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 week. 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

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THIS WEEK IN NEWS (5/29/21 – 6/04/21)

• Legendary Portuguese evil thrash metal band ALASTOR will release their new album ‘The Unholy Hordes‘ this coming June 7th via Firecum Records. ‘The Unholy Hordes’ is the follow-up to their 30th-anniversary album ‘The Dark Tower’ and the first to feature vocalist Lex Thunder whom is best known for his work in Toxikull. I discovered this band when I was first getting into Decayed years ago (they have a new album coming, too) and have been a fan since ‘Crushing Christendom’. You can listen to the whole thing over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
• Following the release of their new single and music video “Deificvs” PESTILENCE have announced a live stream from Paard a popular music venue within The Hague, Netherlands. It will take place from from 9PM CEST (3PM EDT) on June 4th (today), with a special setlist featuring 4 new songs of the upcoming album “Exitivm”. The stream can be accessed upon free registration on Paard’s website, hopefully I don’t post this too late: [LINK]
• Shadow Kingdom Records have announced they’ve signed one of my favorite doom metal bands HOUR OF 13 for the release of their long-anticipated fourth album, ‘Black Magick Rites‘, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape. This will be their first full-length in over eight years. If you are on top of things, you might already have purchased a digital copy for the one day it was available on November 1st, 2020. If you’re worried you won’t like Hour of 13 without Phil Swanson, don’t, as Chad Davis certainly worked on finding his own sound over the years and he really does work wonders. I’ve been listening to the digital version for a long while so, looking forward to this coming out when it does. No release date just yet. Follow Shadow Kingdom Records on Facebook to keep up to date: [LINK]
• Purity Through Fire have sets June 7th as the release date for German black metal band EISENKULT‘s second album, ‘…vom Himmel, hoch herab‘, on CD and A5 digipack formats. The vinyl LP and cassette tape versions will follow later this year. Get a taste of the blade over on YouTube with the first preview track “Eisenkult”: [LINK]
• On August 27th Dying Victims Productions will release the fourth album from long-standing black/thrash metal masters NOCTURNAL titled ‘Serpent Death‘, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape. This band really killed on their third album ‘Storming Evil’ so I am looking forward to this next one. They’ve premiered “Damnator’s Hand” this week and you can go check it out on Bandcamp: [LINK]
• THRONEUM and KINGDOM, two mainstays of truly dark Polish underground death metal have announced they will join forces for an upcoming split entitled ‘ThronDom des Bösen‘ which will be released on June 7th via Godz ov War Productions. It will be available on both vinyl and digital. Listen to the whole thing over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
• Hell’s Headbangers Records have announced July 30th as the release date for death metal act EXPUNGED‘s debut album, ‘Into Never Shall‘, on CD with the vinyl LP version following later this year. Expunged is musician W.D. (Dead Soul Alliance) and also features K.F. (Töteblut) on drums and J.S. (Ice War) is on vocals/bass. Interesting mix of characters and I’d liked their EP so, let’s see how this one hangs! Check out a preview track over on YouTube: [LINK]
• Creator-Destructor Records have announced the June 25th release of ‘Mass Rebel Infest‘, the latest LP from Canberra, Australia-based hardcore/metal band MENTAL CAVITY. Think of their sound as a mix of hardcore, ‘modern’ crust and even a bit of deathgrind. Preview track up on Bandcamp: [LINK]
• Indianapolis, Indiana based tech-death band FLESHBORE have announced they will release their full-length debut album ‘Embers Gathering‘ this coming August 13th on Innerstrength Records. Not exactly my thing overall but I really love that cover art. The official video for the title track is available over on YouTube: [LINK]
• Me Saco Un Ojo Records will partner with Everlasting Spew for the July 26th release of Finnish deathgrind band GALVANIZER‘s second album, ‘Prying Sight of Imperception‘. Me Saco Un Ojo will release the vinyl version, Everlasting Spew will release the CD version. Solid band! Check th em out of you’d like Cadaver Putrefaction earlier this year: [LINK]
• That new DARKTHRONE album, ‘Eternal Hails‘, is coming on June 25th and we’re finally getting a single and holy shit, is it solid. “Hate Cloak” will be the only preview of the release and I think this is fair as it lands over 9 minutes and has this wild traditional/epic doom metal sound to it that is all good news if this is where the album is coming from. Fenriz: “Hate Cloak is certainly the slowest song on the album, there are plenty of “fast” parts on Ted’s songs, middle tempos and slow as well. The whole point of us having long songs is variation in tempos/pace, hence the epicness”. Yeah, I mean that is a fancy way of saying it is a trip and riff-journey, anyhow, it is a great song. Check out “Hate Cloak” on YouTube: [LINK]
• Eternal Death have sets August 6th as the release date for WALD KRYPTA‘s third album, ‘Possessed by Nothingness‘, on vinyl LP format. Wald Krypta are a black metal duo with members in the states and Canada with two demos – Pandemic Winds (2016) and Lost Relic (2019) under their belt. I really liked ‘Lost Relic’ so I’m psyched for this one. The first preview track “Drowned Into the Last Realm” is up on Bandcamp: [LINK]
• Redefining Darkness Records have announced an August 27th release date for ‘Sinister Monstrosities Spawned By the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind‘ the sophomore full-length from Seattle, Washington based death/thrash metal band OXYGEN DESTROYER alongside a preview track “Slaughtering the Guardian Monsters” and an already nearly sold-out (vinyl) pre-order. Good on ’em, these guys rip(!!!) and based on this new song they’ve been putting in the work. Check out “Slaughtering the Guardian Monsters” over on Bandcamp: [LINK]
• Ripple Music previously announced the signing of Christchurch, New Zealand based high-energy heavy rock band PIECES OF MOLLY earlier this year and now they’re ready with a new single “Dead Sky”, a signature hard-roller that showcases their classic bluesy stoner rock kick at its hardest jog. This song is a great introduction to their sound, nice and noisy but altogether slick. “Dead Sky” is up on Spotify and Bandcamp: [LINK]
• Dutch symphonic black-metal project GOLDEN ASHES, created by Maurice de Jong of Gnaw Their Tongues, recently announced the title track from his upcoming third album ‘A Lightless Christ Shuns The Crown Of Divinity‘, which will be out August 23rd trhough Improved Sequence Records. Jump over to Bandcamp for a preview track: [LINK]
• Nearly fell out of my chair for this one: Finnish Funeral Doom pioneers SKEPTICISM are celebrating their 30th anniversary with the release of their sixth full length album ‘Companion‘. It will be released on the 24th of September this year through the fine folks over at Svart Records, who are on a roll this year so far. ‘Companion’ is going to be nostalgic in spirit, aiming for a journey that provides the essence of Skepticism past, present and future. I am such a ruthless fan and collector of their stuff, at least since 2001 or so, this is great news. First single “Calla” [Spotify Link] is out today the 4th of June. The album can be pre-ordered direct from Svart Records: [LINK]
• On August 6th The Sinister Flame will release BAXAXAA‘s debut album, ‘Catacomb Cult’, on CD and vinyl LP. Expect the fucked, violent and doomed curses of the late 80’s and early 90’s, just the same rage and ferality they’d began with so long ago. If you liked ‘The Old Evil’ EP and ‘Devoted to HIM’ as much as I did, you will love this sound even more. Listen to the title track, “Catacomb Cult” on YouTube : [LINK]
• Swedish death metal band DEMONICAL have announced a trio of re-releases for their out of print first three studio albums; “Servants of the Unlight” (2007), “Hellsworn” (2009) and “Death Infernal” (2011). The new releases are coming to deluxe digipak CD, colored vinyl and picture disc on October 8th via Agonia Records with lots of variations and merch packages. Their digital reissues are available as of today, June 4th, on streaming platforms, also on Agonia Records. Pre-orders, streaming, and all the variants up on Bandcamp now: [LINK]
• Kill ’em all! Dying Victims Productions and the equally glorious Stygian Black Hand pair up for the release of New York City’s last death-thrashing unholy hope in STRESS ANGEL and their debut album, ‘Bursting Church‘. Dying Victims Productions will release the CD version on July 30th, Stygian Black Hand will release the vinyl LP version on July 2nd. Rabid, rapid, ruthless and thousand-riffing headcharge that they are, this is one of the most exciting releases slated for July. They’ve got a preview song up on Bandcamp: [LINK]
• NOTABLE ALBUMS AT PRESS THIS WEEK FROM: Oxygen Destroyer, Stress Angel, Baxaxaxa, Napalm Ted, Crypt Crawler, Sundrowned, Heathen Rites, Galvanizer, Kollapse, Necromantical Invocation, Lower Automation, Fleshbore, Expunged, Mental Cavity, The Slow Death, Severed Boy, Prayers of Sanity, Xalpen, Bloodbeat, Perfect World, Saturnian Mist, Fulci, Eisenkult, Alastor, Sea Mosquito and several more. Look for coverage in the near future. Don’t see your album listed? Send it to me: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

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SITE WEEK IN REVIEW (5/29/21 – 6/04/21)

• Annihilate This Week 5/29/21: “Phenomenal and noumenal parity.”
  • 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 now post every Saturday (or Sunday) to better fit my schedule.
  • This week I chose to cover 9 New Releases from May 22nd-28th. Favorites being Crescent and Ossaert.
• An Early Stream of T.O.M.E.’s ‘I-III’ LP (2021) | PREMIERE
  • ‘I-III‘ will be available on CD format and digital download this Friday, June 4th through Spread Evil Productions. Thanks goes to the band, their representation and Spread Evil for the opportunity to share this fantastic black metal album early!
• The Top 20 Albums of May | 2021
  • Thoughts on 20 favorites from last month, links to streaming and full reviews included.
  • Includes: Ghastly, Balmog, Gosudar, Throat, Apostasy, Portal, Gateway, Grave Miasma, Oriflamme, Cross Vault, Mephitic Grave, Gargoyle, Morbific, Anatomia, The Flight of Sleipnir, Book of Wyrms, Alastor, Goats of Doom, Paranoid, HalluxValgus.

This week I was mostly catching up with the end of May and diving into some early June releases I’m still working on Killing Addiction, Passeisme, Code and Paranoid reviews.

• HIGH N’ HEAVY – V (2021) | REVIEW
• RIEXHUMATION – The Final Revelation of Abaddon (2021) | REVIEW
• GOATS OF DOOM – Shiva (2021) | REVIEW
• ALASTOR – Onwards and Downwards (2021) | REVIEW
• BOSS KELOID – Family the Smiling Thrush (2021) | REVIEW
• INHUMAN CONDITION – Rat°God (2021) | REVIEW

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UPCOMING RELEASES (6/05/21 – 6/11/21)

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.

• SEUM – Winterized [June 11th, Self-Released]*
• THIS ENDING – Needles of Rust [June 11th, Black Lion Records]*
• PASSEISME – Eminence [June 11th, Antiq]*
• ATRIUM – Ancient Spells [June 11th, Signal Rex]*
• GORGON – Traditio Satanae [June 11th, Osmose Productions] #
• CODEX SERAFINI – Invisible Landscape [June 11th, Halfmeltedbrain Records/Ceremonial Laptop]
• MUSCLE VEST – Live Laugh Loathe [June 11th, Prank Monkey] #
• COFFIN LURKER – Foul and Defiled [June 7th, Sentient Ruin Laboratories] #
• THRONEUM / KINGDOM – ThronDom des Bosen [June 7th, Godz ov War Productions]
• ORDER OF NOSFERAT – Arrival of the Plague Bearer [June 7th, Purity Through Fire]
• NEFARIOUS DUSK – Nefarious Dusk [June 7th, Purity Through Fire]
• VULTURE LORD – Desecration Rite [June 10th, Odium Records]
• RITUAL SACRIFICE – When Hope is Pain [June 11th, Vic Records]#
• BLOT MINE – Porphyrogenesis [June 11th, Vic Records] #
• SEPIROTH – Condemned to Suffer [June 11th, Petrichor]#
• EREMIT – Bearer of Many Names [June 11th, Transcending Obscurity Records] #
• DISTANT – Aeons of Oblivion [June 11th, Unique Leader]
• NARBELETH – Svmma Cvm Nox Arcana [June 11th, Folter Records]*
• WHITE TUNDRA – Honningfella [June 11th, All Good Clean Records]

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