcoming full-length from Oakland, California-based heavy rock trio PHANTOM HOUND. ‘From Boom Town to Ghost Town‘ will release this coming September 18th. The band comment on the song/music video: “This first single “Claims & Prospects” is about being on top of the world one second only to wake up the next day to find yourself at rock bottom. It takes a lot of work to keep your head above water these days and sometimes it feels like Uncle Sam is gonna drain you of every last quarter. Our new video takes a comedic stab at the tall tale in the story of one bands pursuit of some dang pizza.” And what a song, the Alice in Chains style vocal harmonies are brilliant, but also keep in mind these guys kinda jam and most of the songs on this album are doubly long. Really enjoying this one so far.

Flordia’s heaviest* classic thrash metal band NASTY SAVAGE are back after two decades with their fifth full-length album, ‘Jeopardy Room‘. The album is set to release via FHM Records this coming October 10th. Folks know well enough by now that I love their ’85 self-titled record but of course their sound has gone all sorts of places over the years. In this case we get exactly the sort of aggro riff-focused late 80’s structured killer you’d want here here with “Brain Washer”. Love the sound on this one and it turns out it was recorded/produced by Jim Morris at Morrisound Studios. Don’t miss this one if you love classic thrash metal and check out “Brain Washer” now:

Jawbreaker Records have announced they will release the upcoming debut full-length album from Swedish thrash metal band DISARRAY. ‘Religious Disease‘ is slated for release on October 25th on all formats. Formed just a couple of years ago these folks made noise all over Stockholm before checking in with an LP and you can tell they’re aiming for classic un-fucked with aggression here on this album. As always, if I’m talking about it and it is thrash metal it probably has riffs. Check out the first single “Realize You’re Already Dead”:

DOEDSMAGHIRD is the new project from Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez, the mind behind Dødheimsgard and longtime collaborator Camille Giradeau. Their debut full-length album ‘Omniverse Consciousness‘ is set for release on October 11th via the good folks over at Peaceville Records. Parvez comments: “A concept of universal awareness that transcends the present individual experience and connect the dots across multiple timelines and dimension. Consciousness is like nodes within a vast, interconnected web, where the black medium current serves a conduit for information exchange. Within this singularity, all path leads inward, and the concept of time ceases to exist. Every possible timeline, past and future converge into the enigmatic state of the omniverse consciousness. Palpable as a whispered secret, we present this intersection of experiences and outcomes. Symbolizing the unattainable potential that never was but is. This emergence through conflict and synergy shaped from the original entities involved. A transformation and innovation where two points in time merge into a point in the middle…” And they mention something about the industrial era of their other band in the materials as well, this one should be pretty damned interesting. For now, a short trailer:

I don’t recall if I mentioned this band/album before but it is shaping up to be one of the best of September: Epic heavy metal band MIDNIGHT FORCE have premiered a new song “The Fires of Nanyue” to promote their third full-length album, ‘Severan‘, which will release this coming September 27th via Dying Victims Productions. Stoked to talk about this one and dig into it more, check out the song:

Hells Headbangers Records have announced an October 18th release date for Australian black/death metal band DESTRUKTOR‘s third full-length album. ‘Indomitable‘ will release on CD and cassette tape formats with the vinyl LP version will following later. Around since 1997 but largely quiet since 2015 they’ve returned with a mauler in opener “Speaking With the Dead”:

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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.

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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:

HELLAVENGER – The Primordial Fire [September 1st, Death Division Rituals]
AETHYRICK – Death is Absent [September 13th, End All Life Productions]
SATAN – Songs In Crimson [September 13th, Metal Blade Records]
VAFURLOGI – Í vökulli áþján [September 13th, NoEvDia/Oration]
ODIOUS SPIRIT – The Treason of Consciousness [September 20th, I Voidhanger Records]
COFFIN ROT – Dreams of the Disturbed [September 20th, Maggot Stomp]

SHORT REVIEWS:

ATOMICIDE – Manifest of Aversion [August 31st, Death Division Rituals]
FATHER BEFOULED – Immaculate Pain [September 13th, Everlasting Spew Records]
APEP – Before Whom Evil Trembles [September 13th, War Anthem Records]
DENOMINATION – The Last Companion [September 13th, F.D.A. Records]
WOLFBRIGADE – Life Knife Death [September 13th, Metal Blade Records]
SVLFVR – Diabolic Ritual of Steel [September 13th, Gospel Below/Black Hearts]

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