Profanatica – Wreathed In Dead Angels [EP]

Christian loyalists beware! Profanatica is coming with its sixth EP ‘Wreathed In Angels Blood’. It comes in the form of six tracks of utter blasphemous and vengeful attacks that’ll likely entice the fainthearted to stay clear of this monstrous onslaught. Those who’re acquainted with Paul ledney’s style will feast on his new EP, as it will yield no compromises to his earlier works. The master still has a strong distaste for religion hasn’t lost an inch of his passion to ruthlessly befoul the legacy of Christ.

The arrival of Profanatica dates back to the early nineties and his newest offering is still firmly rooted and true to the old school ways of Black/Death Metal. Their blasphemous rites are put forth in primitive fashion. ‘Wreathed In Dead Angels’ is a straight-forward murky beast with downtuned tremolo riffs, simple gut pounding drums and a crunchingly raw production. One does not put on a Profanatica records to enjoy great musicianship, moreover it the atmosphere that it projects. The dark and morbid shroud over Profanatica is still present and continues where the last full-length ‘Crux Simplex’ left off.

Whilst time may be passing quickly, it hasn’t evidently put its mark on Profanatica. Paul Ledney’s vocals are as powerful and unrefined as they’ve ever been. Even his pace behind the drumkit hasn’t slowed down by any means. The riffs could’ve easily stemmed from the early nineties. These are primitive in nature, but executed flawlessly, forming a tight harmony with the equally primitive drums. With ‘Wreathe In Dead Angels’, the band has proven nothing new, nothing fancy… what it has done, though, is further cementing the Profanatica identity. Ledney and company might be a one-trick-pony, but they do their trick rather well. Even after several decades! (Appeleon)

— — — —

Phrases like “band X requires no further introduction” are used all the time. In most cases that is highly debatable, at least in terms of what the band in question actually achieved if you put it in historical perspectives. Regardless of your personal opinion, Paul Ledney’s Profanatica is basically the unsung king, the uncrowned emperor, the undisputed heavy weight of American Black Metal. Ledney’s vision of what Black Metal is and should be, is definitely different from the majority of the band that are usually labelled as such. Profanatica’s bare boned ugliness, simplicity and overall blasphemy-drenched monstrosities are completely opposite to all modern trends and hypersensitivities of contemporary “Black Metal”.

As if the band’s back catalogue wasn’t already gruesome and uncultured enough, ‘Wreathed In Dead Angels’ is even adding to the infamous Profanatica formula. The very essence of the band hasn’t changed and will most likely never change, but while ‘Wreathed In Dead Angels’ is a Profantica offering through and through, it does feel a little different from the majority of the band’s back catalogue. Not much, but still…

As a whole this new EP is more riff-driven and bass-heavy, more focused on primal bulldozing violence and, dare I say, even a bit punky at times. All together this blends in some of the most bareboned and barbaric songs ever to come from the Profantica headquarters. Listen to a song like ‘By Thine Agony’ or, be it in lesser extent, ‘The Sixth Hour’ and you’ll definitely hear resemblances of Swedish D-beat Death Metal – like a mix between classic Entombed and Bastard Priest. This comes at the expense of the more chaos-ridden nature of the band, as basically displayed in max on ‘Crux Simplex’, the band’s latest full-length album.

The EP format is often used to try out something new or different, whether that is the case with ‘Wreathed In Dead Angels’ will show when the next full-length album will be out. But until then, this EP is a great new chapter in the ongoing Profanatica story. It might be short, but it most definitely is sweet. It is a true treat for hardcore Profanatica fans as well as for those who have a soft spot for these masters of true depravity.

And, besides the musical content of ‘Wreathed In Dead Angels’, it is great to see the band has returned to Hells Headbangers. For me that always felt like the one and only home for Profantica. Seeing them release records on a money-over-metal label like Season Of Mist has always felt completely silly. (FelixS)