Houston’s Necrofier first came onto my radar when they played on the 2024 Decibel Magazine Tour with Hulder, Devil Master and Worm. Unfortunately, I missed their opening set, but luckily, I found a recording on YouTube. Their noisy, enjoyable performance pushed me to check out their recordings. At 36 minutes, the debut Prophecies of Eternal Darkness (2021) is a lean, malicious barrage of melodic black metal, while Burning Shadows in the Southern Night (2023) raises the bar with 47 minutes of louder, more polished material.
The (lone?) star of Necrofier seems to be on the rise since Decibel 2024, as their third album arrives via the mighty Metal Blade Records. Also on the rise are the band’s ambitions. Transcend into Oblivion spreads three three-song suites and a self-titled closing track across a bulky 59-minute runtime. Everything is bigger in Texas, sure, but bigger doesn’t always mean better (or good).
Perhaps due to their sweltering home, Necrofier draw black metal nourishment from the tremolo-laden surroundings of Scandinavia. Dissection is certainly an immediate reference point, if they cut out the folk melodeath excursions. Necrofier‘s preferred melodicism swirls like a vortex of moving power chords from guitarists Bakka and Semir Özerkan, propelled by Dobber Beverly’s skillful drumming. The Watain influence is also present, especially since Bakka’s raspy voice sounds quite a bit like E. And early Emperor reigns here too, before they fully unleash Prometheus. Violins, synths and harpsichord become more felt than heard, balancing a sweet spot in the production à la Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk. On the unlucky side of the production is bassist Mat Valentine, who gets lost in the pile. Nonetheless, Transcend into Oblivion consistently deliver quality black metal that is melodic but dangerous.
Transcend into Oblivion develops in three suites, each consisting of three songs. Together, they tell a “Luciferian Dark Night of the Soul”: a spiritual awakening incites the martyrdom that ultimately births rebirth. Individually, they mostly play as a collection of thematically linked songs. “Fires of the Apocalypse, Light My Path” immediately opens the door (“Fires…I”) before reopening it (“Fires…II”) and again—”Fires…III” is the strongest of the trio, but the listener begins to wonder why these songs are presented as holistic units. The “Servants of Darkness, Guide My Way” trilogy comes closest to achieving the suite. “Servants…I” starts with one of the album’s most awkward tremolo riffs, “Servants…II” calms things with an extended acoustic passage, and “Servants III” sinks pleasingly into Middle Eastern doomy territory before a black-metal eruption. As for the third part of “Horns of Destruction, Lift My Blade,” it adds variety with d-beats, bulkier riffs and a gong, but feels more like the same this deep into the album. There’s no real addition to the suites, but there are no exciting climaxes either.
Continuing their spiritualism, Necrofier incorporate numerology into Transcend into Oblivion, emphasizing their trio of three songs with three instrumental tracks. For the most part, they effectively break up the black metal action. After the opening “Fires” suite, “Behold, the Birth of Ascension” carries the onset of the pains of (re)birth. Reusing a melody from “Fires…III” with creepy bells and macabre piano, they cleverly invert the typical function of an interlude, exiting a song rather than entering one. More in the typical interlude camp is “Mystical Creation of Enlightenment.” Its Spanish-sounding acoustic parts create a soothing shift from the rabid “Servants” suite, while its final modulation foreshadows the grim opening of the “Horns” suite. Paradoxically, the self-titled instrumental is the one that seems superfluous. “Toward the Necrofier” completes the album with ominous space synths, mesmerising words and tribal rhythms. “Horns…III,” however, ends with its own climax and a piano denouement, which makes the last instrumental feel like a coda to an album that doesn’t need more closing.
“Toward the Necrofier” serves as a useful springboard for a second listen of Transcend into Oblivion, an album I ultimately recommend. It makes sense that Necrofier would complete a work about rebirth with a self-titled song that combines the most unique elements of their sound. While Necrofier don’t fully realize their conceptual ambition, Transcend into Oblivion is sweet fare regardless, displaying much promise for future releases. Black metal fanatics of all shades should seriously consider giving these Texans a shot.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook
Releases worldwide: February 27, 2026
The review was done by Angry metal guy.
