Transcending Obscurity

Eternal Storm – Come the Tide Review and Album Premiere

By Cherd on August 22, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 82 comments

“Surround myself as I might with dissonant blasts and angular minimalism, all it takes is the first few notes of a melodic lead by Insomnium or mid-era ,b>Amon Amarth and all of my weirdo-cred moves to the back burner. There’s something about that mix of primal aggression and soaring emotion that scratches an itch no other genre can reach, so whenever I happen upon a new melodeath record of exceptional quality, it’s almost a religious experience. Come the Tide, the incredible debut album from Spain’s Eternal Storm, is just such a record.” Seize the tidal.

Rogga Johansson – Entrance to the Otherwhere Review

By Eldritch Elitist on July 19, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, 35 comments

“Whatever happened to melodic death metal? No, I don’t mean power metal with harsh vocals, as the term’s modern connotation entails. I’m talking about classic, knuckle-dragging death metal riffage, paired with somber, melodic atmosphere; the sort explored by Edge of Sanity, Tales from the Thousand Lakes-era Amorphis, and others during the 90’s. It’s a specific concoction that fell out of popularity as the genre pushed ever onward down increasingly brutal and complex avenues. And yet, Rogga remembers.”Rogga! Rogga!

Angry Metal Primer – Rogga Johansson

By Dr. Wvrm on July 14, 2019 in 2019, Angry Metal Playlist, Angry Metal Primer, Death Metal, Swedish Metal, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, 61 comments

“In which you are buried under a pile of Rogga.”

Burial Remains – Trinity of Deception Review

By Holdeneye on July 12, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Dutch Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, 23 comments

“Back when I was a snot-nosed n00b, I waxed non-poetically about how old school death metal has never really grabbed me all that hard. Now that I’m a snot-nosed non-n00b, I should probably set the record straight and disclose that the Swedish death metal sound really does have a place in my heart. That Boss HM-2 guitar tone is just so nasty, and when it’s combined with punk rhythms, it can induce an almost trancelike state with its beautifully bouncing beefiness. That sound is what has set a lot of European death metal apart in my ~~Holden~~ eyes, and I almost universally ignore the OSDM bands from my own country because of it.” Benedict Holdeneye.

Hex – God Has No Name Review

By Cherd on July 9, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 24 comments

“When I look at the cover art for the sophomore full-length, God Has No Name, by Spain’s Hex, I see a hyperbolic metal label distribution PR blurb made pictorial. ‘Riffs so heavy, so scorching, they splinter the Earth’s crust into black obsidian shard,’ it declares. Straight-faced, it adds ‘A sound so singularly malignant, it tears a hole in the very heavens above. As it rends the firmament, fire erupts from blah blah blah,’ you get the point.” Sounds of an apocalypse fading.

Temple Koludra – Seven! Sirens! To a Lost Archetype Review

By Master of Muppets on June 25, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, 25 comments

“Throughout the untold eons that have comprised my existence thus far, I’ve found myself entangled in countless trysts with the myriad subgenres ov metal. Seasons pass, empires rise and fall, and as the face of humanity changes so does the soundtrack to my omnipresence. My point: I’ve been everywhere in the metalsphere, man, and though I have my preferences and proclivities, I’ll always respect death metal above all. There’s an earnest fervor found and felt throughout the genre at large, and it’s to death metal that I turn whenever I feel burnt out by a deluge of musical sameness.” Death for life.

Goregäng – Neon Graves Review

By Kenstrosity on May 20, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Crust Punk, Death Metal, Reviews, Transcending Obscurity, Crust Punk, Death Metal, 47 comments

“If there was ever a genre of extreme music my library woefully under-represents, it’s anything tagged with the term ‘crust’ or ‘punk.’ Why, you may ask? Because I just don’t listen to it often. Punk and many of its sibling genres find little purchase with me. Which is funny, since I like grindcore and powerviolence, two of punk’s more extreme descendants. My suspicion is that at this point in my musical evolution I remain a tad stubborn as it pertains to things I don’t want to like, and crust-punk is one of those things.” Eat the crust!

Chalice of Suffering – Lost Eternally Review

By Cherd on April 24, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Transcending Obscurity, Death Doom, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, 44 comments

“Grief can seemingly last forever. Whether you’re actively working through it or just passively experiencing its various stages, grief is a marathon, not a sprint. Excitement, on the other hand, is always fleeting. Moments of joy, fright or rage flare up and burn out quickly. Excitement is not a state that can be sustained for long. Grief, sorrow, despondency, these can last indefinitely. There’s a reason grindcore albums never break 30 minutes while funeral doom albums stretch well past an hour. If it takes time to experience, it will take time to express. But listening to the genre at its best isn’t about being patient, as if there’s some reward at the end. It’s more about allowing yourself to be borne along by the slow process. Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Chalice of Suffering—612, represent—is here to take you on a long journey through the deepest despair.” Playing the long winter game.

Illimitable Dolor – Leaden Light Review

By Ferrous Beuller on April 8, 2019 in 2019, Australian Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 51 comments

“Two years ago I reviewed the self-titled debut of Australia’s Illimitable Dolor, a project carved from the members of The Slow Death to illuminate the loss of their friend and band mate Gregg Williamson. It was a feast of death-doom delights with a bold sense of atmosphere to truly define the plundered depths. Now, the band have returned with Leaden Light and a mind clearly bent on expansion. But a broadening of such bereaved horizons requires mass. And sometimes too much is simply too much.” When heavy isn’t enough.

Eremit – Carrier of Weight Review

By Grymm on February 26, 2019 in 2019, Doom Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Sludge, Transcending Obscurity, Doom Metal, Sludge, 50 comments

“First impressions, man. For all the hyperbole and word-saladry people spin about them, they do serve their purpose, regardless if they’re a fully accurate summation of whatever it is they’re representing. Since this is a metal blog and you, dear reader, aren’t here for dating advice, political commentary, or anything else that you couldn’t find in abundant supply over at Facebook, you can correctly guess I’m about to discuss a debut. German then-trio Eremit are plunging their swords into the Earth, hoping to stake their claim as new heroes of all things slow and sludgy with Carrier of Weight, bombarding you with all the glory and power that three guys can possibly pack into three songs… totaling around 68 minutes.” Eremit the Bog.