02 03 Metal Melancholy: ALBUM REVIEW: Bleak Flesh - Transcendence 04 05 15 16 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 31 32 33

ALBUM REVIEW: Bleak Flesh - Transcendence

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Sometimes you come across music that just cannot be classified into one particular restrictive category, Bleak Flesh from Chile is one such act. Their full length album “Transcendence” transcends all metal genres. With a base of death metal, there are progressive, technical, melodic and deathcore elements thrown into the mix. The resulting music leaves the listener in a total state of bewilderment.

The music has the guttural death metal vocals, which are sparingly used throughout the record and compliment the music very well, and are one of the stronger aspects of the music. The programmed drums on the other hand, pull the record down throughout, as they sound compressed and unnatural.

“Introspective Hypernova” stands out early on, with deathcore riffs starting the track, as it ventures into more progressive territories as the track progresses, with amazing licks thrown in in the latter half of the track. “Cryosphere” also brings a fresh vibe, with highly technical riffs perfectly giving way to melodic tunes midway, before taking the lead once again. “The Psycho Pulsar” ends the album on a high note, with some great rhythmic drum work, which compliments the symphony of the keyboard in a perfect manner.


But this mind bending blending does have a few odd moments too. “The Quantum of Light” feels a incoherent mix right from the word go, with no synchronization between the band members, and the music coming out extremely disjoint. “Antimatter Collector” is another track which faces similar difficulties, as the atmosphere created by the keys opposes the rest of the musical structure, making the whole experience a tad uncomfortable. 

What works for the album in parts, ultimately causes the collapse for the album overall – extreme variation. It feels as if random bits created by the group have been brought together, which makes listening to the entire album a tedious and slightly boring process. This is quite sad, as the band members showcase traces of great potential at various points throughout the album.

I’m not writing off the band into oblivion just yet, they just need to find their own sound better and come out with a slightly more focused music in the future.


Rating: 6/10
Reviewed By: Vidur Paliwal

Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube

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