terraasymmetry Features

SYNCHRONY: Music News, Week in Review & Upcoming (9/07/2019)

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

  • Necrolysergic deathgrind is on the rise across the nation and New York City-based deathgrinders SKULLSHITTER are poised to crank their own form on a split with Toronto band Bleeding Out on September 27th through Nerve Altar Records. Would definitely recommend these guys if you’re into Deathgrave and some of the heavier Exit-13 stuff. Check out the first song over on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • If you’re not already geared up for the second NEVER SURRENDER FESTIVAL to be held in Oakland, California you’d better hurry up and get tickets. This time it’ll be at the Oakland Metro Operahouse on October 19th-20th. The first had been held in 2009 in Berlin, Germany and this time around the collaboration between Nuclear War Now! Productions and Iron Bonehead Productions lands in the states. Many of these bands either rarely come to the states, rarely perform, or have never performed live before so, it’ll likely be a once in a lifetime opportunity in some cases. What am I excited for? Eosphoros, Blue Hummingbird on the Left, Unaussphrechlichen Kulten, House of Atreus, Siege Column, Grave Upheaval, and many more. Check the details and grab a ticket there: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Storied and accomplished German Celtic metal project SUIDAKRA signed with MDD Records for the release of ‘Echoes of Yore’, a set of re-recorded tracks from their past to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band. Watch for more info about the November release of the record as well as plans for more original material in the future: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  •  Me Saco Un Ojo and Tour de Garde have aligned in support of the November 14th release of singular black metal entity FUIL NA SEANCHOILLE‘s second full-length ‘The Crossing’. A 29 minute opus contained within one extended piece. The artwork is fantastic, surreal as Beksiński typically is. A three minute preview of the song is available on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • A dream in the voice of Satan, awakening in the throes of a composition in his honor so expresses the second single from Norwegian black metal band ETERNITY who present their long-awaited LP ‘To Become The Great Beast’ in preparation for the September 13th release through Soulseller Records. Bind to his glory, quench the black flame, melt in the fires of “Te Nostro Deum Sathanas”: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Swedish death metal crew CREEPING FLESH are finally ready to reveal September 25th as the release date for their tank blasting, shellshock’d death punch of a debut ‘Into the Meat Grinder’ through Growls From the Underground. A brutal bludgeoning awaits for fans of Bolt Thrower influenced heaviness. Check out “Tank Corps Unleashed” featuring a guest vocal from producer Jonny Pettersson (Just Before Dawn, Ashcloud): [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Scream in your sleep, claw at the locks on your doors, slam shut the blinds, and mark September 30th as the coming of death’s thrashing madness by way of Unspeakable Axe Records as they unleash AGGRAVATOR upon the masses. Spitting blood and hair as if Morbid Saint were equipped with a flamethrower and burning the suburbs to a crisp. Burn along with them over on YouTube, witness the flames spewing from their crypts on “Desensitized Devotion”: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Over thirty years from beyond Spanish death metal band OBSCURE raise a dust-clouded arm and points to November 5th as the release date for their now complete full-length debut on Xtreem Music, ‘Darkness Must Prevail’. I remember it being very hard to find a copy of the ‘Curse the Course’ (1991) demo years ago and was shocked to see this band reform in 2016 and press on. They have a stellar grasp of filthy atmosphere and deliver it with massive brutality. See for yourself with “Curse of My Race” on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Here I bring you news of one of the most potentially vital book releases on the bleak horizon with the December 1st release of ANALOG BLACK TERROR from Nuclear War Now! Productions, a “260-page book gathering more than 300 bands and 450 visual archives of black metal demo tapes from the ’80s until 2000.” This looks to be an incredible document from a Paris based author, and hopefully this will stir some interest for similar projects pertaining to the death metal tape world as well. Hugly excited for this book! For now stay glued to the NWN! Productions Facebook for more information.: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Some weeks it seems the treasures of heavy metal are endless in their stream of incredible artists who create life-affirming great works and to be sure one of my personal favorite acts of revivification a couple years ago came with RUNEMAGICK‘s ‘Evoked From Abysmal Sleep’ but it does not stop there! High Roller Records will be releasing ‘Into Desolate Realms’, a brand new full-length from the band on October 25th, a record created between their own home studios and in collaboration with the legend Andy LaRocque at his own Sonic Train studio. This marks the second collaboration with the producer who last worked with Runemagick on ‘Envenomed’, surely a great point of transition for the group as their trajectory became increasingly independent. I am going into the record blind but you can check out this preview track in the meantime on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • A second track from the sea-foaming at the mouth psychedelic doom hounds from down-under HOLY SERPENT‘s upcoming full-length ‘Endless’ released this week and holy damn I’m excited as hell to hear the full record, which’ll be out October 18th. “Hourglass” is heavy, dreary, almost Radiohead-esque in its gloomy droning pulse. Not sure what to think of that? Well, think for yourself and click on the YouTube video for it: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Agonia Records must be glowing at the thought that they’ll be releasing Norwegian black metal maestros RAGNAROK‘s latest full-length ‘Non Debellicata’ on November 15th, a ten song venture that will almost certainly wreak blasphemic curses upon all who near it. What stands out this time around is that the entire band entered into a fully collaborative process for the making of this full-length so it’ll best represent all of their voices and a unified vision. Sample songs will assuredly be out this month or at least in the coming weeks. For now, stare at the Bandcamp pre-order page with excitement: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Clavis Secretorvm – in collaboration with Sentient Ruin and Caligari Records have announced October 25th as the release for CTHONICA‘s debut full-length ‘Typhomanteia: Sacred Triarchy of Spiritual Putrefaction.’ and the assumption based off of their allegiances and glorious cover art is that this raw blackened death/doom band will be an esoteric punisher of the most crooked order. War, discord, and doom are to be expected. Eyeball it on Bandcamp until upcoming previews are released: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Five years have have passed and the world shifts beneath their feet but German occult black metal band DYSANGELIUM have not become complacent or out of touch in the time since their W.T.C. Productions debut in 2014. The follow up ‘Death Leading’ will arrive on October 8th and appears to find the band at their most thoughtful and defiant. The first preview track “Homo Larvalis” is the face held to the flame and melted away slow. Witness the horror yourself on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Just in time for all hallows eve neo-classical tech thrashers EXMORTUS have announced they will self-release a new five song EP, ‘Legions Of The Undead,’ on October 25th in cooperation with M-Theory Audio. This will be a good chance to see how the new line-up sounds. Watch a very brief teaser to start: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Belgium based hardcore band CLCKWS are back after some recent shifts in membership and they’re pissed! Their first single from ‘Popular Polarization’ (to be released September 26th) has a simple and ripping message for the “Consumer”, aiming the sights on the sheep that they are. Jam it loud if you’re huge on fast fuckin’ killer hardcore punk as much as I am: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • HYPE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Holy Serpent, Exhumed, Runemagick, Aggravator, Opeth, Konkhra, Casket Huffer, Mother’s Tomb, Creeping Flesh, The Kryptik, Terminus, Coilguns, Ogre, Vultures, Dead Hippies, High Command, Ehlder, Bhleg, Dysangelium, Bison Machine, 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 (8/31/19 – 9/06/19)

WEEKLY FEATURES:

  • Ten From the Tomb 9/02/19: From the Past Twines the Norns.
    • This week I chose to cover ten reissues/remasters that’ve impressed me so far this year.
    • Must hear: Iron Age, Neurosis & Jarboe, The Mezmerist, Dark Heresy.
    • Next week (9/09) will cover either post-music or just killer black metal.
  • Thrash ‘Til Death #36: Dead End (Sweden) 1989-1992
    • Swedish death/thrash metal band Dead End didn’t reinvent the wheel nor did they every really look beyond their Bay Area thrash antics and 80’s death metal aggression before they’d call it quits in 1992 after two brilliant demos. It wasn’t easy being a thrash metal band during the death metal explosion in the late 80’s/early 90’s and especially not if you lived an hour north of Göteborg. The first demo tape from this band is just incredible stuff and hits upon a great standard for death/thrash hybridization in the late 80’s. Check out ‘2 Minute Warning’ (1991) if nothing else.
    • Next week (9/10) will feature a look at a band that you probably know quite well but under a different name, Xecutioner (pre-Obituary) and their quick transition between speed/thrash metal towards pure death metal legends will be the subject but I won’t go further than ‘Slowly We Rot’.
    • After that it’ll be , Hellwitch, and Pentagram (Chile) in the coming weeks.
  • Gratitude, Two Years Worth.
    • In this editorial I essentially share a bit about myself and the reason I put so much time and thought into Grizzly Butts. Some goals and projects moving forward are detailed. There is a giveaway at the end, if you’re getting something I’ll message you on the service you used to enter the giveaway with (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) I really appreciated the friendly reaction to the post on social media and elsewhere, I rarely intend to make anything ‘about me’ to the point of nausea but this was the best way to say thank you for two years of the site.

REVIEWS: The big releases this week were from: Mizmor, Pale Grey Lore, Runespell, Slaughtbbath, and Mgła. I’m still mulling over Ether Feather, Muspellzheimr, Ethereal Riffian and Cemetery Lights. I did not receive Vitriol‘s full-length from Century Media, so the review will have to wait. September is packed with great releases every week so please be patient as I’ll be working overtime to cover more while maintaining an earnest level of interest.

UPCOMING SHOWS: [That I’ll likely attend]

  • ACID KING w/Wizard Rifle, Warish 9/21/19 @ Highline – Seattle, WA
  • VOIVOD & REVOCATION w/Skeletal Remains 9/25/19 @ El Corazon – Seattle, WA
  • ELIMINATOR FEST 2019 w/Deceased, Morbid Saint, Witch Vomit, R.I.P. & more 9/27/19 @ El Corazon – Seattle, WA
  • ORANSSI PAZUZU w/Insect Ark 10/27/2019 @ Chop Suey – Seattle, WA
  • KING DIAMOND w/Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats @ The Paramount 11/25/19
  • HIGH ON FIRE, Power Trip, Devil Master & Creeping Death – 12/02/19 @ Neumos – Seattle, WA

RELEASED/OVERLOOKED THIS WEEK (8/31/19 – 9/06/19)

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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 (9/07/19 – 9/13/19)

cover Nightfell - A Sanity Deranged

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 donate to help keep me in front of the computer writing about metal. Thanks.

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