Transcending Obscurity – Page 3 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Officium Triste – Hortus Venenum

Most reviewers at MER have a guilty pleasure, and for some reason, many of us are deeply into the Emo Rock of extreme Metal: Death/Doom. So when something sad hits the mailbox, we all fight for it! Enter Officium Triste, a band that, in Hortus Venenum, is planning to throw a mix of misery, melancholy, and despair at us. All of this is wrapped in a melodic package that could make even the toughest guys cry. But does it succeed in reaching your inner traumas? Grab your pills, and let’s dive into this sea of denial.

Evilyn -Mondestrunken

I’ll give something to Evilyn—it has a cool band name. One that won’t make you suspect the ridiculous beatdown it can deliver. And what if I told you this is a “debut”? Could you believe a new band would compete in a year plagued with great Tech Death releases? Except Mondestrunken wasn’t written by amateurs. It features former members from Defeated Sanity, Psycroptic, and many others, which actually gives Evilyn the feeling of being a discreet superband. Cute, but Tech Death lives and dies by how exciting it is. Can this album stand out? We’ll see!

Monument of Misanthropy – Vile Postmortem Irrumatio

I’m usually honest with you, unless there’s some kind of profit behind lying to you. Otherwise, I always share my expectations. So, when I received the promo for Monument of Misanthropy‘s Vile Postmortem Irrumatio, I felt doubtful. Why? Because a Brutal Death Metal band singing about serial killers, psychological deviance, and grotesque violence is probably why the sub-genre was invented. However, I was puzzled by the fact that the band had cared to build a narrative in this album and that Transcending supported it, as they don’t support trash. So, let’s see if I was wrong!

Carnophage -Matter of a Darker Nature

Brutal and Technical Death Metal—those words should excite me, but in reality, we drown in promos claiming to be more savage than the last. So, when the “legendary” Carnophage dropped Matter of a Darker Nature, I thought, “Oh wow! That’s a cool cover art,” and that was that. However, I found the time to put my prejudices aside (as all of you should in life) and decided to give this dreadful creature a chance to smash me to pieces. Yay!

Diskord/ATVM – Bipolarities

I discovered Diskord by accident when they were part of Imperial Triumphant‘s first European tour. Needless to say, those two together have been the closest I’ve been to feeling under the influence of acid. I became a fan immediately and got myself a copy of Degenerations. As you’d expect, it was a degenerate experience that made me reconsider what metal was. Then there’s ATVM, which makes you feel just as high but takes a more technical route to success. Can you imagine the level of depravity that these two together can unleash? You don’t have to because Bipolarities is here!

Swelling Repulsion – Fatally Misguided

Transcending Obscurity has become the label for Tech Death. In whatever shape you like it, they probably have a band that can play as technical, as fast, or as disgusting as you need it. Enter Swelling Repulsion (nice name, by the way), an act that has a difficult task: to stand out in a year full of impressive Tech Death (see The Last of Lucy’s Godform or Replicant). In its newest effort, Fatally Misguided (just like you making career choices), the band is attempting to show that it has a different proposal for you, but is it even possible to get out of the comfort zone? Notice that Tech Death relax time is still the most stressful moment in the lives of 90% of musicians.

Cutterred Flesh – Love at First Bite

When you take a look at Cuttered Flesh‘s Love at First Bite cover art, you might be thinking that this is going to sound like the typical music that makes your grandma sigh in disappointment, wondering how kids these days are so damaged and rotten, how there’s no innocence anymore! That’s said by my grandma, who smoked two packs at 12 years old and was married away because the family couldn’t afford so many mouths to feed. Either way, Love at First Bite does come all the way from Karlovy Vary to take some heads, but is there more than just bone-crushing riffs here? Let’s see!

The Last of Lucy – Godform

You’ve lost count of your therapy sessions. Nothing seems to ease your anger issues. You’re on the brink of snapping at that coworker who cracks fart jokes all day. Well, let me tell you, I might not have any constructive solutions for you, but maybe The Last of Lucy does. This band has been delivering potent doses of compressed violence for years now. Moksha was definitely a step in the right direction, but does Godform continue this brutal onslaught?

Crawl – Altar of Disgust

Crawl has been busy lately. Following a lively split with Feral, it’s clear that they’re riding the wave of the new generation of old-school Swedish Death Metal bands emerging from (surprise!) Sweden. So yes, this is an extended version of the retro Metal that many have been enjoying lately. However, instead of more Immolation, you get more Entombed in your mix. But we’re not here to talk about Crawl; we’re here to discuss Altar of Disgust and determine if it has something new to offer or if it ends up being a derivative endeavor.