With just two records under their belt including the recent ‘A Bleak Reflection‘, London-based De Profundis offer an example of how to shift the template of progressive rock towards a darker and more ominous strain of extreme music.
This owes as much to the band’s tight chemistry together as it does the diverse range in their songwriting – where a sinister atmosphere mainly comes through a mix of hard rock, funk, and heavy distortion to list a few. Second track ‘Ablaze in Autumn’s Fire‘ for one, starts off with low guitar strumming before easing its way into down-tuned funk rhythms with tremolo picking. It’s just part of how De Profundis show they can create extreme metal through parts which aren’t all that extreme. Death, speed and black metal exist here, but they’re tied in with strings of traditional doom and blues rock. Effectively, the past of rock (its traditional forms) meets with its relatively newer branches (its aggressive subgenres). It makes an interesting mix between the latter’s fast pace and the former’s mid-tempo.
De Profundis succeed in pushing through with their own set of influences – without drawing too much on the avant-garde side of progressive rock, they steer clear of the associated pitfalls from its influence. ‘Longing‘ – the one track without Craig Land’s feral growls – shows this well. Despite its being the musical showcase of the album; the band’s foregoing of progressive “doodling” in favour of hard rock solos means a more direct focus in sight than what is arguably experimenting for the sake of experimenting.
‘A Bleak Reflection‘ is a consistent album. While it plays along the basics of progressive rock, it also makes sure not to dwell too much into it – leading to a record which brings many bits and bobs together for its dark envisions.
8/10
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