It’s no secret if you know anything about me that Transcending Obscurity Records is, without doubt, my favorite record label by far. They were one of the labels that I became interested very early on when I started doing reviews and the Indian label has been all but instrumental in helping me carve out my taste for extreme metal, seeing the potential for great metal to be had from every corner of the map, and proving to me that hard work and perseverance has its struggles but definitely rewards that are not to be scoffed at. Watching this label grow into a global power in the underground has been a true joy to witness as each month progresses and they hone their skills with each year becoming better than the last. Their label samplers have been absolutely awesome to dive into every single year for the past few, and it’s with this fresh offering that they’ve really dominated all my expectations from all angles in such a way that there’s not a single entry here not worthy of dissecting or getting excited over.

The sheer variance in excellence, as well as style, is stunning even after three spins of the entire thing, but that’s really par for the course for Transcending Obscurity even as their bands were a very prominent presence on my Top Albums list of the years past with even the last two having bands from the label taking the top spots easily. And, if this year is going to go the same way this sampler is, I can easily see that being the case yet again. Much like the samplers of years past, this massive compilation of 52 bands with so many different blends of styles across all of them as this sampler divides them all from their type of metal from death, grind, crust, doom, sludge, black, and experimental and combinations of all of them spread amongst these bands to really allow us to curate our own listening of these bands. And with plenty of bands being new and familiar with the great vast majority of the sampler having never before heard material, there is truly something for everyone of all tastes on this sampler and it’s an indescribable joy to sink your teeth into. Such a grand listen is deserving of diving into every single piece with little scrutiny between bands, and I’ll do my best.

By far, the most numerous style we’re given here is the first: death metal. Which makes sense given the sheer volume that Transcending Obscurity has done for the style, and it’s here that we’re given a really eclectic bunch of 26 bands that play the good shit from brutal death metal to that straight riffage goodness to crazy technicality. Then there’s even some flavorful grind and crust thrown into the mix for good measure as bands like Abaddon Incarnate and Henry Kane bring it in full force to make me very excited to hear what those two genius bands bring us this time around. But with the death metal, there’s very little to not get excited about but so much to go through! Heads for the Dead returns with their horror-themed heaviness that still does not disappoint. Depravity comes back with a true vengeance and undeniable ferocity. Feral’s riffs yet again tear you a new one barely a year after their fantastic last album. Sadistik Forest, Sepulchral Curse, and Fetid Zombie all bust in and demolish all my expectations by exceeding them greatly on a level that is nigh on intoxicating! Coexistence and The Scalar Process bring a wondrous work of technical death to the table that is an absolute treat to sink your teeth into! All of them and so much more elevate the label’s palette of death metal to an entirely new level that promises no less than earth-shattering results every single time one of them drops a record.

We are only granted five bands for the heavy corner that is sludge-doom, but they are, by miles, my favorite five tracks that this sampler throws down for us. Three of the entries are bands that I have great respect for with Eremit (so soon!!), Soothsayer with a pre-master work that is as tantalizing to the mind as it is satisfying in its diverse sound and Jupiterian with their cosmic presence crushing down on you in every way with even the pain of such weight proving to be mesmerizing that blows any track off their last album out of the water! Then it’s with the fresh names of Subterraen and 71tonman that really surprised me with how ferocious and raw they are but they have their own identity that’s immediately distinguishable such that it consumes you right on the spot. All five of these entries are their own works from beginning to end, and I’ve little doubt that the moment I see these respective efforts being released that I will be spending a good few dollars to get my hands on what these devils have brought forth.

It’s with the grouping of black metal bands that we get here that Transcending Obscurity really brought forth an eclectic group that covers a very good swathe of what the style of black metal itself has to offer. Dødsferd brings us that uncompromising and slightly unorthodox brand that sounds just as satisfying as it is ever so slightly off-putting. Seedna returns to us a 14-minute slog that cuts to your very soul in such a way that makes the whole listen something not to be trifled with or underestimated lest you be quite foolish. Wardaemonic and Incendium Moon bring a much more straight forward cut of black metal that we’ve all heard but their potency is far from anything that could be even considered weak. Then Black Mass Pervertor brings us a blend of black and thrash metal to really singe our skin right off as they devastate all of existence by the time the song grinds to a halt. It’s all scathing on a grand level that delivers no matter which band you pick as they all have a clear mastery over their craft that cannot be denied or ignored.

Last year was truly a flagship year for the style of death/doom, and it was Transcending Obscurity that helped lead that charge with efforts from the likes of The Drowning, Officium Triste, Esogenesi, Illimitable Dolor, Chalice of Suffering, and Oak, and it’s here yet again that they deliver with some truly class entries for the style that are still as staggering and emotional. The Slow Death comes back to us with a heart-wrencher that has so much depth to it but loads of excellence about it that it’s nigh on undeniable. Towards Atlantis Lights delivers a much faster sample than I was expecting, but it further showcases the talent that this band is continuing to tap into even after demonstrating it with their debut. Et Moriemur’s unique blend and theme continue to be a great boon for them as it brings so much intrigue to the table that many other bands can’t come close to touching and it’s the new song that only further cements that. Onirophagus surprised to no end as they were a name I knew not before today and it’s that one song that makes me so incredibly excited for what they will bring forth when next we see them. Then Promethean Misery finally gets a well-deserved label for an act with such a unique approach to the style and a beautifully haunting atmosphere to match. All of it comes together for so many grand listens that are just as heavy as they are emotionally important to each artist, and such care and talent pours forth into every single note that crushes us in every single entry.

Finally, it’s the experimental section that continues to be a whole bunch of what-the-fuck in some of the best ways possible. Each act brings something all their own to the table whether it be Norse’s experimental take on corrosive black metal, Veilburner’s mind-numbingly psychedelic assault, Plasmodium’s unstoppable march upon the psyche, or Pollution Chamber’s caustic work meant to strip your very soul of all light. Each piece is such a voracious work that it’s a real shock and surprise to hear them every single time because they just feel so random in nature, and there’s so much going on that it’s a real task to dissect even though it’s a unique joy to sift through the mysterious fog that these artists revel within in order to deliver us a listen that’s very much unique to them. They nail it amazingly well and it’s each one that delivers a product that I can’t help but appreciate and enjoy to an incredibly high degree.

It’s like I said: Transcending Obscurity knows exactly how to deliver. This label sampler is an absolute testament to not only the power of their wide and expansive roster, but also the talent behind the scenes from the label themselves. I can already promise you that this year will be an extremely busy one for the Indian titan, and it damn well has the potential to be the best one for them given the bands that we already know are putting shit out this year from the likes of Eremit, Jupiterian, and Depravity without even mentioned the releases already up for pre-order from Colosso, Innards, and Medium. There’s a reason this label has been my favorite, and I cannot urge you enough to try and support it as much as you see fit even if its just a few dollars or buying the shit out of one band’s material. The underground is truly filled with deserving labels worthy of our money, but I cannot think of a better one than Transcending Obscurity. And if not, maybe the literal hours of material from this sampler would be enough to convince you.

LISTEN to the sampler on Bandcamp here.

BUY all sorts of stuff off of their official website here.

LIKE Transcending Obscurity Records on Facebook here.