We’re thrilled to sign Toby Knapp’s black/thrash metal band Affliktor from US. He’s a world class guitar player and is a part of several bands, but his take on a style that’s more often than not associated with lo-fi aesthetics and ‘alcohol-driven’ music is thoroughly refreshing. The debut full length with artworks from a common friend in Mark Riddick will see a release around mid-2017. Watch out for this one.
Transcending Obscurity Records owner Kunal Choksi states, “Toby Knapp is a world-renowned guitar virtuoso and is involved in the creation of music of all styles since the ’90s. He’s been a part of bands like Godless Rising and of late Waxen, Where Evil Follows, Sue’s Idol, Onward, not to mention his prolific eponymous solo band. I first came to know about him when he contributed leads to the recent Fetid Zombie album. When I heard his new black/thrash metal band Affliktor, I was blown. It was refreshing because he’s using his famed method of guitar shredding to play an underground style of music without taking away the intensity or genre’s inherent harshness. The outcome is stunning and I’m pleased to be working with the debut full length of Affliktor. The artworks have been made by none other than Mark Riddick and you can expect a stunning package for this one.”
Toby Knapp adds, “The Affliktor album was originally intended to be a pure thrash album, so the first layer of music is thrashing speed metal riffs. As time went on the album started developing into a new sound. Once the solos and atmospheric guitar effects were recorded the album called for sickening black/death metal vocals. The final result was kind of a technical Black Thrash Metal hybrid. I have been fortunate to have my work released by some of the best labels in the world and with Kunal and Transcending Obscurity Records- the tradition continues.”
In a first, Arallu from Israel sign to the regional sub-label Transcending Obscurity Asia. They happen to be the first band from Israel to be associated with Transcending Obscurity Records and we couldn’t be happier. Their music is scathing black/thrash metal (not too unlike Rudra) and even bears Middle Eastern influences in their music. Their upcoming album ‘Six’ is easily their best yet and is scheduled for a June release date tentatively on various formats including box sets and vinyl.
Transcending Obscurity owner Kunal Choksi states, “It is my utmost pleasure to sign my first band from Israel. I’ve always felt a connection to that place and it’s quite fortuitous to receive an email from the mighty band Arallu. It’s just what I was expecting – genuine, vicious yet folk-tinged black/thrash metal music with no compromise whatsoever. The members have been very cooperative and enthusiastic and I’m sure we can do great things together with the new album which should be out in around mid-2017 on Transcending Obscurity Asia. Along with Rudra, they’re a great fit and here’s hoping we get to watch the band live soon too!”
Arallu comment, “We would like to thank Kunal and Transcending Obscurity Records for the new record deal. We are looking forward to a great and intense cooporation and we are sure that we made the right choice. We are happy to work with a record label that believes in the ability and the music of Arallu. We confirm our new pre album tour via Metal Gate booking agency and hope to see you all off the stage around east Europe in April 2017! Now we are ready to hit the studio and record our new album titled ‘Six’.”
LUCIDREAMS from Bangalore, India have been around for a seriously long time. There’s a lot of passion in the music and a heady beat to go with it, and we’re glad to put out their latest and indeed much-awaited album, ‘Ballox’.
Transcending Obscurity India (sub-label) owner Kunal Choksi states, “I’m happy to put out the long-running Bangalore-based heavy metal band’s much-awaited album, ‘Ballox’. It holds a nostalgic charm and has its own individual flavour as well. Though originally supposed to be out on the now defunct distribution sub-label, this has been upgraded to the Transcending Obscurity India sub-label and will see a release in March. A slew of wonderful packages have been designed for this one, setting a new standard hopefully for the bands here.”
Narayan from LUCIDREAMS says,”It’s awesome to finally put LUCIDREAMS‘ music out on a CD, considering the band’s been around for more than two decades. It’s even more special to partner with Kunal and Transcending Obscurity, considering everything the label stands for, both locally and internationally. We look forward to an exciting future together.”
Jayanth adds, “This release is extremely special and we’d like to dedicate this to our brother Suraj Dutt. A band that has seen over 20 musicians, Suraj made a massive impact, musically and personally. It’s an honour to see the release out and to work with Kunal from Transcending Obscurity India on this.”
Warcrab have been signed for a two-album deal via Transcending Obscurity Records. They uniquely combine death metal and sludge to create something absolutely powerful and memorable.
Transcending Obscurity label owner announces, “Most of you may have heard Warcrab‘s track in the latest label sampler, and it’s time to open pre-orders for their epic release ‘Scars of Aeons’ for the first time on CD. It merges the heaviness of death metal with the visceral groove of sludge and the result is astounding. It sounds immense and I’m glad to work with this band for not only this album but their upcoming one as well. Cheers to Jools Green, Shrivatsan (my deputy editor) and others for turning me on to this band!”
Warcrab member Paul “Budgie” Garbett adds, “Warcrab are over the moon to be able to finally release ‘Scars of Aeons’ to you all on CD. We have waited a long time for this to happen and are pleased to also tell you that not only is it coming out on CD but there is also going to be a very limited box set available with lots of cool Warcrab bits inside. We are delighted to be working with Transcending Obscurity Records on this release and there will be more to follow.”
Drug Honkey and Transcending Obscurity Records go back a long way. In fact, back to the time when Transcending Obscurity was called Diabolical Conquest. We’re happy to renew ties with this exceptional doom band and also reveal info on the upcoming album.
Transcending Obscurity Records owner Kunal Choksi states, “I’ve fallen in love with Drug Honkey ever since I heard their 2008 album ‘Death Dub’ (which I ended up distributing as well). It gives me immense pleasure to continue working with Drug Honkey for their new album titled ‘Cloak of Skies’ which is supremely atmospheric while retaining the original twisted appeal. Thanks to Paul Gillis and the guys for having faith in my abilities.”
Drug Honkey vocalist/composer Paul Gillis adds, “I am very pleased to announce, the new Drug Honkey full-length album ‘Cloak of Skies’ will be unleashed on May 5th 2017 via the booming, ever-expanding, & awesome Transcending Obscurity Records label. CD, digital, and probably vinyl platforms will all be available, along with some killer box set/bundle options as well. Cover art painted by the ultra-talented Italian madman Paolo Giradi. Avant-garde sax shaman Bruce Lamont of Corrections House/Yakuza/Brain Tentacles has etched his mark on the title track of the album and none other than one of my biggest influences, the main man himself – Justin K. Broadrick, who has done an extraordinarily crushing remix/reconstruction of the opening track Pool of Failure which bookends the album. Pre-order details will be made available in the next week or so.”
Tracklist:
1. Pool of Failure (5:44)
2. Sickening Wasteoid (6:12)
3. Outlet of Hatred (6:48)
4. (It’s Not) The Way (6:36)
5. The Oblivion of an Opiate Nod (10:00)
6. Cloak of Skies (8:11)
7. Pool of Failure (JK Broadrick remix) (6:29)
After Echelon, Dave Ingram who is top form, is now working with Jonny Pettersson of Wombbath, Henry Kane, etc. This new band sees two legends get together to play crushing death metal with all the old elements intact. With the recent release of Echelon this month, Henry Kane‘s death/crust album is scheduled to come out next and it will be followed by Ursinne‘s debut full length titled ‘Swim with the Leviathan’. The artwork for the album can be viewed below.
Album track list –
1. Ursinne
2. Hollow Hearse
3. Devil May Care
4. The Chimes of Midnight
5. Underworld
6. Serpentine
7. Bullet Bitten
8. Something Wicked This Way Comes
9. Turning Japanese
10. Monsters in the Parasol
11. Spellbound
Transcending Obscurity Records owner Kunal Choksi states, “Having worked with Jonny for his death/crust band Henry Kane (due early 2017), it’s incredibly fortuitous to get a chance to work with his newly formed supergroup Ursinne which has the mighty Dave Ingram on vocals. Both of them are apparently in top form at this point of time in their respective careers, and when you think of a death metal album with members of Hail of Bullets, Wombbath, ex-Bolt Thrower, ex-Benediction, Echelon, etc. involved it sounds promising and after listening to the whole album, I’m glad to report that it is indeed kicks serious ass. Ursinne‘s album will be released right after the Henry Kane album and one of the songs off that release can be heard in the 2016 Transcending Obscurity label sampler. Watch for this beast.”
Jonny Pettersson adds, “After our work with Kunal through Echelon and Henry Kane, it was pretty clear that Transcending Obscurity Records was the right label for us. It is providing the support needed to give our brand of death metal the right platform to grow on.”
You can listen to the first song Talons in the 2016 Transcending Obscurity free-for-download Label Sampler due this Christmas.
After signing Officium Triste, which is another very long-running band with a legendary status, we’re thrilled to have Brazilian greats Mythological Cold Towers on board for their new full length album. Their brand of doom is highly emotive and atmospheric in its own way, and has a special warm touch which seems to be a typical trait of the band all along.
Transcending Obscurity owner Kunal Choksi states, “I’ve been listening to Mythological Cold Towers since years if not decades, and it’s a dream come true to work with this legendary band with regards to their upcoming full length album. Alan’s a thorough gentleman and it’s been great so far. I must thank Pim Blankenstein of Officium Triste for helping me out getting this band on board. Expect stunning and emotionally-rich doom/death metal from this long-running Brazilian band.”
Alan Lima of Mythological Cold Towers adds, “We’re more than excited about our signing to Transcending Obscurity. Kunal is really a hard-working guy and I’m sure he is going to do an excellent work for all signed bands. Moreover his goals as a record label owner are equally clear and logical. Serious promotion and distribution are focused by him and that’s all we are looking for. Thanks Kunal, we’re really pleased to be part of Transcending Obscurity team!!!!”
One of India’s leading bands, Plague Throat, are on the verge of releasing their much awaited full length titled ‘The Human Paradox’ through Transcending Obscurity India (sub-label). They join the ranks of bands like Gutslit, Chaos, The Minerva Conduct, Albatross, Primitiv, Against Evil and others. The album artwork and track listing of the album is as follows –
PLAGUE THROAT
The Human paradox (2017)
1. Inherited Failure
2. Dominion Breach
3. Fallible Transgression
4. Human Paradox (instrumental)
5. Hour of Darkness
6. Corporeal Sentients
7. Truth In Silence
8. Conception Subjection
9. Conflict Resolution
10. Ma Nga
Transcending Obscurity owner Kunal Choksi states, “It’s an honour to work with one of the best death metal bands in the country as of now. Having already conquered this region with a series of live shows almost incessantly, Plague Throat are set to step into the international market with their debut full length album. Evidently, the guys have worked extremely hard and it’s my duty to spread the word across the world. I’m thankful to Nangsan for his lucid communication and easy cooperation and I hope to do justice to this much-awaited release. I’m sure it will go down as one the country’s strongest metal albums.”
Nangsan Lyngwa of Plague Throat adds, “We are glad to announce the worldwide release of our debut album entitled ‘The Human Paradox’ through the record label Transcending Obscurity India (sub-label) which has served as a good platform and distributor for many international as well as Indian bands in the past and we are confident about and looking forward to working together. Special thanks to our supporters for believing in us and making it happen. Thanks also to Incanned Productions for having nurtured us these past few years.”
At Transcending Obscurity Records, we’re looking for bands that are trying to do something innovative and from Spain, Gloom are onto something special. They don’t just play standard death metal but are exploring the extreme end of it, playing something close to brutal death metal one can say but also merging influences of black metal unlike any other. The overall mix is hard-hitting as well as stimulating, and that rarely happens nowadays. Gloom are a great addition to an already diverse band roster.
Transcending Obscurity Records owner Kunal Choksi states, “It’s hard to come across a band that blends in diverse influences without compromising on the heaviness as well as Gloom. Unlike others, they’re merging elements of brutal death metal and even grind with black metal and the result is astonishing. This should serve as a welcome relief from the clones out there. Gloom are here to create a new expression and I’m sure their new album will turn heads all over the world.”
Gloom comment, “When Transcending Obscurity records proposed us to sign with them we did not hesitate for a single second, it was a golden opportunity to take a step further with a record label that frightens the underground extreme metal and that supports bands from all over the world. Some of them are now well known bands and we are really proud to be a part of this roster.
Our next album, the first album with Transcending Obscurity records, will be an evolution in the music of Gloom, the first album with a single guitar and in which we bet for heavier and cruder guitar riffs, greater importance of the bass lines, and with the same rage and power of drums and vocals. There is no doubt that we are very excited about this new stage and that our followers will find in this new album the essence of Gloom with more anger and hatred than ever.”
