Transcending Obscurity Records

Phasma – Purgatory Review

By Kenstrosity on February 17, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Hardcore, Technical Death Metal, 34 comments

“Sometimes an album comes around ye olde promo pit that looks and smells familiar, but plays like something else entirely. Today’s entry into the “what the heck am I actually listening to?” hall of infamy is Phasma’s Purgatory. The third record from the Greek/US duo, and the first carried by a label—our beloved Transcending Obscurity Records—Purgatory continually subverted every expectation I had. In doing so, it became one of my biggest pleasant surprises in recent memory.” Set Phasmas to brutal stun.

ByoNoiseGenerator – Subnormal Dives [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Kenstrosity on December 18, 2025 in Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Death Metal, Grind, Mathcore, Technical Death Metal, 62 comments

“Me, falling in love with a jazzgrind record? Of all the things that surprised me this year, that takes the cake by a wide margin. Of course, it follows that the band responsible for this change of heart is no less than my (formerly) least favorite act in the turboniche subgenre, Russia’s ByoNoiseGenerator.” Panic at the jazzgrind emporium.

Death Obvious – Death Obvious Review

By Andy-War-Hall on December 2, 2025 in Reviews, Avant-Garde, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 19 comments

“Back in August, I went goo-goo over an avant-black duo under Transcending Obscurity called Hexrot and, as a lowly N00b, awarded their debut Formless Ruin of Oblivion a “Great” designation. Flash forward, and sloshing through the promo sump comes an avant-black duo under Transcending Obscurity called Death Obvious, offering their self-titled debut. Composed of vocalist Lea Lavey and everything-else-er Sima Sioux, this Finnish duo reveal high aspirations with claims of “crafting music as it suits their demented vision in a recklessly intuitive manner” while pitching Death Obvious for fans of visionary acts like Blut aus Nord, Deathspell Omega, Veilburner and—looky!—Hexrot.” Sump struggles.

Depravity – Bestial Possession Review

By Kenstrosity on November 22, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 65 comments

“Since the release of Evil Upheaval in early 2018, I fell head over heels for Aussie death metal quintet Depravity. Evil Upheaval always going to be a difficult debut to follow, but Grand Malevolence did its very best and largely matched the debut’s sheer heft and vicious energy. Five long years spans the gap between then and now, with third salvo Bestial Possession, threatening to pummel me into dust. Little does Depravity know how badly I want it.” Depraved kinks and frightful brutality.

Veilburner – Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy Review

By Kenstrosity on November 11, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 46 comments

“Boasting one of the most consistent discographies in the world of weird modern metal, Pennsylvania’s Veilburner toy with the boundaries between the strange, the twisted, and the accessible. From my introduction to their work, A Sire to the Ghouls of Lunacy, to their high-water mark Lurkers in the Capsule of Skull, and through The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom, Veilburner defied Angry Metal Guy’s Law of Diminishing Recordings™.” Veil fought the Law.

Glorious Depravity – Death Never Sleeps Review

By Steel Druhm on November 6, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 34 comments

“Death metal from New York City is usually plenty ugly enough, but in the strange case of Glorious Depravity, things get even more grotesque due to the band members’ connection to acts like Pyrrhon and Woe. Their 2020 debut Ageless Violence was a solid if non-essential homage to the Godz of Floridan Death with plenty of Morbid Angel and Deicide DNA in its unnatural makeup. Five years later, they serve up Death Never Sleeps with a sound profile still wearing Orlando-friendly cargo shorts, and hidden in those oversized pockets are elements of grindcore. This is ugly, slimy death for fugly, unwashed folks who throw empty beer cans at meth heads for cheap thrills.” No death sleep ’til Brooklyn!

Dwelling Below – Wearisome Guardians Review

By Spicie Forrest on October 28, 2025 in Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 15 comments

“The boys in Dwelling Below get a lot of facetime here at AMG. We’ve reviewed Hierarchies’ debut (Jared Moran, Anthony Wheeler, Nicolas Turner), all three albums by Acausal Intrusion (Moran, Turner), one by Filtheater (Moran), and we’ve done a filter piece on Feral Lord (Moran, Turner). It’s no wonder, as we tend to enjoy the angry, dissonant stuff they put out. I’ve been jonesing for something in that ballpark, so when I learned that Dwelling Below’s debut unnerved Thus Spoke enough to waive seniority, I quickly snagged their follow-up. Hoping it might hit the spot, I eagerly dug my grubby lil nubbins into Wearisome Guardians.” Undermining calm.

Hexrot – Formless Ruin of Oblivion Review

By Andy-War-Hall on September 15, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 41 comments

“Promising in its promo a ‘stylistic mélange of death, black, and thrash metal with inventive electronic experimentation,’ Hexrot has woven an abstractly grim tale of a world rejecting Heaven and Hell by plunging reality into empty Oblivion. Classical in theming, modern in sound, it sounds like quite the undertaking.” A little late, but better than never.

Retching – Charming the Decomposed Review

By Saunders on August 28, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 46 comments

“Throwing their hats in the old school death revivalist ring, relative newcomers Retching explode out the rusty graveyard gates with a no-nonsense, pretension-free blast of old school death. Seeking to add their own spin and identity to separate themselves from the horde of old school aficionados, while leaving reinvention for other folks, the Rhode Island duo unleash debut, Charming the Decomposed.” Singles night in the rot pit.

Floating – Hesitating Lights Review

By Dear Hollow on July 29, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, post-punk, 23 comments

“Back in ’22, your favorite AMG staffers butted heads and said “yeehaw” in a Rodeö whose scores were disappointing, very good, and everything in between. The band was a little Swedish oddity called Floating, whose collision of sounds compiled a library of post-punk’s sneering rhythms, post-metal’s ponderous hugeness, and doom’s lurching intensity, at heart beating with dissonant death metal blood inspired by Demilich and Ulcerate. I found myself on the more favorable side, a little put off by its inconsistencies and experimental quirks, but ultimately excited to see more, and my wish has been granted in follow-up Hesitating Lights.” Float or bloat?