Metalcatto
With a name like The Great Observer, you’d expect this band to sound like a bunch of music school nerds. It’s ironic, because Transcendence is more like fancy music from the sewer than anything else—or at least that seemed to be the idea here. Enough of the intro. You’re here to get knocked out harder than an amateur boxer. Anyway, let’s start.
So Transcendence is supposed to be a Black/Death journey, and in many ways, that’s exactly what we get. However, there are retro elements woven throughout. To the point that I was genuinely wondering if I had accidentally picked a Sepultura album that didn’t suck. Is that even possible? The riffs are tight and mean, as effective as they are direct, mixed with a more particular sense of grandiosity and horror. The production isn’t clean, but it isn’t a mess either. It sits in that sweet spot where everything sounds dangerous without becoming unintelligible.
I appreciate that the album had everything it needed to become a pretentious melodrama, but instead decided to stick to the working-class side of the force. There’s good dirt here that can be enjoyed by the whole family—assuming you’re all a bunch of weirdos, of course. But you’re here, so that’s an understatement. Anyway, there aren’t any tracks here that would test your patience for too long. The songs are compact, the ideas are focused, and the whole thing moves at a pace that respects your time.
Sure, that’s all positive, but complaining is inevitable in this business, and Transcendence is still an album that won’t surprise many. It might be executed well, but it’s something that you, the nerds and the oldies, have been through many times before. It’s dark and evil, but not exactly a new type of dangerous. Even if I found the retro and harrowing parts truly interesting, the overall package feels familiar. The bones are good, but the flesh is where we’ve already been.
There’s not much else to say except go and try Transcendence when it’s out. You might feel I’m being rather cautious with this album instead of showering it with compliments, but that’s just an attempt to be respectable in this low-life business. The Great Observer does deliver something fitting for its name—observant, measured, and aware of its place in the genre. Just be ready for something relatively safe. Not a bad thing, but not a revolution either. Sometimes safe is exactly what you need. Other times, it’s just safe. You decide.
Label: BlackSeed Productions
Release date: April 30th, 2026
Website:
facebook.com/people/The-Great-Observer/61573041190494
Country: Italy?
Score: 3.0/5.0
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