terraasymmetry Features

SYNCHRONY: Music News, Week in Review & Upcoming (11/16/2019)

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

  • Greek pagan/melodic black metal legends KAWIR have announced their eighth album (and third from the sacred vessel of Iron Bonehead Productions) entitled ‘Adrasteia’. These defenders of the righteous Greek black metal sound are one of my favorite bands so expect a giddy, high-scoring review in early January. The album itself releases January 10th, 2020 worldwide. Expect a slight return to the style of ‘Isotheos’ as the band return in grand, glorious form. Listen to the first preview track, “Limniades” on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Although French progressive death/doom metal band MONOLITHE had a very elegant campaign including ‘making of…’ and interview videos planned on the build up towards the end of January for the release of their eighth album ‘Okta Khora’, an early leak of the album online lead to the decision to make streaming/digital pre-orders available as of November 11th. Not only was the low quality leak a misrepresentation of the band but a raw thing to do to folks who put a lot of work into their music. Physical copies (CD/LP) will ship in late January as planned, pre-order on Les Acteurs De L’Ombre‘s website: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Spanish heavy metal inquisitors WAR DOGS released a lyric video for their tribute to the late Mark Shelton (Manilla Road, Hellwell) entitled “The Shark “, from their debut LP “Die by My Sword”. The song features Bryan Patrick who joined as second vocalist in Manilla Road two decades ago when they reformed. Fighter Records will release the debut from War Dogs on January 9th, 2020 and the video for “The Shark” is up on YouTube now: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Revered lords of the occult W.T.C. Productions have set their latest ritual for January 7th, 2020 in the form of a self-titled debut EP release from VAEOK whose members bear station within Sargeist, Kult ov Azazel, Nightbringer, Adaestuo, Demoncy, etc. so clearly VJS and a fellow named M.S. I can’t place just yet… It’d almost have to be Ixithra (Demoncy) based on the bands named. More information to come leading up to release. For now check out their Facebook page: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Speak to me, gravestone, through waves of warm gaseous death from below, conjure this mortal angel rotten and halo’d upon the adorned hearth of Sepulchral Voice Records a proud magnetic anomaly, the debut demo tape from Berlin death-thrashers SIJJIN. ‘Angel of the Eastern Gate’, a cassette version is out now and limited to 200 copies. Who? Members of Basque thrashers Extinction and German death/doom gnostics Necros Christos. CD and LP versions are in the label’s plans along with a full-length. The style? Sadistic Intent, Superstition, early Morbid Angel, but maybe even as filthy as Necrovore or Incubus (‘God Died on His Knees’). Grab it over on Sepulchral Voice’s shop or check out the bands Bandcamp if you’re not sure what I’m on about: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Italian doom metal band DOOMRAISER have now revealed the full details for their fifth album ‘The Dark Side of Old Europa’ including tracklist, album art by R. Toderico, lyrics (see LP artwork), and a release date of January 24th 2020 via quickly growing Italian label Time To Kill Records. Great band, especially if you like Cathedral and stoner/doom metal play slow with plenty of charisma. Pre-order it on Bandcamp if you’re already a fan and look forward to some kind of preview track in the near future: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Seattle, Washington based experimental death-grinders RAT KING have announced their second full-length, ‘Vicious Inhumanity’, will release on January 17, 2020 through Within The Mind Records. Wondering why they’re labeled stoner/sludge on Metal-Archives? Easy, their first album was a big frickin’ sludgefest but hey check out “Borratanico” on YouTube, big shift flippin’ over to death/grind and turns out they’re good at it: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • Nuclear War Now! Productions have announced their anticipated vinyl issues of Estonian black n’ roll anomaly LOITS‘ first two albums will release on February 28th, 2020. ‘Ei kahetse midagi’ (2001) and ‘Vere kutse kohustab’ (2004) offer the perspective of Estonia during the second World War and celebrate their heritage through heroic war stories. Beyond the subject matter Loits’ sound remains an exceptional experience with a folkish and ethereal (eastern European) pagan black metal spirit but guitars that are obsidian sharp and powerfully expressed thanks to Norse influences. Both records had bad album art and the main reason I’ll probably get these NWN! Prods versions is the cleaner sounding transfer and much improved album art/insert. My favorite is the enormous and beautiful evolution of ‘Vere kutse kohustab’ (2004). Check both records on Bandcamp in the meantime: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  •  California based black metal band SICARIUS released a lyric video for “A Practiced Hand” the first single from their sophomore album ‘God Of Dead Roots’. There is no release date yet but it’ll be released through Los Angeles label M-Theory Audio in early 2020. Very abrasive vocals, reminds me of 1349 a bit. Check it out for yourself on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
  • HYPE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Kawir, Sijjin, Vaeok, Horrid, Cianide, Hvile I Kaos, Hexekration Rites, Skullcrush, Rat King, Depressed, Nefarious Dusk, Doomraisers, Dreamlord, Nous, Goatblood, Goat Terror 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 (11/09/19 – 11/15/19)

WEEKLY FEATURES:

  • Ten From the Tomb 11/11/19: Nothing but Black Metal November Pt. II
    • This week I chose to cover ten more black metal albums that rule, all of them from 2019. I’ll be doing two more entries of ‘Nothing but Black Metal November’ this year. Normally folks do this as a ‘challenge’ where they listen to nothing but black metal for the month and essentially journal/blog about it. In my case I’ll just be pulling in as much black metal as I can until it is time to work on lists for the end of the year.
    • Must hear: Deus Mortem, Impiety, Mayhem, Aegrus.
    • Next week (11/18) will cover black metal yet again.
  • Thrash ‘Til Death #46: Demented Ted (United States) 1986-1993
    • Although Demented Ted were ultimately defined by their chase of trends in a quickly shifting market you can’t blame them for trying. In fact, their only full-length is one of the best death metal records you’ve never heard of. From a crossover band hanging out with Paul Speckmann in the early 80’s to an underappreciated thrashing technical death metal band in the early 90’s these guys were a class act in their death/thrash and pure death metal phases.
    • Next week (11/19) will feature a look at Armoured Angel, who I’ve reviewed before but never the complete discography.
  • 20 Underground Thrash Metal Albums You Missed in 2019
    • Here is the first of many sub-genre specific ‘end of the year’ lists for 2019 starting where all things began, Thrash Metal. These are not the best, nor are they even runners up in any case, just under-served and interesting thrash from self-released crews, independent artists, and generally underground bands.
    • Highlights: Terravore, Infrared, Sins of the Damned, Black Mass.

REVIEWS: The big releases this week were from: Bölzer, Ignivomous, Witch Trail, Abigail Williams, Necropanther, Diabolic Night, and Warsenal. This week was overwhelmingly quality but next week is arguably one of the biggest release schedules of the year. I’ll try to keep up.

UPCOMING SHOWS: [That I’ll likely attend]

  • 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 (11/09/19 – 11/15/19)

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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 (11/16/19 – 11/22/19)

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

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