Profane Elegy joins the big leagues.
Formed in late 2021 by Mikael L (vocals/orchestrations) and J Gulick (guitar/orchestrations, Void ov Nihility), the project evolved with the arrival of David G (bass/orchestrations) and Sean M (drums). At the dawn of its fifth year, the band unveils its first album, Herezjarcha.
We start with the energetic Exeunt Omnes, a catchy first composition that benefits from an unapologetically aggressive Old School vibe, whether it’s the rhythm section with its furious blasts or the vocals that also surge forward while the leads become increasingly chaotic. The waves change but don’t slow down the pace, except for this airy passage that leads into Haunted, where the atmosphere is much the same, using virulent and scathing elements to reinforce its raw violence while continuing to capitalize on an increasingly oppressive mood. It should be noted that the anxiety is perfectly conveyed by the harmonics before giving way to The Accuser, which returns to aggression with catchy groovy touches, but a few keyboards also appear to diversify the sounds and offer more majestic tendencies, reinforced by clean vocals. After a calmer finale that gives us a moment of respite, As My Heart Turns to Ash takes its place and returns with its sharp riffs followed by intoxicating, almost soothing melodies that create a stark contrast with the unhealthy roars, but which herald the break in clear sound that finally ignites to assert its massive Doom influences. I AM then exudes vengeance, whether in the most vivid and bloody moments such as the first riffs or the passages reinforced by orchestrations, then it is with a more dissonant touch that Immutable follows suit while developing lively and unifying patterns that make us want to bang our heads. The band returns to heaviness to close out this track, then to a certain melancholy to begin And Then We Are Gone, tinging its riffs with an ethereal sweetness, even when saturation returns to darken everything with its icy veil, to which the languid pace fits perfectly. Although quite short, the song sticks in the mind, giving way to Herezjarcha, the eponymous composition that closes the album and exposes us in turn to sweetness, complex riffs, then pure madness, and finally to that solemn final tranquility with mystical accents.
Far from confining itself to the virulent Black Metal that it masters so well, Profane Elegy chooses diversity and does not hesitate to include much more airy or imposing touches in the riffs of Herezjarcha! A real delight.
90/100
