terraasymmetry Features

NEWS, Week in Review & Upcoming Releases (1/29/21)

A weekly feature focusing on select heavy music news, primarily involving new and upcoming releases with a list of ’em provided at the end. This also serves as a week in review, collecting all of the most recent content on Grizzly Butts in a brief additional list. Want to see what came out this week? Read the “Annihilate This Week” column every Monday. 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 send it to: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

THIS WEEK IN NEWS (1/23/21 – 1/29/21)

  • Mexican label Personal Records have announced April 2nd will be the international release date for SPELLFORGER‘s debut EP, ‘Upholders of Evil‘. Hailing from Indonesia SpellForger are a quartet of fellowes influenced by first wave black and thrash metal acts citing Celtic Frost, early Slayer, Bathory, Possessed, as well as contemporary black/thrash. No official samples are available yet but you can hear the demo version of “Pestilentia” off the new EP over on their Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Danish death metal act DEIQUISITOR are relentlessly brutal, one of the most classic yet forward-drilling bands you might’ve missed this last decade. Their latest EP, ‘Humanoid’ will release this coming February 5th via Dark Descent Records (digital and CD), Extremely Rotten Productions/Night Shroud (vinyl, cassette). The first single from the EP, “Empyrean Lifeform”, is a fine showcase for their brutal, moderately technical and riff-crammed style of pure death metal. Check it out over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Slovak Metal Army have announced February 25th as the day of release for INNERSPHERE‘s second album, ‘Omfalos‘. Innersphere are based out of Pilsen, Czechia and incorporate melodic doom metal influences into their melodic death metal sound. Catchy stuff with a fair bit of movement judging by this first preview track: [LINK]
  • Canadian speed metal trio APHRODITE have announced the details of their upcoming second album ‘Orgasmic Glory‘, which will be released via Fighter Records this coming March 30th. They’re aiming for 80’s heavy metal with some clear speed metal and punkish touches from members of Ice War, Colorsfade with some distinct vocasl from Outline/Demona’s Tanza Speed. The first single from the album, “Dance Wild and Free”, has a bit of a mid-80’s party metal kick to it. Check it out on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Riley Hawk‘s grunged-out garage punk trio WARISH have premiered the first video in support of their upcoming second album ‘Next To Pay‘, which will release through RidingEasy Records this coming April 30th. They’re still hyper focused on tightly wound, simple-but-effective punk rock songs with a psychedelic, fuzzed edge but so far it sounds like this record hits upon a darker thread or, a more sullen mood. Watch the music video for “Say to Please” over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • French orchestral/operatic blackened gothic music project LES CHANTS DU HASARD have announced they will release ‘Livre Troisième‘, their third full-length on April 9th. You’ll remember this project from their two albums with I, Voidhanger Records, this one appears to be self-released. Conceptualized, composed, and performed by sole member, Hazard (Way to End, ex-Raven Circle) is joined by a host of vocalists such as Vaerohn (Pensées Nocturnes) and Göran Setitus (Svartghast, ex-Setherial) for his choir yet the project features no traditional “rock” instruments. No preview yet, pre-orders/information over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Heavy psych/doom metal band HEAVY TEMPLE have officially signed with Magnetic Eye Records for their yet to be unveiled debut album. They’ve been described as able to flit between “boogie van grooves to the gravitas of Candlemass” in shaping their debut which has been tentatively announced for 2021. Follow them on Facebook to get a sense of their gig, fun band with a lot of style: [LINK]
  • Another top ten album of the year contender already? Hell yeah it is — Hell’s Headbangers Records and Indie Recordings are conspiring together for the recently announced third full-length from Norwegian thrashers NEKROMANTHEON which will be titled ‘Visions of Trismegistos‘, due out April 30th in North America. Featuring members of Obliteration, Audiopain and Black Viper the hope is that you’ve not forgotten these purveyors of the Kolbotn black-thrashing sound in the nine year wait between albums. If you loved recent records from nords in Inculter, Shakma, and Evoke you’re gonna be into this band. The cover art from Zbigniew Bielak is an incredible touch, very fitting for the title of the record. To celebrate the occasion they’ve released the first single/title track “The Visions of Trismegistos” which you can check out on YouTube and Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Memento Mori have announced they’ve signed one of the United States best current underground death metal bands, CONJURETH for the CD version of their upcoming debut full-length. In addition Rotted Life Records will release LP version. A tentative release date for both formats has been set for July 26th but the rest of the details will have to wait until we’re a bit closer to the release date. Check their Bandcamp in the meantime: [LINK]
  • Dutch sci-fi thrashers CRYPTOSIS have released a new single and music video for their upcoming debut on Century Media Records which will be titled ‘Bionic Swarm’. “Transcendence” portends a technical and ripping classic thrash sound as we approach the March 26th release date for the album. Cryptosis is essentially the re-branding of much loved thrashers Distillator, the same guys under a different name pushing their sound and skills forward into a more serious science fiction themed universe. In the case of the first album, each song contains its own dystopian vignette. Check out “Transcendence” over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • The fine folks at Blood Harvest Records have set May 14th as the release date for Prague death-hoarde SNĚT‘s debut album, ‘Mokvání V Okovech‘, on CD and vinyl LP. If you want a tape, Lycanthropic Chants [EU] and Headsplit Records [US] have you covered. You know you can trust the label(s), the album art is fucking disgusting psychedelic brilliance, so… Riffs? Yes, check out the first single “Kůň Kadaver” and blueeearrrrghh! into the weekend: [LINK]
  • NOTABLE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Band of Spice, The Flaming Sideburns, Abyssal Vacuum, Stone Mammoth, Mephistofeles, Sleepless, Venomous, Valse Noot, Wojtek, Socioclast, Moral Collapse, Performed, Ulvegr, Wytersake, Spire, Deconsecration / Re-Buried, Ephemerald, Innersphere, Meuchelmord and several more. Look for coverage in the near future. Don’t see your album listed? Send it to me: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com
DIPYGUS – Bushmeat (Memento Mori/Expansion Abyss)

SITE WEEK IN REVIEW (1/23/21 – 1/29/21)

  • Annihilate This Week 1/25/21: “To remember today what was felt yesterday, is to be today’s living corpse.”
    • This year …From the Tomb becomes Annihilate This Week, still focusing on new releases from the week but now accumulating a New Releases list/discussion in addition to short reviews for around 5-10 new albums each week. It will post every Monday.
    • This week I chose to cover 5 New Releases from January 22nd-29th. The favorite(s) being Vermineux and Portrayal of Guilt.
  • The Top 20 Albums of January | 2021
    • Thoughts on 20 of the best albums from January 2021.
    • Includes: Aethyrick, Mefitis, Eximperitus, Void, Here Lies Man, Altered Dead, Transilvania, Dipygus, Bhleg, Viagra Boys, Molten, Hulder, Fractal Generator, Regnvm Animale, Dread Sovereign, Svrm, Midnight Spell, Arabrot, Aberration & Tribulation.

Since I’d been unusually busy with work this week the reviews aren’t pouring at their usual rate. You should have already pre-ordered/bought new albums from The Ruins of Beverast and Misotheist, those reviews are coming shortly. As for Black Hole Deity and Revulsion, these are harder death metal punchers for fans of the crunching, riff-swatting but still ‘classic’ in feel stuff. Anyhow, none of it releases ’til next Friday. Some of my rambling felt excessive this week, I enjoyed it but who knows if it was worth reading. A review for Cyberpunk 2077 is coming shortly, also. If all of that gets done in a timely manner, I’ll aim to cover new records from Caedes Cruenta, Humanity’s Last Breath, Abythic, and Ablaze My Sorrow, among others.

MISOTHEIST – For the Glory of the Redeemer (Terratur Possessions)

UPCOMING RELEASES (2/01/20 – 2/05/20)

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 full review is drafted or in preparation. A pound (#) indicates a short review is warranted and in process. A plus (+) indicates that the album has already been reviewed. Click/Tap on RECORD LABEL name for preview, stream, or store.

  • THE RUINS OF BEVERAST – The Thule Grimoires [February 5th, Ván Records] *
  • ALKERDEEL – Slonk [February 5th, Consouling Sounds] +
  • MISOTHEIST – For the Glory of the Redeemer [February 5th, Terratur Possessions] *
  • BREATH – Primeval Transmissions [February 5th, Desert Records] +
  • BLACK HOLE DEITY – Lair of Xenolich [February 5th, Everlasting Spew Records] *
  • REVULSION – Revulsion [February 5th, Transcending Obscurity Records] *
  • MAESTITIUM – Tale of the Endless [February 5th, Black Lion Records] #
  • DSKNT – Vacuum ??-?Noise Transition [February 5th, Sentient Ruin]
  • OMINATION – NGR [February 5th, Hypnotic Dirge] #
  • KORPIKLAANI – Jylhä [February 5th, Nuclear Blast Records] #
  • STURLE DAGSLAND – Sturle Dagsland [February 5th, Self-Released]
  • OLD CASTLES – Die Wampyriskra Symphonie [February 1st, Inferna Profundus Records]
  • SEA SLEEPER – Nostophobia [February 5th, Metal Assault Records]
  • WHITE NIGHTS – Solanaeceae [February 5th, Iron Bonehead Productions] !
  • MOURNERS – Act I: Tragedies [February 5th, Personal Records]
  • DEAD EXALTATION – Despondent [February 5th, Self-Released]
  • EVERDAWN – Cleopatra [February 5th, Sensory Records]
  • COLOSSUS – Degenesis [February 5th, Comatose Music]
  • TERRORDOME – Straight Outta Smogtown [February 5th, Selfmadegod Records]

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