Transcendence – Nothing Etched in Stone Pt 1 Review

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You guys don’t believe when I say record companies aggree on a date to release bands of the same Metal subgenre. I cannot say Prog Metal albums are scarce here, we receive, let’s say, one per month, but they are not abundant either in any way. This week we had two so far – I say so far because I have not heard all the albums planned for the week. The first was Warhog with “The Dystopian Chronicles, Vol. 3” whose grip is more of sci-fi with elements of 1980’s Prog Metal and pop. Now we have Transcendence with “Nothing Etched in Stone Pt 1,” with a more Queensrÿche grip. By the way, do you know that Queensrÿche‘s 1988’s “Operation: Mindcrime” and Viper’s 1989’s “Theatre of Fate” are reputed to be the first Prog Metal albums ever?

Well, musicwise, “Nothing Etched in Stone Pt 1” pays a huge to Queensrÿche. Of course, that does not mean they are a copycat of it. I know it might sound a bit cruel, or even, dimishing to compare bands like this, but the thing is, I mean no harm. I just want to tell my fans both bands are on the same page, using the same features as lots of melodic vocals, guitar strummings, slow cadences, and long instrumental passages. The catch is how they use the features, if you know what I mean. The first thing that calls the attention is the extreme quality of Brian Dixon’s voice. Have I ever told you, my children of the night, how Metal music is known for its extreme quality singers and musicians? I guess I have, but it is never enough.

Many people say that an album like “Nothing Etched in Stone Pt 1” is great to see how resourceful a band can be. Well, if you ask me, I will say it is the pure truth. The album is full of situations and techniques that are not exactly common. In order to tell the story, Transcendence had to add lots of unusual sounds, and, therefore, not to sound boring the guitars had to apply not so commom techniques as they did with “Voices in the Dark.” “Lost… Dream” and “In… Time,” for instance, begin with a very gentle classical music inspired guitar strumming. They are separated, but they are actually the same song. One follows the other and tyhey are a bridge to the sweet “Ruins… Before the Dawn” that sounds to have been inspired on Viper “Theatre of Fate.” I do not think it is, but it sounds as if. Angra’s “Angel Cry‘s” era is to be addressed as well. Well, as a matter of fact, Andre Mattos is in a kind of a sequence with both albums.

Curiously, “Nothing Etched in Stone” is a 19-song concept album, split into two parts, with Pt. I arriving in June, 2025, and Pt. II slated for 2026. So, there is more to come. I hope so.

Transcendence “Nothing Etched in Stone Pt 1” on June 27th via Cosmic Fire Records.

Track Listing:

  1. Discovery
  2. Take Control
  3. One Fear
  4. Shades of Winter
  5. Last Solstice
  6. Infect the Nations
  7. The Edge Awaits
  8. Voices in the Dark
  9. Lost… Dream
  10. In… Time
  11. Ruins… Before the Dawn
  12. Open the Sky (CD bonus track)

Watch “The Edge Awaits” official lyric video here: