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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BEST OF THIS WEEK

[#1] ANCIENT DEATH (‘Ego Dissolution‘, Profound Lore)
[#2] KEXELÜR (‘Epigrama de un pasado perdido‘, Sun & Moon)
[#3] SERPENTES (‘Desert Psalms‘, NoEvDia)
[#4] DORMANT ORDEAL (‘Tooth and Nail‘, Willowtip)
[#5] TETRAMORPHE IMPURE (‘The Sunset of Being‘, Aesthetic Death)

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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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Transcending Obscurity Records have announced the release date for the sophomore full-length album from Swedish death metal duo FLOATING. ‘Hesitating Lights‘ will release this coming July 11th on all relevant formats. Their style continues to bend the light between post-punk infused death metal with elements of prog-death, a unique sound which I’d touted a fair deal in the past. So far they’ve released at least two preview songs both of which lean deeper into the sullen, dramatic yet aggressive tides of their sound. Of course I’m somewhat biased as I’d released their previous album on CD and tape, was already a huge fan from the first listen and now it is awesome to see them continuing on with it and pushing the envelope on this album. Check out the latest preview song “I Reached the Mew” over on YouTube:

Chaos Records have announced a May 30th release date for the third full-length album from Mexican black/death metal band DARKSIDE RITUAL. ‘Chamber of Deathlessness‘ will release on CD and digitally and apparently completes a suggested conceptual trilogy which I’ll need to catch up with after hearing “To Behold the Miracle of Extinction” today. Suggesting their style as “cosmic blackened death metal” expect a riff heavy underground death metal record which fans of Execration and The Chasm should instantly appreciate.

Greek black/death metal band ELEVENTH RAY have announced their debut full-length album ‘Reviving Tehom’ will release this coming May 16th on Dark Descent Records. The Athens-based group brings late 80’s/early 90’s black and death metal sounds. Apparently guitarist Y.K. had initially intended to write a Serpent Noir record but this project formed out of their efforts, though they’ve made it clear this isn’t a one-off side project but a serious pursuit. The maestro comments: “Writing music for the sake of music is not enough. It is the expression of what lies hidden beyond the frames of what we call reality. The great Unknown emanated from the foremost symbol of power, the Red Dragon. What we were aiming to achieve was the creation of a purely black Magical death/thrash/black metal album without the lyrical satanic naivety of the past. Listening carefully to the album, you will realise that into this blend there is a striking ritualistic element with an ominous vibe and a heavy occult twist. Basically, Reviving Tehom is an album I would personally love to listen to, but I could not find anywhere. “ and I think you’ll more clearly get what he’s suggesting from this first preview song:

Washington D.C./Virginia-based death metal band BLOOD MONOLITH have announced their debut full-length album ‘The Calling of Fire‘ will release this coming March 16th via Profound Lore Records. Formed by guitarist/vocalist Shelby Lermo (Ulthar) and completed by folks from Undeath, Genocide Pact, and Deliriant Nerve this was basically his own project after leaving one of his previous bands. They make an awesome first impression with “Apparatus” and I was stoked to see cover art from Nick Blinko (Rudimentary Peni) here in such an unexpected place:

I, Voidhanger Records have announced the latest album from Doug Moore‘s (Pyrrhon, Seputus, etc.) WEEPING SORES will release this coming May 30th. ‘The Convalescence Agonies‘ sounds like it has been an ongoing trial to complete due to injuries sustained back in 2018 as singer/guitarist Moore explains: “The wound disabled my arm to the point of uselessness, and left me completely unable to play guitar for nearly a year. After months of physical therapy, I began to regain the ability to perform and I decided that a new WEEPING SORES album would offer fitting motivation for me to continue my rehabilitation.” and that struggle makes for a unique death/doom metal inspired album which is even more eclectic than the previous release. Check out the latest preview song “Arctic Summer”:

Osmose Productions have announced April 25th as the release date for Ukrainian black metal project HATE FOREST‘s seventh full-length album. ‘Against All Odds‘ will release on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape. Described as “Offensive, blood-chilling, straightforward black metal.” and included as the third and final part of a trilogy including ‘Sowing With Salt‘ and ‘Justice‘. In the notes here it suggests this is the first Hate Forest album with live drums. They aren’t going to preview the record until the day of release so, follow Osmose over on YouTube to catch the album when it becomes available:

https://www.youtube.com/@osmoseproductions-official

I Hate Records have announced that the self-titled debut full-length album from JOHAN LANGQUIST THE CASTLE sill release in June of this year. Languist is a well known former member of Candlemass as well as Jonah Quizz and suggests this album intends to evoke the “magic feeling of classic 70s/80s Heavy Metal/Hard Rock/Doom.” The physical versions of the self-titled album will release June 27th while digital version s were already self-released in 2024. Not much else to say just yet as I haven’t listened but for now follow Johan on Instagram to stay up to date:

https://www.instagram.com/JohanLangquisttheCastle

Rome, Italy-based blackened death metal band PATRISTIC have announced their debut full-length album ‘Catechesis‘ will be released June 20th. The album will be released on vinyl, CD, and digitally by way of Willowtip Records. The theme of the album is suggested as evocative of “the age of quiet chaos between the classic world, paganism and the impending shadow of the cross.” and I’m definitely interested to sit with the whole thing after listening to the first part, “Catechesis I”:

Prophecy Productions have recently announced they will release a new album from Finnish black metal adjacent crew HEXVESSEL, ‘Nocturne‘, this coming June 13th. This will be the seventh album from the band. They’ve put out a couple of songs so far but more recently revealed video/visualizer for “Nights Tender Reckoning” which Kvohst comments on “(de)Composed using the Diurnal Scale of Putrefaction, a 24-note digression mirroring each hour after death, ‘Nights Tender Reckoning’ explores the brain’s night-time alchemy. Through night’s rebirth, we attune to threshold experiences, ritual memory, and the pagan instinct to find meaning in the dark. I was inspired by My Dying Bride’s ‘Towards The Sinister’ demo from 1991 and early Tiamat. I didn’t want to spoil the performance of Saara Nevalainen who sung the live version of the song at Roadburn, so those who buy the deluxe edition of the album will get two different but unique versions of the song.” and I’d loved their previous record, alongside much of their discography, so I’m stoked on this one too.

German thrash metal legendry SODOM will return with their seventeenth studio album, ‘The Arsonist‘ this coming June 27th via SPV Recordings. The first single from the band “Trigger Discipline” is suggested as the toughest song on the record. They’ve gone into this one with a goal of “having the most natural production possible” and this means the band recorded the drum parts using a 24-track analog tape machine for a specific sound and have foregone any overdubs or studio trickery. I mean it sounds like Sodom and I’m there for it, no question:

Cincinnati, Ohio-based heavy psych/hard rock band ELECTRIC CITIZEN have returned for a fourth full-length album and this time signed to Heavy Psych Sounds. ‘EC4‘ will release this coming June 27th, seven years beyond their last album ‘Helltown‘ which I believe I reviewed back in the day. They’re promising an album that is both a “homecoming and a rebirth.” and it’ll cool to catch up with their work after so long. For now check out the first single “Static Vision”:

Toronto-based doom metal band WITCHROT have released a single (“Possession Deepens”) from their upcoming full-length album ‘Soul Cellar‘ which will release on Fuzzed and Buzzed Records and Majestic Mountain Records. The band comment on the single: “The song is about being attached to your beliefs without the humility or willingness to learn any alternative. Not only will people dissolve relationships over some bogus lie they just learned a week ago, but they become consumed by it. Possessed till it devours them and brings them and others to a hell that they are satisfied with. Like an ouroboros fueled on anger, perpetually hungry and never satiated.” The album will release on this coming May 23rd.

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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.

DESERTED FEAR – Veins of Fire [April 25th, Testimony Records]
CAUSTIC WOUND – Grinding Mechanism of Torment [April 25th, Profound Lore]
ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ – ΝΕΚΥΙΑ – The Necromantic Patterns [April 30th, Zazen Sounds / III Damnation]
XIPHOID DEMENTIA – Spiral Rapture Holy War [May 2nd, Aufnaehme/Wiedergabe/Fusty]
SOLFATARE – Asservis par L’espoir [May 2nd, Signal Rex]
AAWKS – On Through the Sky Maze [May 2nd, Black Throne]

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