terraasymmetry Features

SYNCHRONY: Music News, Week in Review, & Upcoming (7/07/2019)

SYNCHRONY is a weekly feature focusing on relevant heavy music news, new releases, upcoming releases, as well as a week in review to help folks keep up with all of the content on GrizzlyButts. This’ll also include a list of upcoming releases and some preliminary notes on upcoming reviews or coverage. Some Seattle, Washington area live shows will be intermittently featured. If you have New Releases, show announcements, or important heavy music news that’ll be relevant or interesting to folks contact me at: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com Priority to PR/label submissions and straight up if I can’t hear it, I won’t cover it.

THIS WEEK IN NEWS

  • Brighton, England based experimental black metal artist EWIGKEIT once again return to their prolific early discography to re-record the second of Mr. Fog’s (ex-Meads of Asphodel, In the Woods…, Old Forest) late 90’s symphonic black metal albums. ‘Starscapes’ (1999) had a certain busted charm to it back in the day but ‘Starscapes 2.019’ sees it completely re-recorded and sounding up to par with Ewigkeit’s latest record ‘DISClose’ from earlier this year. The sci-fi themes and strange songwriting ideas should definitely interest Meads of Asphodel fans. It releases September 23rd, here’s a teaser on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Cerebral post-rock/doom metal quintet DAXMA continue to examine Hegel’s view of human history but this time through they eyes of Walter Benjamin who’d dispute, through symbolic prose, the notion that the history of mankind is that of progress. Their ‘Ruins Upon Ruins’ EP will be the result of that exploration and will also include a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” as well. A lot to think about and no preview track yet so, in the meantime I’d recommend checking out their 2017 full-length ‘The Head Which Becomes the Skull’. ‘Ruins Upon Ruins’ will be released digitally + limited edition 12″ LP on July 26th through Blues Funeral Recordings. [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Ostfriesland based German old school death metal project TEMPLE OF DREAD features members of Slaughterday and aims to tribute the fine early 90’s era of death metal from Florida to Birmingham and wherever Morgoth were from. They’ve been hard at work on the line-up and such since 2017 and now mark August 30th, 2019 as they release for their debut full-length ‘Blood Craving Mantras’ on Testimony Records. The record sounds great so far, a bit more ‘modern’ than I’d expected on this preview track “Gone But Still Here”: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Nuclear War Now! Productions have announced a vinyl issue of the 2013 ‘The Innocent, the Forsaken, the Guilty’ compilation from mysterious US Heavy metal band THE MEZMERIST who’d had to keep secret the involvement of Bill Ward (of Black Sabbath) on drums due to his tightly wound contract at the time. Beyond this bit of infamous trivia this should be fantastic news for folks who love esoteric and psychedelic doom metal as this collection of their infamous EP (and the unreleased ‘Beg for Forgiveness, Pray for Your Life’ EP from 1985) is right up the alley of fans of Italian doom metal (Paul Chain, The Black) and modern groups like Python. Well worth having this one vinyl whether you’re a collector or just a fan of esoteric heavy/doom metal from the early 80’s US wilderness. It’ll be out on July 19th but you can listen on Bandcamp here: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Los Angeles ‘dark punk’ band THE WRAITH are a fusion of past worlds between British post-punk and the death rock phase that came in place of post-hardcore in the mid-80’s California scenes. Think of early New Model Army and later TSOL. Members of Puscifer and Lost Tribes make up the key membership of The Wraith and the big news is that they’ve signed to Southern Lord for the release of their debut ‘Gloom Ballet’. No date or preview yet but in the meantime check out their ‘Comatic Romance’ demo/channel on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Brutal slamming Ecuadoran death metal band REPTILIUM are set to self-release their debut EP ‘Conspiranoic’ on August 2nd. Couldn’t quite understand what the lyrics are about but seems to be an examination of cults of thought and conspiracy theories. Check out “Viral Combustion” on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Garage punk/thrashers ZIG ZAGS have released another music video to promote thier recently released album ‘They’ll Never Takes Us Alive’, this time for “Killer of Killers”. The Troma-esque mini plot of the video is great so I won’t spoil it for you. Great band, killer album. [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  •  Experimental genre-buzzing Brazilian trio DEAFKIDS are apparently up for blowing minds further as they’ve convinced Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke fame to jet down to São Paulo and record with them. I’m not totally clear if that means they’ve writing music together or recording new Deafkids material with Coleman producing but it looks like a bit of both on some level based on the video Coleman posted on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Black metal act CRIMSON MOON have announced their fourth full-length album ‘Mors Vincit Omnia’ that’ll be released August 30th through Debemur Morti Productions. This is a fairly rare event as Crimson Moon have traditionally released an album every ten years since 1996 but the most recent was in 2016, so it’ll be interesting to see if it iterates on the well received ‘Oneironaut’. Decide for yourself, starting with the preview track posted on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Angling in for album cover of the year so far comes black/doom metal solo artist MIZMOR‘s third full-length ‘Cairn’ which was announced this week as a September 6th release on Gilead Media. Expect a meticulously crafted but intensely felt bout of inspiration within each of its four songs. This only adds to the excitement amidst the cluster of great releases from the label so far this year. [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • If you loved Massachusetts stoner/doom metal ELDER‘s 2017 full-length ‘Reflections of a Floating World’ you’ll understand why they felt no pressure in creating any sort of follow-up, it felt labored and deeply personal as a high achievement. ‘The Gold & Silver Sessions’ aren’t so structured in the sense that the band jumped into the studio with the intention to work outside of the box, to jam and create what ended up as some incredible psychedelic rock pieces. It is something completely fresh from my perspective and thankfully PostWax subscription project and Blues Funeral Recordings have announced its release for July 12th. I am so inspired to see heavy rock bands working outside of the norm and not just regurgitating retro-rock chunks hoping to land festival gigs. [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • ‘Gjengangere i hjertets mørke‘, the debut EP from Norwegian project DOLD VORDE ENS NAVN, has been announced by Soulseller Records for release on September 13th. If all of that Norwegian looks like a bit of gibberish to you then you should at least recognize these fellows from their time in classic bands such as Ved Buens Ende, Dødheimsgard, early Ulver, Nidingr and Satyricon. The track they’ve posted on SoundCloud is fantastic for its aggression and ranting quality that feels both old as hell and fresh within the modern Norwegian black metal climate. See for yourself, make your own decision: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Pulling from the best of three full-lengths worth of demos written between 2001 and 2006 along with newer takes and compositional tweaks meticulously executed in the span of nearly twenty years Norwegian black metal musician Evighet and his life’s work ETERNITY will finally release the opus ‘To Become the Great Beast‘ on Soulseller Records on September 13th. As you’ll find in the preview track on YouTube, this is beauteous orthodoxy and true ruin as it digs beneath the conscious mind: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Inspired by the great works of Homer and Hesiod in description of the Greek afterlife comes a glorious full-length from one of black metals finest CEMETERY LIGHTS, this eight track album will be entitled ‘The Underworld’. So far Nuclear War Now! Productions have shared the fine cover art and a general release date for September. Cannot wait to hear what The Corpse has done. More information as it comes! [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Purity Through Fire have set August 19th as the international release date for the latest mini-album from MAVORIM, entitled ‘Aasfresser’ on A5 digipak, CD (jewel case), and LP formats. I’ll assume a 12″ LP as this record includes six new original songs as well as four unreleased demo tracks from the project, which focuses on unrelenting black metal, as per their record label’s specialty. Expect furious and emboldened work that still has a knack for memorable compositions. [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • HYPE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Mizmor, Alluvion, Runespell, Strappado, Nightfucker, Black Cilice, Enemy of Creation, Rowsdower, Impavida, Sepsis, False,  Cemican, Kobold, RRAAUM, MNRVA, Global Scum,  and several more. Look for coverage in the near future. Don’t see your album listed? Send it to me!

GRIZZLY BUTTS‘ WEEK IN REVIEW (6/29/19 – 7/06/19)

WEEKLY FEATURES:

  • Ten From the Tomb 7/01/19: You who’ve gone missing in the vertical shadows.
    • This week I chose the subject of TFTT and decided upon some folk, neofolk, and folk metal releases of varying quality and style. Some were admittedly small flops but I have such a strong affinity for modern folk music as well as old school folk metal and tend to like the two worlds they both inhabit.
    • Must hear: Peleser, Tamerlan, Sonoran Rebel Black Magick.
    • Next week’s theme will be decided by me, and it’ll be ‘outsider’ folk, neofolk, folk metal, and that sphere of influence.
  • Thrash ‘Til Death #27: Captor (Sweden) 1987-1995
    • Captor is the sort of band that doesn’t fully satisfy if you’re looking for something standard. They always went their own way, even when they were obviously trend-hopping to stay relevant or ‘make it’, and to be fair at that point all original members were more or less gone. They played modern and progressive thrash to start and became a solid death/thrash band by the time their all too late to the party first album debuted. From there, well… Groove metal and nu metal was in by 1995 and I wasn’t!
    • Next week (7/09) will feature Ohio, United States underground thrashers Terror 1987-1995. One of my favorite types of bands, even if they never truly wrote an unforgettable riff.

REVIEWS: Light week for reviews because I’ve moved from downtown Seattle to my own home out in the suburbs. My apologies for the silence from Thursday until Sunday this week but this move was many years of hard work in the making. I’ll now have an art studio, a home office, and a place to record/practice music. Not meant as a shitty brag, but rather a good thing in terms of the potential for the site becoming a print zine and other aspirations. The lack of content this week will be made up for with two interviews with bands who have (or will) put out two of the very best releases of the year, and I will finish reviews for Impure, Immortal Bird, Grave Siesta, Burial Remains and Andavald as promised!

UPCOMING SHOWS: [That I’ll likely attend]

  • VELNIAS w/Maestus 7/17/19 @ Highline – Seattle, WA
  • ACID KING w/Wizard Rifle, Warish 9/21/19 @ Highline – Seattle, WA
  • VOIVOD & REVOCATION w/Skeletal Remains 9/25/19 @ El Corazon – Seattle, WA

RELEASED/OVERLOOKED THIS WEEK (7/01/19 – 7/08/19)

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NOTE: This small sample includes overlooked releases that are not yet reviewed or covered but are recommended. Some of these will still be featured in other coverage. An asterisk (*) indicates that a review is drafted or in preparation. Click/Tap on RECORD LABEL name for preview, stream, or store.

UPCOMING RELEASES (7/08/19 – 7/12/19)

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NOTE: This is not a comprehensive list, some titles are already reviewed and/or covered and some have yet to enter the final queue for consideration and processing. An asterisk (*) indicates that a review is drafted or in preparation. Click/Tap on RECORD LABEL name for preview, stream, or store.

Did I miss something important this week? Send me an e-mail and tell me about it. It is always worthwhile to speak up for the lesser known stuff. Please remember you can contribute to my Patreon @ only $1 USD per month ($12 a year) to help keep me in front of the computer writing about metal. Thanks.

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