I’ve covered this husband-and-wife duo for two EPs now, first with 2022’s The Void and then 2023’s Elemental Binding.  Both deliver excellent, discordant death metal with themes based on video games, D&D, and such.

So I was super happy for the band when they signed with Transcending Obscurity, a perfect label for them. And the duo (Sunshine Schneider—guitar, Bass, Vocals and Connor Gordon—drums) has not changed their delivery of churning Ulcerate—death metal mixed with a little introspection. Of course, with the jump to a big label comes better, tighter production, and of course, Transcending Obscurity’s trademark cool art, packaging, and merch- well deserved indeed.

So how are the new 10 tracks contained within Memories Fragmented? It is a continuation of the material on The Elemental Binding EP; blissfully dissonant, yet elegant murky, atonal death metal that’s heavily inspired by Ulcerate, Gorguts, Artificial Brain, Altarage, Ulsect, Dodecahedron,  Nightmarer, and such. But where those bands mostly leave you nauseous and spiraling into insanity, Crown of Madness is a little more measured and paced, with a well-crafted sense of mood and more tempered, despondent hues.

Don’t get me wrong, tracks like “Burdened”, “Deafening”, “Sea of Fangs”, “Dreamless Nights No Longer” and such still bring the discordant, chaotic lurch a stammer of their peers, but it is when the band reigns things in a bit and glosses the chaos with a little more contemplative where they really shine.

Tracks like “Sovereign”, “When I Dont Remember You”, “Ashes of Mine”, “Hollow Thresher”  and closer “The Grand Design”, while still monstrously dissonant, have palpable emotional, almost morose layers, not just pure discordant fury. and it makes the tracks just that little bit more engaging and fulfilling, instead of just pure dread, as many of their peers deliver.

However, as I stated in past reviews, I miss the delicate piano use that was in the debut EP that made the duo even more engaging, but I’m super happy for these guys and hope for continued success on future albums.  Another winner for transcending Obscurity as they continue their red-hot 2025.

[Visit the band's website]

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