Transcendence into the Peripheral

I guess reviews of really old metal is starting to be a theme, but it's my blog, and it's something that I want to write about.

Disembowelment is a stupid name for a band of this style. Transcendence into the Peripheral is far more appropriate for a musical concept that remains unique in all of metal as far as I can tell. The members junked the idea after one record, to make more conventionally ambient music (Trial of the Bow) closer to the Dead Can Dance vein.

Ego, namely expressing one's self with humble honesty is a common theme in the music that I admire. Transcendence is a perfect example. The music sets out to be what it is and nothing more, even if it does so on a pace that would make Opeth seem simple and direct. The songs are more like journeys, some with ends, some without. It works for me, but I'll be the first to admit that it will bore the crap out of a lot of people. To me, the journey is always more important than the destination.

Transcendence is all about atmosphere. I'd describe the sound as slow-style grindcore performed with a doomdeath mindset. This is probably the slowest grindcore you'll ever hear, though you'll catch the occasional blast beat as a random act of nature. Everything is squared-off, and the riffs trudge benignly in simple structures. The guitars play new-agey explorations upon the slow-riff foundation with the same reverence for the timeless. Doomdeath cliche's such as female vocals and cello are used with zen-levels of restraint. The vocals aren't anything special, death vocals meant to sound like ghostly whispers. They work reasonably well.

The effect is sludgy and swampy, but not evil. I really don't like the metaphor of the evil swamp; I like the peaceful, ancient swamp where life arises almost miraculously all around you once you choose to accept the calm. Still waters are disturbed by insects and amphibians, and dappled sunlight decorates the undergrowth. Solitude is its own reward. That's the atmosphere conveyed by Disembowelment, and I find it immeasurably effective. This metal does not rock, and it sacrifices tremendous levels of listenability for its dedication to its concept. Transcendence into the Peripheral will never be among my most frequent listens, but it returns to my player when I want to escape, to ponder reality without prejudice, and to seek an alternative perspective without the burdon of disgust.

Uncompromising does not always mean the heaviest, the fastest, or any of the other superlatives associated with extreme metal, and I admire those who are willing to be headstrong in such an unconventional manner. Transcendence into the Peripheral was released by Relapse, and is pretty tough to find. If you have the chance to snag a copy, don't pass it up.

Now I can get on to business.

Ghrankenstein