ENDTYMER is the inevitable weekly “music news blog” series I’ve been working to avoid for some time. It hits at the end of every week with the intent of covering notable new releases, sharing news of new releases, and musing over various personal listening habits. It is largely informal, has 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

This week was all about Seattle, Washington-based death metal crew [#1] CYSTIC‘s debut LP ‘Palace of Shadows‘ for my own taste but I’d really enjoyed atmospheric/pagan black metal band [#2] RUNESPELL‘s latest release ‘Shores of Náströnd‘ which was their sixth release and first with a full line-up. Otherwise [#3] DEAD AND DRIPPING‘s third album ‘Blackened Cerebral Rifts‘ was a blast, a fresh reskinning of their increasingly thoughtful take on brutal death metal [#4] TEMPLE OF DREAD‘s fourth album ‘Beyond Acheron‘ impressed for its throwback-but-updated thrashing death metal style and finally the collaboration between [#5] REZN & VINNUM SABBATHI for ‘Silent Future‘, a unique take on psychedelic doom/rock and sci-fi/horror.

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YEARNING FOR ARCHE

ETERNAL IMPERIAL GLORY

Thank NGC Prod for these MORTIIS keys for recently reissued ‘Keiser av en Dimensjon Ukjent‘ (1995) on cassette:

sn62-evxd swyw-78ac u7hc-393u vmc4-czhq 78j4-wgqt	mubh-cb6b 95vh-ww9x nr9p-cwyq egm5-wsw6 g2r9-hddy	tlmn-5csr te8v-7ccd hh4k-xvf7 j4c2-jyev 7shw-6rn8	mhcc-k4vn 9eh4-gmte nrc4-3z3u 5mhh-c6hq 8mmc-cs9x
2b8e-wsyq hu9n-emld hltl-ut5c hszj-j7nw 4cxt-buga	e4h3-v8ev bccl-62n8 ahh4-klvn 8qch-gjte 2rhh-363u	kxm2-ewcr kq85-7ssd u8nb-v4cc 4yq9-unws 428u-ejld	shug-gpq4 sshz-hmf7 6v54-wd6x ub6j-cctq xa37-wc3z
q6aa-cwd6 93f8-xwwy zda3-5scr yq9m-7dsd 3g2f-vlcc	dklv-gesw szp6-u7ws s262-evld 6jcs-yvye ubhc-392u	vac4-cz4q f9j4-wtjt m3bh-cb9b gvvh-wc6x 3f9p-cwtq	w52r-ww3z p6m5-wsd6 8nr9-hswy tdmn-5dcr hhdk-b78a

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“NEWS”

CARNAL TOMB have announced their latest album ‘Embalmed In Decay’ will be released by way of Testimony Records. The German ‘old school’ death metal band’s much anticipated return will be their third full-length and features engineering/mix by Tobias Engl (Englsound) and mastering from Sverker Widgren (Wing Studios) with artwork from the maestro Skaðvaldur. The album will release on November 3rd 2023 on CD, LP and digitally. Guitarist / vocalist Cryptic Tormentor states: “‘The Putridarium’ is the second song, after ‘Osseous Sarcophagus’, that our drummer Vomitchrist wrote for CARNAL TOMB. It features some riffs that he wrote back in 2008. It is a very sinister and fast forward song, which made it perfect as an opener. This song has blast beats, doom sections, some groove, a massive triplet riff and various solo sections of lead guitar and bass. Vomitchrist was inspired by bands like Grave Miasma and Cruciamentum while writing this song. As far as the lyrics are concerned, the crypts of the same name (Putridarium), found in Italy, inspired the lyrics for this track. It was also a foundation for the album cover (expect more info on that with our third advance single release), and with the intro made by our good friend Leonhard Link, this song sets the atmosphere of what this album is about.” Definitely caught my ear with this first single:

Danish-American thrash metal band TERMINALIST have announced their upcoming second album, ‘The Crisis As Condition‘ will release September 8th by way of Indisciplinarian. Vocalist/guitarist, and lyricist Emil Hansen states, “Wherever we look, our modern world is entangled in crises. Whether it’s the energy crisis, the inflation crisis, the corona crisis, the war in Ukraine, deepening political polarization, or the overarching climate crisis, things seem to be headed for the worst. The crisis is no longer a phase in passing or a simple challenge to overcome, it’s become a permanent condition… The future is not what it used to be.” I am stoked on the record so far, huge fan of this band since their debut and can’t wait to talk about this one more.

Environmentalist melodic death metal band band AEOLIAN have announced their third studio album, ‘Echoes of the Future‘, takes heavier influence from black/death metal and the results are already impressive. Mixed and mastered by Dan Swäno (Unisound Studios) the album will be released on November 10th through Black Lion Records. The band hcomments on their first single “Hominis Obscura”: ‘We are very happy to announce that our third album titled “Echoes of the Future” is one point after a long writing and recording process. This work closes a trilogy that began with “The Silent Witness”, which told us about the greatness and resilience of nature and the danger to which we submit its fragile balance, and that the sophomore “The Negationist” developed in a present-day in which we refuse to see how the human being has affected and threatened that balance. In “Echoes of the Future” Aeolian embarks on a journey through the next centuries and puts us in the shoes of our counterparts from a not-so-distant future who will guide us on a journey through the difficulties and great dilemmas of humanity to survive on an increasingly inhospitable planet‘. I definitely love the sound of this song and can’t wait to dig into the album.

“Heaven Hanged” is the first single take from Finnish noise rock/other crew THROAT‘s forthcoming album ‘We Must Leave You‘ which has been announced for an October 27th release by way of Svart Records. Less restricted by sub-genre willy nilly and taking the reigns these folks have pushed the limits in the past and now they press the pleasure center of the brain based on this first single. Check it out:

Chaos Records have announced October 6th as release date for THIRD STORM‘s second full-length album. ‘The Locust Mantra‘ will release on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape. Building upon the momentum of their last album the suggestion is that this record is both a bit more feral and more tuneful based on first impressions. I’ve been anticipating how they’d continue the story set forth by the first record and this first song sounds great:

Swedish melodic death/doom metal group OCTOBER TIDE have announced they will release their seventh studio album, ‘The Cancer Pledge‘, on October 6th via Agonia Records. Four years beyond the last theyv’e suggested that their sound will continue to move away from the miserable doom of the past and further embrace their own form of melodic death metal. Guitarist Fredrik Norrman (ex-Katatonia, ex-Trees Of Eternity, Thenighttimeproject) tates: “It’s a direct continuation of the previous album. Less doom and more death metal, yet melodic and with more layers. I’ve searched for inspiration in records I listened to in the 80’s and 90’s when I grew up. But it still sounds like October Tide.” Great, stoked for how it turns out. Keep up with the news on Agonia’s Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/agoniarecords

Melodic death/black metal solo act THE MOSAIC WINDOW has signed a deal with Willowtip Records for the re-release of the band’s debut full-length, ‘Plight of Acceptance‘ which was previously only available digitally. The fellow behind the project A.S.B comments, “I am incredibly grateful that Plight of Acceptance has reached so many people and unbelievably stoked that Willowtip has decided to re-release the album and sign the band. There’s no way in hell I ever saw this coming. In general, this album was difficult for me to write and record, since I still felt raw and vulnerable from the deaths of my father and grandmother. I’m just glad I was able to push through and finish the damn thing. It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. The catharsis was so rewarding, it led me to immediately start writing new songs the day after the release. I can’t wait for folks to hear what’s coming next. It’s going to be sick, haunted, and unhinged.” The album will release on CD and vinyl formats on November 10th. 

The debut solo LP from DAVID EUGENE EDWARDS (Wovenhand, 16 Horsepower), ‘Hyacinth‘ will be released on LP, CD and digitally via Sargent House on September 29th this year. Edwards comments: “Hyacinth was a sort of vision. A dream. I sought out of my old wooden banjo and nylon string guitar a hidden path. Secrets they had kept from me within themselves all these years, and created a new Mythos to myself of philosophical and spiritual ideas or concepts. Overall, I guess the album is a weaving of narratives ancient and modern, of humankind’s search for understanding of this world we find ourselves in and of each other. In all its simplicity and complexity. “Hyacinth is a reference to the Greek myth of Apollo. And, the word meaning a precious stone and blue larkspur flower of purple and pall.” The first single has proven to be one of the better pieces I’ve heard this week, check out “Lionisis”:

.Norway-based psychedelic doom metal band SUPERLYNX celebrate their 10th anniversary by releasing new music, announcing a new additional member returning to tour. Their new record ‘4 10‘ will be released on CD, vinyl and digitally this September 29th by way of Argonauta Records. The first material from the album is “Into the Sun”, a strong escapist jam. The band comment: “This time all the music on the album was created through jamming sessions where the music that came out lead the way and turned into these songs. The entire album was recorded in the rehearsal space where we started out a decade ago, by our drummer Ole Teigen / Crowtown Recordings. The focus on 4 10 is imagination, dreams, connection and an open view. Today we further explore fuzzed out heavy psych, improvisation and the depths of dreams and surrealism”. Brilliant, my kind of band:

Purity Through Fire have announced August 25th as the release date for WOODEN THRONE‘s second album. ‘Eternal Wanderer of the Night Sky‘ on CD format in a deluxe edition. This is a melodic/black metal project from the fellow from October Falls and I am a big fan of everything he’s done. This time around he has suggested that this second album is not so much a strictly “black metal” record as it is an atmospheric metal record. Check out the first single “Eternal Wanderer of the Night Sky”.

Signal Rex announces September 8th as the release date for ‘Trident and Vision‘, a special split album between HAIL CONJURER and ABSOLUTE KEY. It will release on CD and vinyl. This is an experimental collaboration where of a total of five tracks, two are individual tracks and three are completely collaborative works between both bands. Check out hear the first preview “Blood Vision”:

Long-running Brazilian death metal band REBAELLIUN have finally revealed the first song from their forthcoming album, ‘Under The Sign Of Rebellion‘, which is scheduled for release on September 22nd via Agonia Records. The first preview song is “In Heresy We Trust” and thankfully they’ve kept it pretty brutal:

Unique crew FINAL GASP have recently released “Climax Infinity” the first single from their debut LP ‘Mourning Moon‘ which has been announced for a September 22nd release by way of Relapse Records. Notes vocalist / guitarist Jake Murphy. “Lyrically it’s all about dealing with the things you can’t control, whether good or bad. We’re all put in situations where we know what the outcome will be but you’re hoping for something else. The whole record has to do with loss. The title comes from that anxious feeling you have when you go to bed and you’re thinking about everything all at once. You’re regretting decisions you’ve made—or didn’t make—and you’re up all night thinking about it.” Interesting metalpunk/post-punk sort of sound that reminds me of certain Excel songs for whatever reason:

German post–modern ensemble ZAHN have announced their second full–length album ‘Adria‘, an 80–minute–long “journey into the heart of classic European holiday culture“, will release on CrazySane Records this September 27th. A strong progressive and perhaps decidedly German progressive tradition seeps through the whole work. Fully instrumental from what I gather but still piqued my interest.

Oakland, California-based heavy psychedelic rock troupe MONDO DRAG have announced their long awaited full-length ‘Through the Hourglass‘ is ready after a nearly eight year wait. It will release on all relevant formats by way of venerable RidingEasy Records this coming September 15th. The band suggests: “For me, Through the Hourglass really encompasses the quarantine/pandemic years. But in a way that includes a couple of years before that for us, because the band was stagnant during that time. Living with that was really impactful on our daily lives. So, the album is reflective. It’s looking at time—past, present, future.” Stoked because I’ve long been a fan of theri 2015 record.

Purity Through Fire have announced August 25th as the release date for AGANTHROS‘ debut album, ‘Syntiset Saatanat Kurjat‘, on CD format. The secretive quintet hailing from the well enriched Finnish black metal reality and offer their own raw, unhinged feeling on this album. Check out the first preview song “Avaruuden nurja puoli”:

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THIS WEEK’S VIDEOS / REVIEWS

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. Subscribe, share, leave a comment, etc. if you feel like it.

The Top 20 Albums of July | 2023

DEITUS – Irreversible (2023) | REVIEW

KÖRGULL THE EXTERMINATOR – Built to Kill (2023) | REVIEW

HALLUCINATE – From the Bowels of the Earth (2023) | REVIEW

SORROW – Death of Sorrow (2023) | REVIEW

THE CRAWLING – All of This For Nothing (2023) | REVIEW

RUNESPELL – Shores of Náströnd (2023) | REVIEW

DEAD AND DRIPPING – Blackened Cerebral Rifts (2023) | REVIEW

REZN & VINNUM SABBATHI – Silent Future (2023) | REVIEW

CYSTIC – Palace of Shadows (2023) | REVIEW

THE RITE – The Astral Gloom (2023) | REVIEW

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COMING UP 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:

INCANTATION – Unholy Deification [August 25th, Relapse Records]
ASPHODELUS – Sculpting From Time [August 25th, Hammerheart Records]
MUERTRIERES – Ronde de Nuit [August 25th, Gates of Hell Records]
TRANSGRESSOR – Beyond Oblivion [August 24th, Me Saco Un Ojo/Sewer Rot/Unholy Domain]
MOON COVEN – Sun Kind [August 25th, Ripple Music]
BOTTOMLESS – The Banishing [August 25th, Dying Victims Productions]

SHORT REVIEWS + VIDEO:

CVINGER – Doctrines by the Figures of Crnobog [August 25th, Via Nocturna]
TILL THE DIRT – Outside the Spiral [August 25th, Nuclear Blast Records]
NIXIL – From the Wound Spilled Forth Fire [August 25th, Prosthetic Records]
GRAVERIPPER – Seasons Dreaming Death [August 25th, Wise Blood Records]
COLONY DROP – Brace For Impact [August 25th, Nameless Grave Records]
THE DEATH WHEELERS – Chaos and the Art of Motorcycle Madness [August 25th, RidingEasy]

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