Disembowelment - Transcendence into the Peripheral (1993)

One of the most worshiped and idolized funeral/death-doom albums out there. Despite this, I've always been a bit on the fence with this one. On one side there are moments of absolute brilliance while on the other there are times where everything sounds a bit forced and disjointed.

The production and sound, overall, is a little too good while the vocals fall short of my expectations. They sound a bit haggard and weak. Not as elemental and powerful as I would have liked. The drumming here is technically sound, but again, I feel as though they are a little too precise. The aural perfection of this record lends to it an almost industrial feel. The one song on here that is a straight win for me is the Into the Pandemonium-esque 'Nightside of Eden'.

Overall, there's nothing terribly offensive about this album in terms of blatant suckage and there are certainly some very enjoyable moments clustered throughout, but I normally do not turn in this direction when I am looking to quench my thirst for funeral/death-doom. I find this album to be an incomplete experience that has me picking up on its flaws rather than sitting back and being carried away by the sounds provided within.