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 THE WEEK

[#1] DEFEATED SANITY (‘Chronicles of Lunacy‘, Season of Mist)
[#2] OPETH (‘Last Will and Testament‘, RPM)
[#3] GOLGOTHAN REMAINS (‘Bearer of Light, Matriarch…‘, Dark Descent)
[#4] INIQUITOUS SAVAGERY (‘Edifice of Vicissitudes‘, Willowtip Records)
[#5] HIGH WARDEN (‘Astral Iron‘, Dying Victims)

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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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This coming January 9th, 2025 W.T.C. Productions will release the fifth full-length album from BARSHASKETH. ‘Antinomian Asceticism‘ will release on CD and vinyl LP. Guitarist / songwriter GM comments on the title and theme: “It’s important to disassociate this form of asceticism from Christian forms of asceticism, which are nihilistic (in the original, world-denying sense of the term) as well as the Socratic formulations of asceticism which anticipate St. Paul, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas. We reject the moral law, and ascetic practices that might be undertaken in order to satisfy any such Morality. I capitalize Morality here to emphasize that we are not referring to a mere system of values that might be arrived at by rational means, but a type of absolute morality that is received from God as formulated by the Kantian ethical notion of the categorical imperative – in other words, an eternal moral standard that cannot be questioned and applies uniformly across time and space; Before we lay out our reasoning as to why an antinomian form of asceticism might be beneficial, we would firstly like to appeal to the Schopenhauerian notion of the metaphysical will, which is a kind of inner essence that resides in all things – an idea which builds on the Kantian ‘thing-in-itself.’ This metaphysical will has certain drives associated with it, most relevant of which in this context is the drive to maintain oneself, replicate oneself, assert oneself (Kant also touched on these and refers to them as ‘inclinations’); these are concepts that anticipate Darwin and something Nietzsche would later build on. Schopenhauer viewed ascetic resignation as a means to make the world good by reaching some kind of status in which we are removed and numbed from it – our sense of the idea is that we need to find some sort of Aristotelian ‘golden mean’ in which we are not led around by our inclinations and metaphysical will, which leads to a shallow, reactive way of living which does not permit deep insight, yet also not radically separated from ‘this world.’ Ascetic practice in our conception isn’t a conscious weakening or the self (via fasting, for instance) in order to satisfy a moral obligation, nor is it to enable some vain self-righteousness, but instead, it is a means by which we temporarily withdraw within in order to access insights which then strengthen the liberated individual in the real and this-worldly realm.” Hugely anticipated album since I’d underrated their self-titled album. Looking forward to digging into this one since based on previews I think it has a chance to stick with me big time next year. For now check out the first preview song “Radiant Aperture”:

Purity Through Fire have announced they will release MAVORIM‘s fifth album this coming December 25th. ‘In Omnia Paratus‘ will release as a CD, A5 digipack, double-LP vinyl, and cassette tape. Of course you should recall I’m a big fan of their adventurous melodic yet venomous style, stoked on this album and I’ve already started getting into it for review. For now check out “Alles Stirbt”, give this song the patience it is due:

Italian doom metal band EPITAPH have announced their latest album ‘Path To Oblivion‘ will release this coming December 20th by way of My Kingdom Music. They’ve described this release as carving its own path toward darker progressive inspiration without leaving their classic ‘old school’ doom metal sound. I’ll more thank likely review this one. Check out the first single “Voices Behind the Wall”:

This coming January 21st, 2025 W.T.C. Productions will release the sixth full-length album from cosmic-melodic black metal troupe MEMBARIS. ‘Black Plasma Armour‘ will release on CD and vinyl LP. For their follow-up to 2020’s ‘Misanthrosophie‘ they appear to have aimed to up the ante. This album previewed very well as it bursts with violent energy to start. Check out the preview song “Poet of Fire”:

This coming January 17th, 2025 Personal Records will release the third full-length album from Catalonia, Spain-based death/doom metal band ONIROPHAGUS‘. They will release ‘Revelations From the Void‘ on CD format to start. These folks have been aiming to recreate the magick of 90’s death/doom metal since 2011 and this album sounds great so far in previews:

On January 20th, 2025 Memento Mori will release the second full-length album from Transylvania, Romania-based ‘old school’ death metal band PUTRED. They’ll release ‘Megalit al Putrefacției‘ on on CD format. If you’re a fan of their work in Vorus and Necrotum make sure you don’t miss this groups work as they’ve done a fine job of shaping their own path with this one. Check out the song “Necromantie”:

Utrecht, Netherlands-based black metal anomaly GRAFJAMMER have returned with a new line-up and now a fourth full-length album. ‘De Tyfus, De Teerling‘ releases this coming January 10th and will represent what they’re calling “primitive Dutch necrorock”, a sound which combines black metal with punk and speed metal for a unique sound. I’ve been a fan of these guys for the last several years and I’m curious to see what they do with this one. They’ve smartly described the grooves of this album as effective in the sense that their work “swings like a floppy tit” and I’m there for it. No preview song yet but it’ll be on its way soon enough. Follow them on social media or whatever:

facebook.com/grafjammer

Dying Victims Productions have announced they will release the second album from Finnish black/speed metal band VITRIOLIC. ‘Black Steel Vengeance‘ will release on CD and vinyl LP formats with Headsplit Records having already released the CD and cassette tape versions in North America. Solid band who’ve been improving with each release so I’m looking forward to checking it out. They have a promo medley of songs from the album to check out now:

Swedish death metal band WRETCHED FATE have returned with a limited cassette tape release via Redefining Darkness Records, limited to a hundred copies. ‘Incineration of The Pious‘ is a six track EP split in two parts where the first half is leftovers from their sophomore album ‘Carnal Heresy‘ and the second half includes covers. Of course their version of Morbid Angel’s “Dominate” is pretty good:

Memento Mori, Gurgling Gore, and Dry Cough are teaming up for various version of the debut full-length album from death metal band MUTAGENIC HOST. ‘The Diseased Machine’ will release this coming January 3rd, 2025. They’ve described it as a “journey into that post-plague world, which frankly doesn’t feel so far away from present times.” in terms of its narrative. Chug heavy stuff, great album artwork, will definitely check it out. You can check out “Incomprehensible Methods of Slaughter” by way of Gurgling Gore‘s YouTube:

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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:

STENCHED – Purulence Gushing From the Coffin [November 26th, MSuO/ERP]
FESTERGORE – Constellation of Endless Blight [November 29th, Personal Records]
RITUAL FOG – But Merely Flesh [November 29th, Transcending Obscurity]
THE WATCHER – Out of the Dark [November 29th, Cruz Del Sur Music]
SARCOPHAGUM – The Grand Arc of Madness [December 6th, Nuclear Winter Records]
PUTRID VOMIT CHRIST – Perpetual Intercourse [December 6th, Godz ov War Productions]

SHORT REVIEWS:

This week I will focus on NBBMN aka Nothing But Black Metal November, the second short reviews list will cover black metal releases from this month + December and some outliers. I am aiming for at least five entries this month and I’ll have more time next week. Once December starts we hit all the lists, too, so look forward to that:

PANZERFAUST – The Suns of Perdition IV [November 22nd, Eisenwald]
HJEMSØKT – Om Vinteren, På En Sort Trone [November 17th, Purity Through Fire]
TYRANNIC – Tyrannic Desolation [November 22nd, Iron Bonehead]
TOTAL HATE – Forthcoming Age of the Reaper [November 29th, War Anthem]
SLAUGH – II [October 21st, Blood Coloured Beast]
ASGRAUW – Oorsprong [October 31st, Hidden Marly/Zwaertgevegt]
THE HOLY FLESH – Advocate, Martyr and Redeemer [October 25th, Caligari/Ixiol]
BLOODMOON ECLIPSE – For I Am Your Death [November 17th, Purity Through Fire]
APOSTASIE – Non Est Deus [November 29th, Trollzorn Records]
VRAZORTH – Emergence [November 29th, Avantgarde Music]
VANANIDR – In Silence Descent [October 25th, Avantgarde Music]
TRYBLITH – Draconis Maleficium [October 31st, Self-Released]
SRD – Vragvmesiton [April 19th, On Parole Productions]
SVARTJJERN – Draw Blood [December 6th, Soulseller Records]
SPERE – Eight led to the Beam [December 6th, Northern Silence]
BIRKENTAL – Peccatum Mortiferum [December 13th, Void Wanderer Productions]
LURING – Malevolent Lycanthropic Heresy [December 13th, Iron Bonehead]
LAMENT IN WINTER’S NIGHT – Whereunto the Twilight Leads [Dec. 27th, Hells Headbangers]
ORDER OF NOSFERAT – Towards the Nightrealm of Orlok [December 25th, Purity Through Fire]
DEUS MORTEM – Thanatos [December 25th, Profane Spirit]

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