Pure, cult (or kvlt), true (or trve) are often closely linked with Black Metal, probably more so than any other Metal sub genre, but what does it all mean. Essentially to me it means untainted, like a skull left upon a coffin gathering dust over the endless ages, a timeless form of aggressive sacrilegious Black Metal torment. No need for anything other than the basics and no time to be messing around with anything modern or new. A trve Black Metal sound is often reminiscent to the stench of a stale leather jacket plastered with whiskey stains and a musk of incense.

Cultus Profano are going exactly for the fetid leather aesthetic in their sound and have been since their uprising in 2016. The duo of Advorsus and Strzyga from Los Angeles conjured their first Demo of the same name as their debut in the same year they formed. This was quickly picked up by Debemur Morti Productions and has since led to this, Sacramentum Obscurus the first full length cascade of Satanic might. However is it enough to simply uphold the sound of the days of old?

Truth be told this pretty much does what it says on the tin Black Metal, imagine the likes of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto pasted upon a soup can with the tagline, spicy and refined, est. 1993 and you’ll get a pretty good idea of where this album is headed. The guitars are a mixture of destruction, old school flare and little melody, basic yet pure they offer a sound familiar to the ears of Black Metal regulars, with a solid chuncky edge in songs like Lord Of Ages Op. 2 and An Offering To The Prolific Goat Op. 7. The second safety net comes from the furious drumming which pummels like the crashing walls of a bulldozed crypt, this sound is upheld through with no fault, it’s not new, but it’s true.

The final area of purity or disgust depending on how you look at it are the vocals, they screech like a banshee through the halls of the damned in a fashion akin to the Blackened snowfall surrounding a decrepit burning chapel or religious monument. This said they offer little in the ways of inspiration, they strike like a mighty hammer and are delivered with precision but it just isn’t enough to get you excited.

All in all, Cultus Profano know the score, they know what Black Metal is all about and they know how to write a damn fine record. All this sounds fantastic but it’s a little dull, I found myself at points knowing what was to come next and with little anticipation, this is about as pure and true as it gets and I’m sure will please a whole host of kvltist seeking the next underground legends, but for me there simply wasn’t enough to inspire or to get vastly excited about. Don’t let this words twist your mind though, this is a strong album, it’s just been done many times before.

(5/10 George Caley)

https://www.facebook.com/CULTUS.PROFANO

https://cultusprofano.bandcamp.com/releases