Transcending Obscurity Records

Vorga – Striving Toward Oblivion Review

By Kenstrosity on February 3, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 96 comments

“Space. Black metal. It’s a match made in heaven! People have been writing black metal albums about space for decades, and it doesn’t seem to matter how oversaturated that specific niche gets. Metalheads eat it up. I eat it up. Space is such a massive thing anyway that the possibilities are quite literally infinite to our comparatively minuscule imaginations, so in that way it makes sense that there’s always a new invader breaching the bulkheads. Enter Vorga and their debut full-length, Striving toward Oblivion.” Space inwaders.

Abyssus – Death Revival Review

By Steel Druhm on January 19, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Speed Metal, 33 comments

“Steps to ensure Steel Druhm throws his dirty ape cash at your old school death metal album: 1) Make it sound like it came from between 1987 and 1992, 2) Be as riffy and aggressive as possible, 3) Tie together nods to Obituary, Asphyx, and Death circa Leprosy / Spiritual Healing, 4) Cram some Possessed influence into all the cracks like so much snot grout. Greek death metal act Abyssus do all these things on sophomore platter Death Revival, and what’s more, they make it fun and mindlessly enjoyable to boot.” Abyssus for all of us.

Necrophagous – In Chaos Ascend Review

By Steel Druhm on January 8, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 44 comments

“The first dive into the promo sump at the start of a new year is fraught with risk and peril. Somewhat refreshed after the ever-so-brief holiday break, you may be a bit too eager to start the year with a winning find. Anticipation and expectation must be carefully managed as you regird the loins and begin the Sisyphus-esque uphill grind. Thus it was with freshly girded loins that I stumbled upon the debut from Sweden’s Necrophagous.” Death eaters, score beaters.

Wombbath – Agma Review

By Holdeneye on January 8, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 70 comments

“Wombbath is a band that seems ruthlessly intent on making up for lost time. Lying dormant for 20 years after an initial run in the early 90s, the project was revived in 2014 by longtime guitarist Håken Stuvemark and the omnipresent Jonny Pettersson. Two albums saw the light of day in the band’s first four years back together, but then things went into hyperdrive following the additions of drummer Jon Rudin and guitarist Thomas von Wachenfeldt.” For Womb the bell tolls.

Imperialist – Zenith Review

By Eldritch Elitist on December 20, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, 34 comments

“Some albums hit at just the right time, and Imperialist’s debut was right on schedule. In 2018, the year I would personally call the weakest year for metal of my AMG tenure, Cipher was a commanding force of bullshit-negative black metal, and easily one of my most-listened-to records of that year despite its late release. So then… where was it on my list? Ah. Yes. Near the bottom of my honorable mentions, chucked there as an almost-afterthought.” Royal authority.

Cutterred Flesh – Sharing is Caring Review

By Kenstrosity on December 2, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 43 comments

“Indeed, Sharing is Caring! In the spirit of sharing, allow me to share my opinion on Cutterred Flesh’s cheekily-named fifth album’s artwork. It’s brilliant, and my current favorite piece of 2021. On the surface, it follows a common aesthetic approach endemic to brutal death metal. Look closer, and notice that the subjects’ roles are flipped. The innocent, fragile hoo-mahns are the ones doing all of the flesh-tearing, stabbing and vivisecting of the big, scary monsters.” We care a lot.

Bizarre – Invocation Codex Review

By Dear Hollow on October 28, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 22 comments

“Another day, another metal album flaunting our cosmic insignificance in the face of unfathomable monstrosity. Lovecraft and death metal are like milk and honey, so Lord Cthulhu Almighty, take me to the promised land. Bands like Sulphur Aeon, Abyssal Ascendant, and Catacombs pluck my heartstrings with tentacled grace and eldritch care, taking my mind’s eye to the depths of R’lyeh – and it’s fucking Christmas in the abyss year-round, baby.” How Bizarre.

Noltem – Illusions in the Wake Review

By Carcharodon on October 12, 2021 in Reviews, Melodic Black Metal, 75 comments

“It’s an uncomfortable moment in a reviewer’s life when you stumble across some promo blurb from a band’s label or PR company that is actually right on the money. While I recognize it must be no easy life if your day job is relentlessly writing promo for bands, these mini-essays are normally so pumped full of hyperbole, so riddled with awkward phraseology and so glowing with praise that this band is the second coming of [insert relevant genre titan], that the write-ups are effectively useless as a guide to the band one is about to sonically ingest. Every now and again, however, the promo hits the nail on the head. Such was the case for Connecticut-based atmospheric black metal trio Noltem and its debut, Illusions in the Wake.” Good PR.

Replicant – Malignant Reality Review

By Kronos on September 28, 2021 in Releases, Death Metal, 69 comments

“Three years have passed since their Negative Life debut, and by the sound of it, Replicant spent not a moment of them fucking around. With a sound newly honed to scalpel precision, the New Jersey trio radiate a septic valor, the fearsome pride of the canny skid row pugilist whose sweat-slicked wounds repel as many challengers as their calloused knuckles. They dominate each bout and dedicate the win to those who taught them: Steve Hurdle and John Gallagher.” Replicating nasty realities.

The Slow Death – Siege Review

By Kenstrosity on August 25, 2021 in Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, 18 comments

“Transcending Obscurity always makes a concerted effort to deliver quality releases throughout each year of operation. I’d think most labels, especially ones focused on metal music, share the same ethic. However, what sets Transcending Obscurity apart for me is the sheer variety of extreme metal artists they recruit. Sure, there’s plenty of brutality on board, not to mention about seven thousand active Rogga projects. But then you get things like The Slow Death, a funeral death doom outfit from Australia who stand poised to deliver their fourth LP, Siege.” Siege perilous.