Transcending Obscurity Releases Free 2026 Label Sampler Featuring New Tracks From 26 Extreme Metal Bands

Extreme metal label Transcending Obscurity has kicked off the year in signature fashion with the release of its 2026 Label Sampler, a free-for-download compilation showcasing brand-new material from across its roster. As with previous samplers, all proceeds raised will go directly toward supporting the label’s independently run animal sanctuary, currently home to more than 40 rescued cats and dogs.

The artwork, created by Nekromold, reflects what the label describes as “messy times,” confronting the growing presence of AI in art and music. The design incorporates grim, dystopian elements with a heavy Warhammer 40K influence, visually matching the sampler’s extreme and forward-thinking sound.

All 26 tracks on the sampler are previously unreleased, spanning black metal, death metal, doom, sludge, thrash, and avant-garde hybrids from bands across North America, Europe, and beyond. Most tracks are taken from albums planned for release in 2026, making the sampler both a preview of the label’s future and a snapshot of its present creative strength.

Label founder Kunal Choksi explains that the sampler remains a core tradition for Transcending Obscurity, blending musical discovery with a meaningful cause. While the compilation is free to download, fans are encouraged to contribute, helping fund food, care, and enrichment for the rescued animals — with hopes of adding new toys and even a treehouse.

Stream it below and get it here. The full sampler runs as follows:

1. Endspace – "Sixth Transmission"
2. Veilburner – "Vitriolic Hiss"
3. Februus – "Measures of Escalation"
4. Devenial Verdict – "Elysium"
5. Haxprocess – "The Divinity of the Self"
6. The Scalar Process – "Far From the Flesh"
7. Viande – "Cercuiel de vase"
8. Ritual Fog – "Enraptured"
9. Ninth Realm – "Rituals in Thar'amath"
10. Defect Designer – "Repeated Aversive Stimuli Inducer"
11. Cutterred Flesh – "The Colour Out of Space"
12. Chaos Motion – "Neurotic Contortion Abuse"
13. Dysgnostic – "The Black Sun"
14. Elitist – "Enforced Malnourishment"
15. Carbon Tomb – "A Hidden Creature"
16. Goreworm – "The Enthralling Grave"
17. Dissect The Masses – "Flesh Mechanics"
18. Xenosis – "Prolapsed Twin Entombment"
19. Hanging Garden – "Dreamwoven"
20. Decipher – "Return to Naught"
21. Apolaustic – "Shining Amidst the Lights"
22. Verdun – "Funeral of the Cosmic Knight"
23. Muerto – "Serpentine Echoes"
24. Besotten – "Mist of Decay"
25. Abyssal Rift – "The Enlightenment (There Was Never Will)"
26. Death Obvious – "Sipirja"