Transcending Obscurity Records

Depravity – Grand Malevolence Review

Depravity – Grand Malevolence Review

By Ferrous Beuller on December 8, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, 31 comments

“We all know how pivotal that second album can be. Time after time, history has made an example of the all-important sophomore sway. When an inaugural record successfully seduces the masses, all eyes immediately turn to what comes next. In 2018, Australia’s Depravity took great pleasure in repeatedly slamming my face into the wall with their brilliant debut Evil Upheaval. The fact that it did so with such aplomb in a year dominated by death metal ensured its place on my end of year list. Now, follow-up Grand Malevolence arrives with something to prove.” Prove you harmed.

Coexistence – Collateral Dimension Review

Coexistence – Collateral Dimension Review

By Felagund on October 24, 2020 in Reviews, 50 comments

“Technical death metal can be a fickle mistress. She can lure you away with promises of sublime virtuosity, only to bombard you with a cacophony of disjoined solos. She can entice you with the siren song of a bold sci-fi concept album, only to present you with a sub-standard Spawn of Possession clone. Despite this, there’s a lot of great tech death out there, but you have to be willing to separate the 8-string wheat from the 7-string chaff. So where does Coexistence fit in with their debut album Collateral Dimension?” All tech, no peace.

Aphonic Threnody – The Great Hatred Review

Aphonic Threnody – The Great Hatred Review

By Steel Druhm on October 16, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 16 comments

“Dark, moody doom death with gothic touches is a dish best served in an isolated, wintery cabin where only faint hints of sunlight can penetrate the deep freeze. Aphonic Threnody attempt to deliver exactly this kind of dour dish on their third album The Great Hatred. Following in the downtrodden footsteps of My Dying Bride and Saturnus, the duo making up this project are determined to turn your mellow into blubbering Jello™ with titanic doom riffs, booming death roars, and all the heart-tugging sadboi embellishments you’ve come to expect.” Haterade.

Poema Arcanvs – Stardust Solitude Review

Poema Arcanvs – Stardust Solitude Review

By Steel Druhm on September 11, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 22 comments

“For reasons unknown, Chile is a hot bed for doom metal. When I saw Poema Arcanvs hailed from Chile, played a brand of gothic doom death, and was signed to top-notch label Transcending Obscurity, I had to seize the day and the promo. Sadly, Father Time got the better of me and I missed getting a review done before Poema’s 6th album, Stardust Solitude hit the streets, and for that I feel eternal shame. Better late than never though, right?” Stardust and shame.

The Art of Labelling – Pt I

The Art of Labelling – Pt I

By Carcharodon on June 1, 2020 in Interviews, 34 comments

“The more time I’ve spent reviewing stuff on this here blog, the more I’ve begun to take note of record labels, to the point now that certain labels generate certain expectations for an album. With that realization, I became more interested in labels, how they work and the people behind them.” Behind the music lies the work.

Henry Kane – Age of the Idiot Review

Henry Kane – Age of the Idiot Review

By Holdeneye on May 21, 2020 in Reviews, Crust Punk, Death Metal, Grind, 18 comments

“It’s been nearly two months since I last wrote a review for a Jonny Pettersson project, so I’m long overdue for another one. I’m beginning to think that we should probably give Pettersson and fellow Swede Rogga Johansson a cool team name like ‘The Teeming Twins,’ ‘The Boys of Bounty,’ ‘The Copious Corps,’ or my favorite, ‘The Patriarchy of Profuseness.'” Snatch and jab.

Noctu – Gelidae Mortis Imago Review

Noctu – Gelidae Mortis Imago Review

By Master of Muppets on May 19, 2020 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, 30 comments

“When I hear the term “funeral doom,” several words immediately come to mind: slow, reeeally fucking slow, crushing, monolithic, etc. I am moved to many turns ov phrase in the presence of funeral doom, yet one word which rarely plods to the forefront of my funereal lexicon is also one which I cannot avoid when discussing the genre: what is “funeral,” Alex?” I’ll take Potpourr-zees for $200.

Live Burial – Unending Futility Review

Live Burial – Unending Futility Review

By Holdeneye on April 7, 2020 in 2020, British Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, 29 comments

“I went back (and forward) through the Death discography, and I quickly became enamored by Chuck Schuldiner’s skill, passion, and ability to gather phenomenally talented musicians together to create an audible snapshot of his brilliant mind on each successive album. Well, after only a few minutes of listening to Unending Futility by Live Burial, it becomes quite clear that the British band shares my affinity for Chuck’s music.” Death unburied.