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 Grizzly Butts. This’ll also include a list of upcoming releases and some preliminary notes on upcoming reviews or coverage. If I can’t hear it, I won’t cover it! 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

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THIS WEEK IN NEWS (4/04/20 – 4/10/20)

• Thrash? Right, there are still just straight up thrash metal bands out there and PESSIMIST are of the German variety who’d cropped up in the early 2010’s and went silent after two decent full-lengths. Though it was definitely a rough debut I liked ‘Call to War’ (2010) a fair amount when it released. Well, it has been a solid seven years since they’ve done a damn thing and they’re not ready to unveil their third album (coming Summer 2020 through Black Sunset/MDD Records) just yet, instead the Black Forest based band has released an impressive single entitled “Landsknecht” which you can check out on YouTube if you’re up for some late 80’s styled thrash that reminds me of bands like Despair, a bit of Bay Area in their work and some indications of modern influences as well. YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]

• Hell’s Headbangers Records have angled their sledge-driven cracks upon the Earth’s skull in alignment with HEGEMONY‘s bestial death cascade set to expurse its feral scourge this April 24th when their debut album, ‘Enthroned by Persecution‘, spills its pure evil seed onto CD and 12″ vinyl LP. Alabama born but with a mind entombed my makeshift crypts referencing Demoncy and other chasmic, soul-hollowing death chambers. I’m all ears when a press release references Belial (Finland) and man it actually makes sense listening to the first preview track from this thing, “Rise in Turmoil”. Ace stuff, go check it out on Bandcamp: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]

• Another very, very long awaited announcement descends from the north as Purity Through Fire has set May 30th as release date for the fifth album from austere Finnish black metal/folk band OCTOBER FALLS‘. ‘A Fall of an Epoch’ will release on both digipack CD and 12″ vinyl LP and an engraved wooden slipcase version can be pre-ordered as well. I guess I have always admired bands able to capture the magic of early Ulver without being too derivative and in the case of October Falls this means some detours into straight acoustic folk EPs, some epic Bathory-esque full-lengths, and a generally memorable and deeply layered approach to atmospheric black metal. Listening to this first preview track, the 9+ minute “Hammering the Tide”, I have to be honest it has been so long I’d almost forgotten what this band was all about. Considering I have been following this band since ‘Streams of the End’ in 2007 it is great to see they’ve decided to keep going and perhaps modernizing a bit. Check out “Hammering the Tide” on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• Dread crawls up your spine like lightning! Cower at the sensation of ancient USBM darkness as Iron Bonehead Productions announces July 3rd as the day of doom for BLACK FUNERAL‘s tenth full-length album ‘Scourge of Lamashtu‘, on CD and 12″ vinyl LP. I’m actually not all that familiar with Black Funeral as I’ve only heard their 2016 compilation of the first demo and album. Since I’m on a Luciferian kick this year so far I’m looking forward to digging into their discography and seeing what sticks. The first preview track from the album, “Kassaptu Lemuttu”, is a patient and scalding act with heavily ambient sections sandwiching its impressive core. Give it a listen over on Iron Bonehead Productions’ SoundCloud: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• A dose too much, the walls aren’t just dripping they’re screaming! Swedish speed-punked metallers OBNOXIOUS YOUTH are crawling under my skin with this latest single they’ve released, “Mouths Sewn Shut”, and they’re not done yet. A new 12″ EP entitled ‘Mouths Sewn Shut‘, will be out this May 15th via Svart Records. Incredible song and great to know this band didn’t disappear. Pure hardcore punk mania, echoing some of their speed metal mania at an ultra-succinct and characteristic rip. Check out “Mouths Sewn Shut” over on YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• Ván Records have announced Old Norse themed pagan black metal band ARSTIDIR LIFSINS‘ second part of their “Saga á tveim tungum”, depicting the lives of two siblings during the eleventh century rule of Norwegian king and saint, Óláfr Haraldsson (995-1030). ‘Saga á tveim tungum II: Eigi fjǫll né firðir‘ will release on May 22nd. Árstíðir lífsins might be considered ‘folk’/pagan black metal by some but I’d say they are more purely pagan black metal than their old Norse imagery suggests, not straightforward but still very much a black metal band up front. There was plenty of life and inspiration in the very lengthy and detailed ‘Saga á tveim tungum I: Vápn ok viðr’, so I am looking forward to the second part from a different perspective. No preview just yet but you can keep up with the band over on Facebook: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• Victoria, British Columbia thrashers TORREFY aren’t about to mince words on their third independently released full-length ‘Life is Bad‘, due out July 1st this year. Life sucks… and then you die. But that doesn’t mean they’re not about to adapt to the collective shitstorm of human existence. If anything they’ve rethought and rejiggered their heavily indulgent progressive thrash metal direction on ‘The Infinity Complex’ (2016) and instead chosen to incorporate a more representative bout of influences, dubbing it “black speed death thrash” and carrying a theme of doomed and brutal-assed humanity rather than a concept album. You can hear them going for it on the first preview track, “Plague of Empires” if you click on over to YouTube: [Click/Tap HERE for more info]
• NOTABLE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Sodomisery, Front, Blight, Gnaw Their Tongues, Hegemony, October Falls, The Hyss, Greyhawk, Hyems, Icon of Evil, Czern, Arstidir Lifsins, Torrefy, An Autumn for Crippled Children, Marrowfields, Valdrin, Armnatt, Draconis, Arabs in Aspic, and several more. Look for coverage in the near future. Don’t see your album listed? Send it to me: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

GRIZZLY BUTTS‘ WEEK IN REVIEW (4/04/20 – 4/10/20)

FEATURES:

• …From the Tomb 4/06/20: “Surrounded, reach for the portal of answers.”
  • This year Ten From the Tomb changes to …From the Tomb and is no longer limited to ten releases. It will post every Monday with a list of at least ten new releases coming out during that current week and a short review will be included for each one. This week features reviews for 12 new releases.
  • Favorites: Ritual Dictates, Like Rats, Noroth.

REVIEWS: Big releases this week from Caustic Wound, Spell, Serpent Column, Diabolic, and Black Magick SS. Reviews for Aodon and Ladybeast coming this weekend. Will do some video game writing in the coming weeks, a Backlog entry most likely.

• Ripper – Paranormal Waves [Demo] (2020) | REVIEW
• Dopelord – Sign of the Devil (2020) | REVIEW
• Satan’s Cross – Celebration of the Fallen (2020) | REVIEW
• Cemetery Filth – Dominion (2020) | REVIEW
• Grim Fate – Perished in Torment (2020) | REVIEW
• Bombs of Hades – Phantom Bell (2020) | REVIEW
• Enepsigos – Wrath of Wraths (2020) | REVIEW
• Sepultura – Quadra (2020) | REVIEW
• Membaris – Misanthrosophie (2020) | REVIEW
• Demonic Death Judge – The Trail (2020) | REVIEW

RELEASED/OVERLOOKED THIS WEEK (4/04/20 – 4/10/20)

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

• GRIM FATE – Perished in Torment [Xtreem Music]+
• SOVEREIGN – Neurotic [Redefining Darkness Records]*
• GAYTHEIST – How Long Have I Been On Fire? [Hex Records]*
• RITUAL DICTATES – Give in to Despair [Artoffact Records]
• FLIGHT OF EDEN – Dante’s Inferno [Self-Released]
• BRASS OWL – State of Mind [Self-Released]
• AKURION – Come Forth to Me [Redefining Darkness Records]
• KOOL KEITH x THETAN – Space Goretex [Anti-Corporate Music]
• LIKE RATS – Death Monolith [Hibernation Release]
• SYMBOLIK – Emergence [The Artisan Era]
• MYTH OF I – Myth of I [The Artisan Era]
• CURSE UPON A PRAYER – Infidel [Saturnal Records]
• THY DYING LIGHT – Thy Dying Light [Purity Through Fire]
• MENTAL DISASTER – The Repulsive Abomination [Death to Music Productions]
• DOOL – Summerland [Prophecy Productions]
• ACROSS THE SWARM – Projections [Time to Kill Records]
• BARRENS – Penumbra [Pelagic Records]
• CORDYCEPS – Betrayal [Unique Leader Records]
• CURSE – The Awakening… and the Old [Redefining Darkness Records]
• NOROTH – It Dwells Among Us [Caligari Records]
• SAVAGE ANNIHILATION – Soumises à la procréation [Xenokorp]
• VANESSA SKANTZE – Writhing Treasure Feast [Scry Recordings]
• SHADOWDREAM – Jazz Soundtracks for Embalming [Epictronic Records]

UPCOMING RELEASES (4/11/20 – 4/20/20)

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. A plus (+) indicates that the album has already been reviewed. Click/Tap on RECORD LABEL name for preview, stream, or store.

• FUNERAL LEECH – Death Meditation [Carbonized Records]*
• SHARDS OF HUMANITY – Cold Logic [Unspeakable Axe Records]*
• RIPPED TO SHREDS – Luan [Pulverised Records]*
• AZATH – Through a Warren of Shadow [Pulverised Records]*
• HEXVESSEL – Kindred [Svart Records]*
• NÔIDVA – Windseller [Purity Through Fire]
• TITAAN – Itima [ATMF]
• OBLIVION GATE – Wisdom of the Grave [ATMF]
• ULVEBLOD – Omnia Mors Aequat [Consouling Sounds]
• COLLISION – The Final Kill [Hammerheart Records]
• DYNFARI – Myrkurs er þörf [Code666]
• SXOKONDO – Flesh & Sky [Division Records]
• LESS WIN – Given Light [The Big Oil Recording Company]
• KARITI – Covered Mirrors [Aural Music]
• KHÔRA – Timaeus [Soulseller Records]
• GRAVEIR – King of the Silent World [Impure Sounds]
• FOES – American Violence [Glacier Recordings]
• CASPAR BRÖTZMANN MASSAKER – Home [Southern Lord Recordings]
• THE PROJECTIONIST – The Stench of Amalthia [Moribund Records]
• MANES – Young Skeleton [Aftermath Music]
• FORLESEN – Hierophant Violent [Hypnotic Dirge Records]*
• SHITFUCKER – Sex With Dead Body [Hell’s Headbangers Records]
• MISANTHROPIC AGGRESSION – Alcoholic Polyneuropathic Freaks in Hell [Boris Records]
• CZERN – Zgliszcza [Selfmadegod Records]
• ICON OF EVIL – Icon of Evil [Selfmadegod Records]

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.