Profanatica – Crux Simplex

Ever since the band’s resurrection in 2001 and especially after their first full-length album ever, 2007’s ‘Profanatitas de Domonatia’, the nefarious Black Metal entity called Profanatica makes itself heard with great regularity. And it is along this way since those last fifteen years that the band has gained themselves some sort of rehabilitation. Although the band has been loved and adored by many, it was never a band that was taken all too seriously. This resulted in their records, mostly released by Hells Headbangers Records, ending up in cheapo-sections at many a distro worldwide. The turning point in this were the live shows the band started doing about a decade back, particularly those in Europe caught on and this helped the band manage to sign to the renowned Season Of Mist label. Under the watchful eye of that label, with ‘Crux Simplex’ we now have Profanatica’s sixth full-length album in hands…

When it comes down to the musical antics of Paul Ledney & Co. there is really everything and at the same time quite little to say about them. The band’s musical recipe has not really changed over the decades: it is still a combination of jet-black proto-Black Metal with roaring vocals and a slight Death Metal sound, and all of this provided with a faint chaotic character. When we take a closer look at their musical career, however, a clear change can be observed. The main shift is actually in the entire presentation, not so much in terms of imagery, that too has fortunately remained intact, but in terms of the band’s overall sound. Whereas many of the old recordings here and there had a rather grizzled and gritty sound, Profanatica anno 2023 actually sounds remarkably accessible. Of course, don’t expect anything that remotely sounds like smoothly Watain, but the sound is easily digestible and pushes the overall experience to new heights.

The slightly heavier and deeper sound really lets the band’s true identity shine through. The fiercer Black Metal pieces now feel even sharper and the slower parts are doomier than ever. However, the band presents this without sacrificing its original grime. Fans of the previous work will therefore certainly not find a completely different band, but rather a Profanatica that takes a natural next step after ‘Rotting Incarnation Of God’ (2019) on which the initial impetus towards this roaring sound was already audible. In other words, Profanatica is still thoroughly their own, yet manages to reinvent itself within the narrow confines of this proto-Black Metal. Something we can definitely call an achievement and which also justifies the band’s regained and increased appreciation.