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] DRAWN AND QUARTERED (‘Lord of Two Horns‘, Nuclear Winter)
[#2] FER DE LANCE (‘Fires on the Mountainside‘, Cruz Del Sur Music)
[#3] DEVILPRIEST (‘Where I am the Chalice…‘, Nuclear Winter)
[#4] NOISE TRAIL IMMERSION (‘Tutta la Morte in un…‘, I, Voidhanger)
[#5] SERPENT CORPSE (‘Retaliate‘, Transcending Obscurity)

---

UPCOMING RELEASES

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

---

Polish death metal band CLAIRVOYANCE have announced their latest full-length album ‘Chasm Of Immurement‘ will release this coming July 18th by way of Carbonized Records. The first single from the album is “Eternal Blaze” and the band comment on its meaning: “the track’s lyrics powerfully articulate the profound and often unseen eternal suffering experienced by individuals living with mental health conditions. References to pervasive gloom, the isolating nature of the struggle, and constant internal torment permeate the song’s lyrics. “Eternal Blaze” conveys a harrowing sense of being lost forever in an infernal night, a powerful lament for those whose cries are often unheard and never seen.” and so far in previews this one has riffs, too. Check out “Eternal Blaze”:

The latest album from death metal band CASTRATOR has been announced for release by way of Dark Descent Records who will drop ‘Coronation of the Grotesque‘ this coming August 15th. While the band’ve been decent enough in the past they’ve suggested this is their step into something more substantial, as drummer Carolina Perez suggests: “We see it as a leap forward. It’s by far the strongest work we’ve done to date. Writing Coronation of the Grotesque was an incredibly enjoyable experience, and everything seemed to come together much more naturally this time. While the album still retains elements of who we were as a band, it’s much more refined, cohesive, and brutal.” The first single from the album “Covenant of Deceit” is certainly direct, a fully economical rendering of 90’s death metal attributes into a spiteful narrative and an entertaining presentation in video form. I’m interested to see how the riffcraft develops on album.

Me Saco Un Ojo Records and Iron Fortress have announced August 1st as the release date for CANCER VOID‘s debut EP, ‘First Metastasis‘. Me Saco Un Ojo will handle the 12″ vinyl version while Iron Fortress will handle the cassette version. This band might not bring anything shockingly new to the early 90’s death metal action in terms of riffs on their first single “Ammonia Baths” but they do well to keep it entertaining, both on record and in the B-movie horrified video for the song. Check it out, probably the best (death metal) music video you’ve seen all year:

German death metal band NEW WORLD DEPRESSION have shared a music video for “The Vault”, the opening track and lead single from their upcoming seventh full-length album, ‘Abysmal Void‘. The album will release via Testimony Records this coming September 19th. The band comment on the song: “The opening track ‘The Vault’ of our new album ‘Abysmal Void, is a dark hymn of guilt, vengeance, and nature’s wrath. Once the spirits of the sea awake and rise, there is no escape. The song tells a metaphorical story of a doomed ship’s crew, which symbolises humanity’s self-inflicted demise as we relentlessly drain the planet’s resources.” I’ve actually never heard of these folks but I though this song was worth hearing:

United States melodic death/doom and dark metal legends NOVEMBERS DOOM have released a video for the title track taken from their upcoming twelfth full-length album, ‘Major Arcana‘. The album will release this coming September 19th by way of Prophecy Productions. The band’s classic release ‘The Pale Haunt Departure‘ will get a 20th anniversary collectors edition available at the same time (if you pre-order both). The band commend on the new album: “The title track ‘Major Arcana’ represents significant growth for us, exploring new ideas and taking ourselves out of our comfort zone – both musically and thematically. Yet we are still staying true to who we are and the artistic legacy that we have created for so many years now. Each of us pushed hard to challenge ourselves as performers as well as songwriters, and we could hardly be any prouder of what we have accomplished with ‘Major Arcana’, both in terms of the song itself as well as the new album as a whole.” This is an interesting prospect in that they’ve really pushed the tuneful alt-metal side of their gig for this song and it makes for an entertaining song where the vocalist has a kind of 90’s Burton C. Bell kind of thing going on at times. See if you’re into it:

Hammerheart Records have announced the eighth full-length album from Swedish death metal band ENTRAILS will release this coming July 18th. ‘Grip Of Ancient Evil‘ aims for an even darker “more savage” old school death metal sound in the spirit of the early 90’s Swedish zeitgeist. I’m always interested what/who they bring into each album and this one sounds tuned toward an old underground sound at a glance, check out the first preview song “Wings of Death”:

Costa Rican “Necromantik stoner-doom” metal band CRYPT MONARCH have announced their sophomore full-length album, ‘Codex Pestilentia‘, will release this coming September 5th by way of: Things From Beyond (vinyl – USA), Heavy Threads (vinyl – UK/EU), Cognitive Discordance Records (CD), and Violence Records (cassette). This San José-based group formed during the pandemic via folks you’ll recognize from Age of the Wolf and VoidOath and you’ll recall I was a big fan of their debut LP, ‘The Necronaut‘ back in 2021. The band comment on this new album: “In a continuation of 2021’s album, we return 200 years later to a world devastated by the Necronaut and his army. Codex Pestilentia dwells in the story of a company of soldiers trying to reach a cursed book that contains spells and magic to seal evil away. Leaving his home behind and appointed as their leader, Rex Septentriones marches with his army northwest toward the decimated land of Arikas. From there, they continue across the Last Desert. Once at the harbor at the far edge of the continent, they will sail south toward the land of Kiv’von. His goal is to retrieve the Codex Pestilentia and destroy the Evil hunting in the dark.” And I’m all about the journey suggested, a high fantasy doom metal trip. Check out the latest single “War of the Gargantuan (Aquadome)”:

Long-standing Maltese death metal band BEHEADED will delve deep into their island’s native folklore and beliefs on their newly announced album, ‘Ghadam‘, which is scheduled for release this coming July 25th via Agonia Records. They’re suggesting this album is meant to be an evolutionary event for the band, typically known for their brutality, as it will be the first death metal album ever written in Maltese as they fuse Maltese horror, literature and death metal into a concept album. The album “incorporates musical influences rooted in the island’s heritage, blending the band’s signature ferocity with elements of traditional religious and folklore music, creating a unique fusion that pays homage to the band’s cultural origins.” and I am stoked to hear the shades of Malta within their work. The band comments: “Ghadam, the band’s seventh album, is a dark narrative unfolding across the nocturne-esque Maltese landscape. It delves into the island’s folklore, where superstition and fervent religious devotion create a chilling atmosphere. This journey into the abyss is led by the authoritative voice of Anton Grasso’s works, the infamous Maltese horror writer, whose stories serve as a guiding light through the gloom. While retaining the essence of their signature sound, Beheaded infuses Ghadam with the haunting sonorities of traditional religious harmonies and funeral marches, creating a sonic tapestry that is both brutal and profoundly unsettling.” I’ll definitely be taking a closer ear to this album in mid-to-late July.

The good folks over at Transcending Obscurity Records have announced the debut full-length from Georgia (state) death metal project ABYSSALIS, ‘Adaptation‘, will release this coming September 19th. Expect a modern technical death metal sound with some deathcore influences from some kinda familiar faces. I think the guitarist is the dude behind the King of the Hill themed deathcore band Arlen City Massacre. Anyhow the cover art caught my eye and I figured this one was worth checking out:

Deformeathing Records have announced the ninth studio album from Polish black metal band CHRIST AGONY sill release this coming September 26th. ‘Anthems‘ arrives nine years beyond the band’s last major release and from the sound of things this album will be more atmospheric than before. Of course I am a huge fan of the band, particularly the 90’s stuff, and this appears to be something different. The first preview song “Empire of Twilight” is oddly phrased, a sort of unique and droning atmospheric piece which has me curious as to what the full album will be. Check out the song over on YouTube:

Iron Bonehead Productions have announced September 26th as the release date for the latest EP from TETRAGRAMMACIDE. ‘Cyber-Tantric Paradigm of Radical Sri-Vidya‘ will release on CD and 12″ vinyl. This one will sound raw and crazed compared to their 2023 LP as this was recorded back in 2017-2018 as part of “a new paramilitant theosophic movement within the cloaked order of Kalikshetra Raktachakra, the hidden nexus of Kolkata Inner Order. Transmitted as the bona fide doctrine from the syntactical tongue of Cyber-Sekhinah, this coup was then rescheduled to be exercised at an opportune hour, which is NOW!” I dunno, back in the 90’s that is how bands would announce using a drum machine or whatever but this is their way of saying even their archived stuff smokes. Big fan of the band and looking forward to this one.

New Jersey-based thrash metal quartet CONDITION CRITICAL return nine years later for a freshly announced third full-length album. ‘Degeneration Chamber‘ is offered as their “most intense and complete effort to date” and will be self-released this coming September 5th. More thrash metal is always a good thing in my book, these folks still resemble the kinda newer wave of it beyond the early 2000’s, straightforward stuff driven by the riff and no melodeath or black/thrash in sight so far. Check out the first single “Cryonic Intestinal Preservation”:

---

YOUTUBE / VIDEO REVIEWS

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

---

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.

DISEMBODIMENT – Spiral Crypts [July 11th, Everlasting Spew]
FLOATING – Hesitating Lights [July 11th, Transcending Obscurity Records]
DÉCRYPTAL – Simulacre [July 11th, Me Saco Un Ojo/Rotted Life]
MOUTH OF MADNESS – Event Horizon [July 16th, Darkness Shall Rise]
VIOGRESSION – Thaumaturgic [July 11th, Self-Released]
INCINERATED – The Epitome of Transgression [July 14th, BlackSeed]

---