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] WITCHCRAFT (‘Idag‘, Heavy Psych Sounds)
[#2] OSSUARY (‘Abhorrent Worship‘, MSuO/DSR)
[#3] THE OSSUARY (‘Requiem for the Sun‘, Supreme Chaos)
[#4] UNMERCIFUL (‘Devouring Darkness‘, Willowtip)
[#5] KREMATORIUM (‘Sinister Seduction‘, Witches Brew)

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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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Seattle-area death metal legendry DRAWN AND QUARTERED have announced their ninth full-length album, ‘Lord of Two Horns‘ will release on vinyl, CD and cassette tape this coming June 27th, 2025 via Nuclear Winter Records. As far as I know this is their first recording to feature second guitarist Brandon Corsair (Draghkar, et al.) and thus far they’ve suggested it will be a shorter, hotter burn through more aggressive tempos. They’re not rolling it back to a circa 2003 level of brutality but this first single “Black Castle Butcher” is an absolute menace, some wild-ass leads featured too. Huge fan of these folks and stoked to dive into this new one. Awesome album art, too.

Void Wanderer Productions have announced the sophomore full-length album from Netherlands-based black metal duo IBEX ANGEL ORDER will release this coming July 24th. With ‘II: Void Sermon‘ the band suggest a more raw, aggressive and unpolished result in the spirit of true black metal and Lucifer-guided spirituality. I don’t know the band’s work very well but it has apparently been quite a while since their debut, liked what I heard via Bandcamp so I’ll check this one out for sure.

Polish dark death metal band DEVILPRIEST have announced they will release their third full-length album ‘Where I Am the Chalice, Be Thou the Blood‘ this coming June 27th by way of the good folks over at Nuclear Winter Records. The band’s work has long aligned with “the concept of satanic enlightenment” but they’ve suggested that this album intends to illustrate the origin of the left-hand path. Considering how intense their previous album was I am beyond stoked for this new record, definitely one of few bands today with a fire behind the eyes. If you’ll need proof go ahead and check out the first single from the album “SNEGTH IER ARNES (The Words That Have Become the Effect)”:

Gurgling Gore Records (in association with Scumlord Records) have announced they’ll release another fucked up yet catchy record from LIPOMA in ‘No Cure for the Sick‘. The album releases June 13th this year and includes vinyl, cassette and digital versions. If you’re not familiar with their work think of it as a crossing of goregrind, melodic death metal (as in, the entirety of Carcass ’88-’93) as well as some nods to pop-punk and black metal. If you’re big on Pharmacist, General Surgery and Impaled but want something completely fucked, underground/bedroom level chopped and weirding by comparison this one should be entertaining:

British hard rock/heavy metal troupe WYTCH HAZEL have announced they will release their fifth full-length album ‘Wytch Hazel V: Lamentations‘, this coming July 4th once again via Bad Omen Records. While I’d like the band to go heavier with their gig more often I really can’t argue with the catchiness of their work any longer. The band explain their purpose, inspiration and talk a bit about their latest single: “I believe things have meanings and significance. Music isn’t just a self-indulgent, entertainment thing, for me it’s a huge part of my life, very special, very magical and very meaningful. I want Wytch Hazel to be a force for good, a healing power. On “Woven”, in particular, you can hear us locking in and playing off each other in the room. I really wanted to write a heavy rock song about sensitivity and gentleness which you don’t hear too much of really. There’s this section where it goes quiet after the lyrics “be sensitive” then a big guitar solo comes in where I try my best to shred and let it all loose”. Apparently the solo was improvised to start and stuck for a reason. Great band, not always my thing but I’m not above enjoying a catchy hard rock song in an admirable tradition:

Italian avant-garde/post-black metal group NOISE TRAIL IMMERSION have announced their fifth full-length album ‘Tutta La Morte In Un Solo Punto‘ will release by way of the venerable I, Voidhanger Records this coming June 27th. They’ve described this as a direct, gut-shot release which approaches songs which a brief, aggressive and raw. Guitarist Daniele Vergine comments: “The idea was to express a deep suffering, even violent and furious, but still an integral part of a cathartic vision, which sees the human experience at its center, in a continuous dialogue and clash between matter and spirit,” and I think this comes across quickly via this preview song “Arde e Respira”.

Chicago, Illinois-based epic heavy metal band FER DE LANCE have announced their sophomore full-length album will release this coming June 27th by way of Cruz Del Sur Music. The album will release on CD, vinyl, and digitally. Get ready for this fifteen+ minute title track they’ve introduced the album with as “Fires on the Mountainside” will tell you everything you need to know about this remarkable band and their continued development of epic heavy metal ideas which touch upon everything from Bathory and Rotting Christ to the 80’s USPM greats. Check out “Fires on the Mountainside” over on YouTube:

Massachusetts-based avant-garde black/death-thrash duo HEXROT will release their second record, ‘Formless Ruin of Oblivion‘ this coming August 29th by way of the good folks over at Transcending Obscurity Records. This one is a bit different as the band touches upon thrashing blackened death but also toys with electronic and dissonant elements within their reach. Check out this preview song, “Heavenward”, and see if they’re your kind of thing:

From the Vaults have announced they will release the latest album from Danish heavy metal band CRUCIBLE this coming September 12th. ‘Hail to the Force‘ will be available on vinyl, CD, and digitally. Drawing inspiration from shred-heavy and exuberant stuff like Riot City and Racer X as well as darker speed/thrashers like Hellripper and Vampire the band aim for variety and finesse within the course of this album. The first single from the album, “Deathdealer”, is solid and I’m looking forward to hearing more from these guys:

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YOUTUBE / VIDEO REVIEWS

Please follow and subscribe to my YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@terraasymmetry

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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.

ANZV – Kur [May 30th, Edged Circle Productions]
PUTRESCENT – Darkness Embraced [June 6th, Rotted Life]
AUSTERE – The Stillness of Dissolution [June 6th, Prophecy Productions]
FUZZRIDERS – I Like It [June 6th, Electric Valley Records]
AFFLICTION VECTOR – Contra Hominem [June 6th, Iron Bonehead Productions]
DARKENHÖLD – Le Fléau du Rocher [June 6th, Les Acteurs De L’Ombre]

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