Diabolical Conquest Webzine

Profundis have been around since 1995 but all they have managed to release so far is a demo, that too a full decade later. Nokturn happens to be that very demo, re-released on CD a year later by the promising Polish extreme metal label Diachell Musik. Members of this band then aren't exactly newbies in the scene and are in fact members of several other Polish bands such as Deivos, Eclipse, Ulcer, Abusiveness, Engraved, Pripegal, Perdition, etc. none of which I am sure you useless readers are aware of.

"Nokturn" consists of six well composed tracks and a cover song. Though chiefly black metal by nature, they unabashedly flirt with death metal but just enough to give them the power and bold confidence they desire. You could think Christ Agony circa Moonlight - Act III for reference and even Pandemonic Incantations era Behemoth. Furthermore, their epic parts are reminiscent of Emperor, the faster ones of Dark Funeral, and quite often the riffing style exposes their Dissection influences in front of everybody. When the music gets all fuzzy and I daresay emotional (or at least when it gets me emotional), Graveland come to mind. The band's thrashy vibrancy too must be taken into consideration and also their Amon Amarth-ish Viking parts like the lead section in "30 Judas' Coins" and then a superb riff in "Whisper from Among the Shadow". (I like how the band has provided English translations for its Polish song titles). In contrast to the innumerable one-dimensional Darkthrone and Burzum clones thriving out
there, Profundis' music has so many influences that it is almost refreshing. Almost all of the songs are fairly distinguishable from each other and that is no mean feat for a predominantly black metal band.

However, their diverse multi-genre influences are not impeccably blended and tend to stick out on their own in the form of parts, eluding the band an identity, a sound that it can call its own. If Nokturn were a movie, then these parts would be sketchy characters with small roles played by celebrity look-alikes, as if its director or producer was under some great obligation to cast them all, never mind the story or continuity. Don't get me wrong (I exaggerate sometimes); they are far from jarring and competently played and are agreeable if not fairly entertaining. The quality of the riffs too is good. Production is crunchy if a tad rickety and heavy enough to do justice to the death metal influences. Oh and if you are suddenly appalled like I was by the horrible singing in the last song, relax, because that is just a bonus cover song of this famous Polish rock band, Budka Suflera, just for this release. Poles might enjoy it, not sure about you; I found it disturbing.

In conclusion, despite its inconsistency not to mention its unoriginality, Nokturn is a pretty decent release that you could check out if you are into the hundred odd bands mentioned in this review. Make sure you keep an eye out for their upcoming full length album; I have a feeling it is going to be a very good one.

7,2/10 (Kunal N. Choksi)


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