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

---

BEST OF THIS WEEK

[#1] NORTT (‘Dødssang‘, Avantgarde Music)
[#2] MIZMOR & HELL (‘Alluvion‘, Gilead Media)
[#3] ALLEGAEON (‘The Ossuary Lens‘, Metal Blade)

---

UPCOMING RELEASES

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

---

Galician death cult BALMOG will once again spread their black magickry this coming May 23rd via their latest full-length album ‘Laio‘ as presented by the good folks over at War Anthem Records (CD, LP, digital). The title means lament in their native tongue as they bring pathos into their way beyond the brilliancy of ‘Eve‘ (2021), an album which I’d loved along with most all of their releases to date. Continuing to frame rock and heavy metal inspiration via black metal they’ve referenced everything from Pink Floyd to Ved Buens Ende and Bathory in their remarks on this one. I would not be more stoked for this album, huge fan of this ongoing creative streak. The first single from the album will release next week, so hit the Wishlist on Bandcamp and follow them on social media.

https://war-anthem-records.bandcamp.com/album/laio

Los Angeles-based death metal crew PUTRESCENT have announced their debut full-length album, ‘Darkness Embraced’, will release via the good folks over at Rotted Life Records. If you were into their 2023 EP and want something heavier, even more direct to the kill and mustier in its reek get stoked for this one. I believe some members of Insineratehymn also feature in this group so you can safely assume this LP is all about riffs and ‘old school’ death. The album releases June 6th on CD/CS and on June 20th for the vinyl version. Check out the title track (“Darkness Embraced”):

Canadian death-thrash metal band SERPENT CORPSE will return this coming June 27th with an EP release, ‘Retaliate‘ and their first via Transcending Obscurity Records. If you’ll recall their debut ‘Blood Sabbath‘ smoked, carrying a sort of crossover, hardcore punk or thrashing attack within its pure death metal style. Based on the sound of this first preview “Iron Corpse” they’re still rad as shit. Check it out over on YouTube:

Electric Valley Records have announced the sophomore full-length album from Massachusetts-based psychedelic/stoner doom metal project GRAVE SPEAKER. ‘Rays of the Emerald Sun‘ will release this coming May 16th on vinyl and digital versions. This is a solo project from John Steel after High n’ Heavy unfortunately split up, expect a continuation of their first album where 70’s heavy psych, garage rock and psychedelic doom all collude in to ancient muse. They’ve promised a heavier album with bigger riffs so I’m stoked on it thus far, check out “Bones & Steel”:

F.D.A. Records have announced a May 30th release date for the sophomore full-length album from Scottish death metal band DEATH KOMMANDER. ‘Never To Grow Old‘ will release on CD and digitally. Around since 2018 the Edinburgh based quintet make no bones about it, they’re out to make some killer Bolt Thrower style death metal and hey, they’re pretty damned good at it too. They never got to tour their 2021 album so here’s hoping they at least hit Europe with this one and sprawl out. Love this sound they’re sporting on “Bayonet Drill”:

Turkish death metal maestros DIABOLIZER return with another hellish full-length album, their second, this coming April 11th via Dark Descent Records and Me Saco Un Ojo Records on all relevant formats. I’ll review ‘Murderous Revelations‘ next week so, stay tuned for that week in general. Mustafa and Can are both extremely well-proven in the realm of the riff, wouldn’t question the punisher level craft of this one for a second. Check out “Into the Depths of Diseased Minds”:

Madison, Wisconsin-based death metal trio OSSUARY are set to finally release their debut full-length album ‘Abhorrent Worship‘ this coming May 23rd by way of Me Saco Un Ojo Records (vinyl) and Darkness Shall Rise (CD, CS). I wasn’t immediately sold on this band via their ‘Supreme Degradation‘ EP several years back but I’ve come around on them a bit via the 2023 EP, they’ve managed to incorporate hellish doomed movement in an interesting way. Check out the first preview track/album opener “Volitional Entropy”:

Prophecy Productions have announced the fourth full-length album from black metal band IMHA TARIKAT will release this coming June 20th. The announcement of ‘Confessing Darkness‘ comes with a music video for the first single, “Wicked Shrine”. The band comment on the piece: “The opening track ‘Wicked Shrine’ pulls you into the relentless darkness of Confessing Darkness, straight from the start. This song celebrates sheer wickedness in an explosive manner. It marks an ecstatic beginning of a journey that takes a more emotional and self-reflective path as the album unfolds. Well, but sometimes, you just have to mess things up, you know?” and to me this is just ok, not as big of a first impression as the singles that preceded the previous album. Check out “Wicked Shrine” for yourself:

Norma Evangelium Diaboli have announced April 18th as the release date for the debut full-length album from SERPENTES, a project spearheaded by A. Ara (Angrenost) with members of Misþyrming and Svartþoka. Very little context is given, and you can’t hear a note of it until it releases, but I’ll definitely review it in a couple of weeks.

Enter

Dominance of Darkness Records have announced a July 1st release date for the debut full-length album from newer Finnish black metal act BELETH’S TRUMPET. ‘Chapel of Bones‘ will release on CD and vinyl LP with Korpituli Productions releasing the cassette tape. Finnish black metal celebrating the glory of Satan? I was already going to check it out per the Dhomth album art but that sounds cool too. Check the new track “Mass Grave (of the Angels)”:

Metal Blade Records have announced the upcoming fourth full-length album from Swedish death metal quartet LIK will release this coming April 18th. ‘Necro‘ once again finds the band aiming for the classic Stockholm sound but louder. They’ve gone with Necromorbus Studios/Rorysound Studios for the recording this time and likewise suggested variety is the spice of this one. Not a hundred percent there with this one just yet but I’m curious to dig into the whole deal and see how it hits. Check out “Morgue Rat”:

Selfmadegod have announced a pretty lux edition (double CD, wooden box, live DVD) of a compilation of Polish death/thrash metal band THANATOS‘ demo-era stuff, ‘TRAUMAtic Beginning‘ wherein the title suggests those 1988-1992 recordings as the precursor to their greater infamy as Trauma. I love the early stuff from this band and I think the stuff leading up to ‘Comedy is Over‘ (1996) and the ‘Daimonian‘ (1998) EP might surprise folks interested in death/thrash rather than the brutal stuff they’d kick up later on. Guitarist and co-founder Jarosław “Mister” Misterkiewicz comments: “TRAUMAtic Beginning is the most anticipated album, especially to those who keep in mind our early days under the name THANATOS. This release contains two demo tapes “Deo Optimo Maximo” and “Out Of Sanity” as well as previously unreleased tracks from our archives. Using the TRAUMAtic time machine we take you to a period, when the Polish underground metal scene was born. Most of tracks were recorded on a simply tape recorder during band’s rehearsals. Harshness, chaos and destruction await you.” If you love late 80’s/early 90’s Polish thrash and death this is raw stuff but still essential for ‘old school’ archivists.

https://selfmadegod-store.com/

---

THIS WEEK’S VIDEOS

Recorded over the course of March (still editing a shitload more), published today.

---

NEXT WEEK’s REVIEWS:

Here are the six longform reviews I have been working on for next week, these are subject to change or rescheduling to a later date.

GROTESQUE BLISS – Grotesque Bliss [April 11th, Iron Bonehead]
DIABOLIZER – Murderous Revelations [April 11th, Dark Descent/Me Saco Un Ojo]
ANCIENT DEATH – Ego Dissolution [April 18th, Profound Lore Records]
KEXELÜR – Epigrama de un pasado perdido [April 18th, Sun & Moon]
DORMANT ORDEAL – Tooth and Nail [April 18th, Willowtip Records]
INSINERATEHYMN – Irreverence of the Divine [April 21st, Memento Mori/Rotted Life]

SHORT REVIEWS:

IN THE WOODS… – Otra [April 11th, Prophecy Productions]
THE INFERNAL DECEIT – The True Harmful Black [April 11th, Personal Records]
Heráldica de Mandrake – Nunca bastó con rezar [April 11th, Self-Released]
KARG – Marodeur [April 18th, AOP Records]
SILVER KNIFE – Silver Knife [April 19th, Amor Fati/Extraconscious]
HIDDENT – The Lugubrious Art Of South American Black Metal [April 17th, Sun & Moon]
ZMARŁYM – Wielkie Zanikanie [April 18th, Godz Ov War Productions]

---