Eight lengthy tracks with prefixes from “The Penitent” to “The Cultist” suggest an edgy progressiveness but in a very dark way, and that’s broadly what we have from this French quintet.

“The Penitent – Confrère de la Miséricorde” sets out by throwing brutal, technical death metal at us. It’s well executed, but tight as the growling and instrumental flesh ripping is, the pace and technicality remain unaltered on “The Witchfinder – Until Your Flesh Departs”. On it rumbles as death metal does, now and again breaking into another sphere. Resilience is required. “The Flagellant – Whipping to Epiphany” steps into death-thrash territory and has a welcome variety about it. The intense march goes on. Prophetic Scourge cannot be faulted for deathly intent. Each track features the same style but the technical structure is good enough to give this album life in death, as it were. I liked the overly short build-up to “The Hierophant – Bringing Lost Sheep Back to the Fold”, another fiery epistle but more dynamic than most. There’s an outstanding technical passage mid way through this juggernaut. “The Alchemist – Caging the Homunculi (In Water At Box)” then was as tough going as its title before the firepower returned with “The Apostate – Enlightenment Inviting Denial”. Am I the only one to find these track titles ridiculous? I don’t care about that, but was more concerned about the content, which is bludgeoning and technically adept. Now and again there is an exciting passage as there is on this one and on the final track “The Cultist – The Rise of the Great Lord Cthulhu”, but the progress is largely dour and grim, which doesn’t make for easy listening.

Technically strong as this is, all the energy evaporated into a haze for me. I found myself picking bits out to escape from the greyness, which the collective of “Calvary” represented for me. While appreciating its death metal twists and turns, I didn’t feel anything exceptional was going on.

(6/10 Andrew Doherty)

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