Proving that they are dirty old men Profanatica posted the following message on their social media recently “Attention European Females Profanatica will be there this week Cum meet us in person and Feel the difference.” That’s nice, perhaps they just want to ensure that the ladies can pick up their new tour EP, Altar Of The Virgin Whore. Rampaging through Europe with Watain and Rotting Christ but not hitting the UK, the shows are bound to be good and many of us here are feeling a bit cheated to be missing out. Still we did get our first visit from this ghastly trio earlier this year so guess we shouldn’t complain too much.

Following up 2016 album ‘Curling Flame Of Blasphemy’ we get a short 8 tracker here with the songs bombing along and running at just under the 20 minute mark. They probably won’t be a great surprise for anyone who has heard Ledney and co in the past, the USBM veterans are not about evolving in the slightest but simply battering out their irreligious hymns in the most primitive and barbaric form possible.

Raw and abrasive violence is unleashed without any need of intro, ‘Conceived With Sin’ furiously hones in with drummer / vocalist Ledney’s trademark belting out of the kit, slashing scything guitar and bass and unholy rasps. It’s ugly and an obtuse welter of the senses as they mangle things out and churn the very guts of the listener with their heaving violence. Like a swarm of all consuming locusts it strips away everything with the bassy sound hefty in definition and every conceivable space filled. Doom laden and apocalyptic textures momentarily see ‘Prayer In Eclipse’ slowing before it surges off on an unholy gallop. Just in case you had missed the title of the EP it is sickly vomited forth as the disgusting ode to biblical times is deconsecrated at the bands font. There is no mistaking their intent here and Christians are not invited to this party and should most definitely stay away. ‘Thorn King’ is delivered to the crucifix and stigmatised in a vicious and simplistic minute. There’s no time to hang around before launching into the next sacrilegious rite and the whole EP is over before you have had time to regain your senses culminating in a somewhat melodic and fouly cadaverous stygian instrumental ‘He Has Risen.’ As for a title like ‘Fuck The Messiah’ well it should come as no real surprise subtlety has never been part of this lots vocabulary. Any ladies thinking of prostrating themselves in these un-gentlemanly sickos dressing room do so at their own risk entirely.

(7/10 Pete Woods)

https://www.facebook.com/profanaticausa

https://profanatica-us.bandcamp.com/track/altar-of-the-virgin-whore