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] INGURGITATING OBLIVION (‘Ontology of Nought‘, Willowtip Records)
[#2] ODIUM HUMANI GENERIS (‘Mi​ę​dzyczas‘, Malignant Voices)
[#3] ADORIOR (‘​Bleed on my Teeth‘, Dark Descent/Sepulchral Curse)
[#4] MIDNIGHT FORCE (‘Severan‘, Dying Victims)
[#5] THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR (‘Nature’s Cadence‘, Eisenwald)

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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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Svart Records have announced Indiana-borne traditional doom metal band THE GATES OF SLUMBER will return in 2024 with a self-titled full-length album, their first since 2011. ‘The Gates of Slumber‘ will be available on 12″ vinyl variants, CD, and digitally this coming November 29th. Founding member Karl Simon comments: “I never intended to pick up with The Gates of Slumber ever again in 2014. While I did start the band and wrote most of the first album it was never intended to be a one man show. We’d been asked several times to play Hell Over Hammaburg. But there was no “we” to play. The germ of the idea started. We started re-learning songs from the first LP. It wasn’t too long into the rehearsals that we started coming up with new songs.” and since I’ve heard the whole thing, yep, I’d say get stoked for it and check out “Embrace the Lie” in the meantime:

Lappeenranta, Finland-based chaotic death metal band SCYTHROW have signed with Awakening Records for their their third full-length album, ‘Blameless Severed Extremities‘, on November 29th. These folks have evolved almost too quickly since they’d formed in 2020 and I wouldn’t say their death-thrash days were great, pretty awful aesthetic on those early releases too, but this third album seems to finally get it a bit better and happens upon a best-yet result. If you are a fan of early Florida death metal and its variants this’ll be an easy band to digest, though they’ve put their own spin on it. No preview song yet, for now follow them on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083778333109

The second album from French brutal death metal band AD VITAM INFERNAL will arrive this coming November 8th by way of Dolorem Records. ‘Le Ballet des Anges‘ once again focuses on a brutal, blasphemic version of death metal which was more common in the late 90’s/early 2000’s with heavy inspiration taken from both Morbid Angel and Immolation. Since I’d liked their first album and this style I was stoked to spend some time with this one, not sure if I’ll bother since the album art looks AI generated and I can’t support that, but the album is great.

Iron Bonehead Productions have announced a sophomore album from Swedish/Mexican black metal band NIGRUM will arrive on CD and vinyl format this coming November 22nd. ‘Blood Worship Extremism‘ follows up on the woefully underrated ‘Elevenfold Tail‘, which I’d rated highly upon release. Check out this band’s previous work and their general evolution, stoked to spend time with the full record. For now check out “Splendor of the Old World”:

Swiss avant-garde black/death metal band SCHAMMASCH have announced their fifth full-length album, ‘The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean‘, will release via Prosthetic Records this coming October 25th. This will be the second entry in their The Maldoror Chants series, inspired heavily by the French poetic novel Les Chants de Maldoror by Comte de Lautréamont. The preview songs from the album have been stunning so far, check out the most recent “Image of the Infinite”:

LIVING GATE a somewhat technical and thrashing death metal band from members of Yob, Amenra, Weigedood will release their debut full-length album via Relapse Records this coming October 25th. I wasn’t sure what to expect from these folks considering their associated acts but man, this song “To Cut off the Head of the Snake” is pretty insane out the box. While I haven’t sat down with the full album yet this (plus an EP from a couple years back) was enough to convince me to give this one a serious roll through:

German blackened death metal band THE SPIRIT’s upcoming fourth full-length album, ‘Songs Against Humanity‘, will release this coming October 25th from AOP Records. These folks have been at it since 2015 having started out playing a Dissection-esque style that has evolved with each iteration ’til their fourth album seemed to breach into progressive death metal as well, the new songs from this album appears to sprawl out in a similar way making this one of my more anticipated releases from late October.

Athens, Greece-based thrash metal band VIOLENT DEFINITION have announced their sophomore full-length album ‘Progressive Obsoletion‘ will release by way of I Hate Records and Bestial Invasion Records this coming November 15th. If you are a fan of the sharpened aggression of bands like Forbidden and earlier Vio-lence and classic thrash metal in general these guys will kick your ass. I know these guys have been working on this one since at least ~2021 or so, so it is awesome to see it finally ready to fire. Check out a teaser for now and you’ll get a good sense of their sound:

Invictus Productions have announced the debut album from Norwegian death metal band ABHORRATION will release this coming October 4th. ‘Demonolatry‘ will release on CD on the 4th and the vinyl version will release on November 1st. You’ll get the gist of what they’re up on on this record as they lean even heavier into the thrashing late 80’s style of death metal on “Ai Apaec”, I was already sold on them via their 2021 EP and now that I hear this I am already saving a spot for them in my best of the year list:

Danish/Faroese progressive metal band IOTUNN have announce their second full-length album, ‘Kinship‘, on October 25th via Metal Blade Records. Guitarist Jesper Gräs comments on the album: “The creation of Kinship has been the most extensive and wild journey we’ve ever been part of. Like trekking up the Galdhøpiggen mountain in Norway, we have crossed peak after peak and seen things continuously brighter and wider until we reached the top, the end. Never have we been prouder and more pleased, and we hope our fans – old and new – will take this album into their hearts and let it unfold from there.” Pretty good record based on previews so far, epic and emotionally driven with slick production.

This coming November 29th Personal Records have announced Staten Island, New York based death metal band FESTERGORE‘s debut album. ‘Constellation of Endless Blight‘ on CD format with Iron Fortress Records releasing a cassette version. Brutal band, off to a good start with this record, and though I hate the yellow logo that album artwork smokes. Check out “Cryogenic Decay” from the album:

Dying Victims Productions have announced they will release the upcoming debut full-length album from Münster, Germany-based traditional doom metal band HIGH WARDEN. ‘Astral Iron‘ will release on CD and 12″ vinyl formats this coming November 22nd. This latest preview song “The Morn is Wiser than the Eve” convinced me to check out the full album:

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THIS WEEK’S VIDEOS

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:

MAUL – In the Jaws of Bereavement [October 4th, 20 Buck Spin]
ORANSSI PAZUZU – Muuntautuja [October 11th, Nuclear Blast Records]
BARATHRUM – Überkill [Oct. 11th, Hammer of Hate]
ASHEN TOMB – Ecstatic Death Reign [October 18th, Everlasting Spew Records]
SEID – Hymns to the Norse [October 18th, De Tenebrarum Principio/ATMF]
DEATHRITE – Flames Licking Fever [October 18th, Into Endless Chaos]

SHORT REVIEWS:

TEMPLE OF DREAD – God of the Godless [October 4th, Testimony Records]
ABRAMELIN – Sins of the Father [October 4th, Hammerheart Records]
HÄXENZIJRKELL – Portal [October 4th, Amor Fati]
LIFE ABUSE – Systemization [October 4th, Armageddon Label]
CORPSEFUCKING ART – Tomatized [October 4th, Comatose Music]
MASTER BOOT RECORD – Hardwarez [October 11th, Metal Blade Records]

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