terraasymmetry Features

NEWS, Week in Review & Upcoming Releases (2/26/21)

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 (2/20/21 – 2/26/21)

  • Classic Slovak death metal band DEMENTOR are finally getting another pressing of their well-remembered second album ‘Kill The Thought On Christ‘ which was originally released in 1997. Immortal Souls Productions are keeping it limited with a hundred CDs and fifty cassette tapes. The last time this album was available in physical format was 1999 so save the date at April 25th as the official release with preorders going up on March 1st. These will be hand-numbered. If you do not know this band make sure you check out their discography, inventive and brutal stuff that has maintained the good old blasphemic ways since 1988. Keep an eye on their Bandcamp to catch a pre-order: [LINK]
  • The Sinister Flame have announced they will release a new EP from Scottish black metal artist IFRINN, ‘Caledonian Black Magick‘ this coming April 30th on CD and 12″ vinyl. You might recall Iron Bonehead put out their first demo back in 2016 and suffice to say the promise of a new release comes with some sizable expectation of atmosphere and riff. Definitely looking forward to this one. Until previews are available make sure you support the band and follow them on Facebook: [LINK]
  • Nefarious Industries have announced ‘Stumbling Through The Walls‘, the second album from Aarhus, Denmark-based progressive/avant noise rock trio HIRAKI. Describing their sound as ‘progressive synth punk’ almost shrinks the colossal scorch of the exploding sun they call a sound. I’d describe it as inventive despair, an inspired-yet-sinking sensation that is soundtrack sized. They’re aiming for early April for release and you can pre-order, check out the details, and listen to the lead single, “The Alarmist” over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Trondheim, Norway-based hardcore band SHEVILS are on a bit of a tear as they’ve released several catchy singles leading up to their long-awaited ‘Miracle of the Sun‘ album, which releases this May 7th. Think of later-era Snapcase, a syncopated post-hardcore feeling that melds into an almost desert rocked trance as this fourth single “Scandinavian Death Star” appears to be a bit of crowning statement for the record. They’ve got their own sound, catchy but never tasteless or childish stuff that reaches for a sharp variety of influences. Check out the single for “It Never Ends” to contrast the mood/movement of each single. Watch the music video for “Scandinavian Death Star” here: [LINK]
  • Amor Fati Productions have announced they’ll release harsh black metal realm BRÆ‘s debut album, ‘A thousand ways to end it all‘, on 12″ vinyl LP. Two ~21 minute songs that offer a shower of raw black metal destruction creeping along at a devastating pace. It is out now, purchasable from Amor Fati’s website, 250 copies total. Hey you don’t have to rely on me for a description here, they’ve already posted it up on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Unique Finnish doom metal trio CASKETS OPEN will have their fourth full-length album ‘Concrete Realms of Pain‘ brought stateside via Seeing Red Records (vinyl, March ’21) and Wise Blood Records (cassette, April ’21). I’d reviewed the album back in mid-March of last year when it came out and I can definitely understand the impulse to expand its reach as they’ve developed a memorable and idiosyncratic approach to doom metal. Head over to Bandcamp to pre-order and listen to the full thing: [LINK]
  • Arkansas hardcore/doom metal trio BONES OF THE EARTH have announced they will release their second full-length, ‘II. Eternal Meditations Of A Deathless Crown‘, on April 2nd via their own self-release. “Hardcore/doom”? Well, consider a beatdown heavy shout in an atmospheric sludge/doom metal tradition. A brutal sound with a lot of groove worth checking out. The first preview song “Peaceseeker” is up on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Me Saco Un Ojo Records and Dark Descent Records have announced the fourth full-length from Japanese death metal legends ANATOMIA will release this coming May 20th in the form of ‘Corporeal Torment‘, on vinyl LP and CD. This brand-new track they’ve premiered “Slime of Putrescence” is colossal! Since there are just four tracks on the album I’m definitely anticipating the final piece which clocks in just over 20 minutes. Check out “Slime of Putrescence” on Bandcamp: [LINK]
  • Werewolf Records have set alight… the dancehall, with a hump heavy 90’s electro beat kicking blackened ambient metal monster in the form of EMBRYONIC SLUMBER. Creep along the cave beneath the club, marvel at the festering hallucinogenic majesty of ‘In Worship Our Blood is Buried‘ on CD and vinyl this March 19th. Embryonic Slumber shouldn’t be -that- shocking if you’ve explored the broad range of interests V-Khaoz (Vargrav, Druadan Forest) takes part in, for this project he is working with Hellwind Inferion, a fellow you should certainly recognize from Sargeist and Desolate Shrine. I personally love this stuff, it verges on the absurd in description but the two singles they’ve released already show a brilliant range of atmospheric indulgence. Just after a cursory listen it is almost where I’d hoped Samael would go years ago, instead of buttoning up, and just explode with crazed, passionate energy. “Mortify Your Servant” is the song I’d suggest to start with over on YouTube: [LINK]
  • Black Lion Records have announced they will release the debut full-length from Armenian pagan black metal band ILDARUNI, ‘Beyond Unseen Gateways‘, this coming March 19th on CD and digital. A fine melodic/pagan black metal record in a very classic style, very clean production but a sound that should catch the ear of fans of Greek black metal such as Kawir to start, but also popular German and Scandinavian “epic” pagan/folk ideals. There are two singles up on their Bandcamp thus far, I suggest both are already stunning endorsement of this fine record: [LINK]
  • NOTABLE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Agabas, Wode, Embryonic Slumber, Black Knife, Downcross, Bunkur 66, Plaguewielder, Goath, Thermohaline, Mustan Kuun Lapset, Insane, Ildaruni, Universally Estranged, Dead Sun, Witherfall, Byron, Lucifuge, Nekromantheon, Noctule, Aggravator, Deha, Ifrinn, Mustasch, Mother of All, Domkraft, Heavy Trip, Grand Celestial Nightmare, Dirge, Aziola Cry, Arabrot, Holy Mintor, Agabas, Heaven, The Plague and several more. Look for coverage in the near future. Don’t see your album listed? Send it to me: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com
FIVE THE HIEROPHANT – Through Aureate Void (Dark Essence Records)

SITE WEEK IN REVIEW (2/20/21 – 2/26/21)

This week I’d basically been catching up with stuff releasing today (February 26th) and deciding on the best of the month. I wanted to stick with February releases for the last week of the month and I suppose I should have moved onto early March releases which I’m a bit more enthusiastic about. I don’t have anything particularly interesting to say about Five the Hierophant or Ad Nauseam, they are both very good records which I won’t likely review. Next week we push bravely into the first two weeks of March releases where there is already a bit of a drought of ‘old school’ death metal releases revealing itself this year.

ZARATUS – ‘In the Days of Whore’ (Ván Records)

UPCOMING RELEASES (3/01/21 – 3/05/21)

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.

  • BUTTERFLY – Doorways of Time [March 5th, Petrichor] #
  • HALLUCINATION – Hallucination [March 5th, Sentient Ruin Laboratories] #
  • BONECARVER – Evil [March 5th, Unique Leader] #
  • ABYSSAL VACUUM – MMXX [March 1st, Solar Asceticists Productions] #
  • KJELD – Ôfstân [March 5th, Heidens Hart]
  • STARSCAPE – Colony [March 1st, Stormspell Records] *
  • PUSTILENCE – The Birth of the Beginning Before the Inception of the End [March 5th, Personal Records] *
  • ZARATUS – In the Days of Whore [March 5th, Ván Records] *
  • REAPER – The Atonality of Flesh [March 5th, Iron Bonehead Productions] *
  • TRIGGER CUT – Rogo [March 1st, Self-Released] *
  • TERROR – Trapped in a World [March 5th, Self-Released] #
  • SPORAE AUTEM YUGGOTH – The Plague of Aeons [March 5th, Personal Records]
  • Wÿntër Ärvn – Abysses [March 1st, Antiq]
  • NADSVEST / NECROBODE – Split [March 5th, Iron Bonehead Productions]
  • THIRDFACE – Do It With A Smile [March 5th, Exploding in Sound Records]
  • RECLUSE – Lay Your Darkness Down With Me [March 5th, Self-Released]
  • KING BONG – Ogopogo [March 5th, Mandrone Records]
  • THE HYENA KILL – A Disconnect [March 5th, APF Records]
  • ARMORED ASSAULT – Blood Queen [March 5th, Self-Released]

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