ENDTYMER is the inevitable weekly “music blog” series I’ve been working to avoid for some time. It hits at the end of every week with the intent of covering notable new releases, sharing news of new releases, and musing over various personal listening habits. It is a largely informal blog, has opinions, etc. so chill out a bit. I do my best to cover as much of everything I receive in some form regardless of genre or representation, don’t hesitate to send anything and everything my way: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

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ALBUM OF THE WEEK

This week there were two records which stood out as the best of the week’s new releases and I ultimately decided based upon how many times I’d been compelled to listen and re-listen to the album beyond the review process, landing French black metal group CAÏNAN DAWN and their latest album ‘Lagu‘ standing quite tall for the sake of their deeply melancholic yet rousingly epic approach. If you are seeking something on that same level of thoughtful mastery but prefer death metal then SPECTRUM MORTIS‘ ‘Bit Meseri-The Incantation‘ should impress otherwise. Plenty more to choose from this week otherwise that’ll suit your own taste otherwise since September was goddamned stuffed with great shit, wall-to-wall splatter.

THESE RULE TOO

• THULSA DOOM – A Fate Worse Than Death (Invictus Productions)
• HUSSAR – All-Consuming Hunger (I, Voidhanger Records)
• AUTOPSY – Morbidity Triumphant (Peaceville Records)
• ORM – Intet • Altet (Indisciplinarian)
• GIVRE – Destin Messianique (Eisenwald)
• MAMALEEK – Diner Coffee (The Flenser)
• LABYRINTH OF STARS – Spectrum Xenomorph (Translation Loss Records)
• SCEPTIC – Nailed to Ignorance (Szataniec)
• OFF! – Free LSD (Fat Possum Records)

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Thank you, ahead of time, for reading. I am eternally grateful for the support of readers and appreciate friendly and positive interactions. Think my opinions are trash and that I suck? Want to totally tell me off, bro? Click away and let’s all live more sensible lives full of meaningful interactions. — If you’re interested in some short reviews and music news, you’ll have to wade through a few dumb quips first, scroll down ’til you see a Bandcamp embed.

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DEFINE “HUBRIS”, YOUR HONOR

Hubris Cannon started out as a pandemic-initiated exploration of metallic hardcore/grind from Atlanta-area musician Twitch whom most people would recognize from doom metal group Lost Hours and thrash/crossover group Turn Cold. ‘Summer‘ is their last EP done as a solo project as they’ve expanded into a quintet and started kicking around smaller tours this year. He’d called it a nerd tantrum and mentioned Botch and they’ve got gaming mats as part of their merch for sale, so the vibe is there though I appreciate the more chaotic grind influence songs (“Life/Loam”) more than the straight forward hardcore push of it. This release is pretty much the whole pre-lineup discography at around ~18 minutes so, see if you’re into the sketches available here ’til they’re up to what’s next. Check out Lost Hours, too if you’ve not heard of them and are into extreme doom.

IT/SABOT/TIME

Saint Paul, Minnesota-based death/sludge metal quintet SABOT are hitting way too hard and growling out the inner abyss on this two song EP ‘Last City of the East‘ which they recently self-released digitally. Plenty of riffs, loud as Hell stuff, definitely should appeal to nowadays death metal bros just as much as folks seeking the harder (read: hardcorish) side of sludge metal. They’re onto something here, not sure if they’re going to push out more doom in the future or stick to these big-ass brick throwing kinda songs. Either way I’m looking forward to whatever they do next.

POLYVINYL EQUINOX

Hisingen, Sweden-based heavy metal label Jawbreaker Records recently released a really sharp looking cassette tape for Polish power metal/NWOTHM quintet AQUILLA‘s debut full-length ‘Mankind’s Odyssey‘ which released on CD/Digital back in February in case you’d missed it. The speed metal influence is strong enough here and the album has a sort of anthemic quality to it which I’d appreciated. Always up for a classic sci-fi themed heavy metal record so this’d hit the spot for a listen or two, and I’d generally just appreciated the considered design of the tape.

PROWLIN‘ HARD

Crossover thrash colossus PROWL hail from Montreal, Canada and recently released their debut full-length, ‘The Forgotten Realms‘ on vinyl. It says sold out on the Bandcamp but they’ve got copies up on BigCartel and yeah, make a habit to always support a band’s store since they make the most money from it. These guys play a modern crossover sound you’ll instantly appreciate if you’re big on Power Trip, Inhuman Nature, High Command. Big sound, big riffs, lotta yelling, not a ton of leads but still a pretty hard record if you’re into this more hardcorish side of modern thrash aggression.

M/ST PRECI/US BL//D

Quebecois black metal act Précieux Sang is a complete mystery to me, and I’ve not read the press release etc. so, only the music speaks and of course en Francais as they’ve just today released their debut full-length ‘Les Nuits de Gethsémani‘ through Eisenwald. Of course anything black metal out of Quebec is likely to catch my ear these days and I was glad that I did not completely miss this fine release. Not much to say otherwise, just an easy pick up and get immersed kinda listen.

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“NEWS”

Worcester, Massachusetts high fantasy crossover death/thrash metal group HIGH COMMAND are back for the attack with a second full length album and they’re calling it ‘Eclipse of the Dual Moons‘, the album was produced by Seth Manchester and will release November 25th by way of the fine folks at Southern Lord. With their second album the band aim for world-building feats, giving us more of their fabled Secartha, which I guess I must’ve glossed over in preview of the first record. Otherwise they’re here to thrash in an extreme way: “Our love for the bay area in the 80’s is certainly no secret. Besides some of the more obvious influences we have, we were much more comfortable exploring some of the less obvious stuff we hinted at with the first record.” Go check out the first single “Siege Command” and oogle that pretty slick album art:

The fine folks at German label War Anthem Records have announced they will release the debut full-length album from German death metal band SUBORBITAL. ‘Planetary Disruption‘ will be released on November 4th this year and feature what they’ve described as “technical yet catchy Death Metal riffing, exaggerated solo outbursts and tons of threatening-groovy parts.” which are very much in line with a sort of ’89-’92 stretch of early technical death metal (Pestilence, Nocturnus, and such). The title track is also the first single and the fleet-fingered rhythm runs and sci-fi themes should bring to mind the classics but, of course with a modern, differently performative style in mind:

Invictus Productions have announced November 25th as the release date for LUCIFERICON‘s second album ‘The Warlock of Da’ath‘ on CD and vinyl LP. The band comments: “After opening the sorcerous gate through Al-Khem-Me-cal processes on the previous album, we have again embraced every atom of the blackest mass to conjure darkness from a more cabalistic perspective…” and of course I’m looking forward to it since the previous record was an intense mass of black/death magick. Check out the first preview song over on Bandcamp:

Shadow Records have announced November 25th as the release date for a special mLP from OFERMOD, ‘Ofermodian Litanies‘, on CD and cassette tape with the vinyl LP version coming January 20th, 2023. This release will feature two new songs recorded with maestro Belfagor on vocals, guitar, and bass and Marduk drum legion Simon “Bloodhammer” Schilling kicking up Hell. In addition to the new songs it will include two tracks from the ‘Serpents’ Dance‘ mLP, which has been out of print for some time, as well as an unreleased version of “Tiamtü”. Beseech the appropriate succor via Bandcamp-pulsed: “Mundus Imaginalis” and “Tiamtü”:

Blasphemous fucking death! On December 2nd Personal Records will shred your damned skull with unholy APPALLING‘s third full-length album, ‘Sacrilege‘, on CD format. Mental illness rages, Christ’s followers get their lashing, sins call for revelry on full blast and I’m definitely here for what these guys are tossing around. More brutality, more death, etc. I can already recommend this one if you’re big on classic USDM with a blackened hit but yeah, go figure it out yourself between the two tracks that are up on Bandcamp right now:

French death metal band IRON FLESH walked down to the hardware store, bought more gas for their chainsaw and their latest full-length, ‘Limb after Limb‘ was the result. Their third full-length album will be released by War Anthem Records on November 4th this year. They’re saying this record keeps the band’s 90s Swedish old school death metal roots alive but also incorporates some new influences and that is good news because I’ve had trouble sitting through HM-2 records more than 20 minutes long lately. Get a preview of their gig over on Bandcamp:

Finnish black metal label KVLT have announced November 25th as the release date for RIENAUS‘ third full-length album, ‘Luciferille‘. Formed in 2009 by way of Azazel member Mavrofos this project focuses exclusively on the soul of classic Finnish black metal, you’ll get it right away as we jump into the first preview song from the album “Äärellä viimeisen portin”:

Werewolf Records have announced November 11th as the release date for SORGETID‘s debut album, ‘Natt av Tusen Dödsfall‘, on CD and cassette. The vinyl LP version will follow next year. This Finnish melodic black metal group comes from Finnish visionary V-Khaoz (Vargrav, Druadan Forest, Grieve, et al.). The idea is to focus on early 90’s Nordic black metal feeling, as this is the mythical hearth for the fellowe’s tastes and it definitely shows on this record, which I’ve picked up like four times today. Our noose is swaying in the wind as “Havet Djupare än Sorg” whips away at us to start:

Swiss Black Metal band brilliancies UNGFELL have announced they will re-release their first demo circa 2015, ‘Demo(lition)‘, through the good folks at Eisenwald for the first time digitally alongside reissues on CD and vinyl this coming October 28th. The release includes is a new and previously unreleased track: “De Wolf Vo Ringgebärg”. Great song, great band, stoked for its upcoming release since I believe the previous issue is long sold out: 

Polish post-black/avant-garde metal crew MORD’A’STIGMATA have announced initial details for their sixth LP, ‘Entitled ‘Like Ants And Snakes‘ which is scheduled for release on November 4th this year on digital and CD formats via Pagan Records. The band comments: “Like Ants and Snakes is a record of the changes that we have gone through as people and as a band during two years of an absence from touring and partial isolation. This period helped us to find the ways of expression that have been present in us for a long time, but only this slowdown in our pace of life allowed us to find these ways. It is a road of burnt bridges, burning your own barriers, endless internal struggle.” And this makes more sense once you’ve noticed there is a heavier dose of gothic metal/darkwave running through past releases which has fully realized on this album, if we can gauge their comments alongside “Blood of the Angels”.

Hells Headbangers have announced Halloween as the release date for spooktacular death metal group ACID WITCH‘s fourth full-length album, ‘Rot Among Us‘, which will release on CD and cassette tape the same day death shall rise. The digital version will be available on October 1st (?) while the vinyl version will follow whenever it is ready, they’ll announced pre-orders, follow HHR on social media. First preview track “5508 Martin St.” can be heard at Hells Headbangers’ official YouTube channel or you could wait literally one day to hear the whole thing:

Italian black-thrash metal legends NECRODEATH will release their latest album ‘Singin’ in the Pain‘ in November through Time To Kill Records… and that is all the info I have for now, follow the band on Instagram to keep up and check out the music video for “Transformer Treatment” for now:

Werewolf Records have announced November 11th as the release date for the second full-length album from Finnish group YMIR. ‘Aeons of Sorrow‘ will release on CD and cassette tape with the vinyl LP version coming next year. With a history that’d pulled into gear in the late 90’s their capable glint of authenticity once again shines on this second album, check out the first single “Nightwinds”:

Italian doom/sludge metal band GRIEFBRINGER release via their debut album, ‘The Horrible Wilting‘ on November 18th by way of Church of Crow Records. These guys pull in a variety of experiences in fueling their craft: “We’re all from the gloomy and dark side of the Italian scene, with 30 years of international experience in bands such as MONUMENTUM, HAUNTED, SCHIZO, HELL OBELISCO, just to name a few. Collaboration with the previous projects convinced us to get together and explore the depth of the soul in this new creature. Darkness and godliness of places and images are our most important source of inspiration.” and I definitely appreciate any band attempting to create a sense of space, of unction in relation to realms tangible or otherwise. Check out the first preview track over on Bandcamp:

Silent Pendulum Records have announced the November 18th release of ‘Monumentum‘, the new double-album by Virginia-based sludge crew FOEHAMMER. Don’t know ’em yet? Think of earlier Thou, Ilsa, Usnea and such with big n’ long mountainous pieces and a bit of their own edge. Guitarist/vocalist Jay Cardinell suggests: “We made an effort this time to branch away a bit from the strict, slow style we had previously adhered to, while trying to maintain the crushing and mesmerizing riffs that have become the band’s trademarks,” check out the upped dynamism on mid-album track “The Dusk”:

“Great music for driving on a Sunday after drinking.” says some kid who looks about 14 years old over in the YouTube comments section for this new CHAT PILE music video for “The Mask”, a song which goes from conducting a robbery to being concerned for all of the animals in this slaughterhouse we’re livin’ it up in. One of my personal favorite records out this year, music video is new:

At one point in the following video a plate of spaghetti is slapped and stirred with the head of a reasonably large dildo. A lot of puking and projectile diarrhea too, right? *lights a field-stripped cigarette butt with shaky hands* I watch a lot of projectile vomit and/or diarrhea videos with dildo spaghetti moments, hard to recall which one but, I believe this one was extra bloody. Doomsday, doomsday! Nightmare, nightmare! hey, check out the latest single from DEAD CROSS single “Christian Missile Crisis” the dual vocal thing is working some magic metalpunk dread on me in prep for their upcoming album ‘II‘ which releases October 28th, on Ipecac.

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