Combining brutal Death Metal with atmospheric passages is the blueprint of France's SVART CROWN. It has been three years since their last release and there are now back with "Profane" through France's Listenable Records. This is a hybrid of dissonant chords with pounding brain-crushing Death Metal that shows the band pushing their songwriting to new heights.

The musicianship is tight and the band gel well together. I do like the mix of the atmospheric parts blended with the devastating blast beats. Lyrically there is an ongoing theme about humanities sickness and it paints the perfect picture of a collapsing civilization. New drummer Nicolas Muller is outstanding and a great addition to the lineup. His playing is diverse and in the title track he sounds like he has four arms. His performance is the highlight of the record.

After an intro the first proper song "Genesis Architect" sets the stage, as it is a blistering blast beat frenzy. The tremolo guitar parts lift the pace up and the song shoots out of a cannon. The arpeggio type chord picking of the guitar during the outro with vocalist JB Le Ball screaming the title is outstanding. The songwriting is intelligent and the chord progressions work well. I hear some ROTTING CHRIST influence on this the best track on the record.

"Acetic Purification" is two minutes of a non-stop bludgeoning. It showcases SVART CROWN at their most brutal. This track has the intensity of a 100mph car crash. Inhuman speeds are pounded until a middle section slows things down to a moderate pace with an incredible groove before we are taken back up on the insane rollercoaster again.

At times the listen is monotonous, as the songs can get repetitive. The songs could be more memorable and when the record is over I struggle to remember what was just absorbed. Would love to see them add more guitar solos to the mix, as it would break up the flow of the record. It is a solid release but one that loses momentum as it flows on.

SVART CROWN has pushed the envelope further on their songwriting. I think that they have made an incredible stride with their musicianship as well. New drummer Muller is outstanding and is a perfect fit for the band. "Profane" finds the band at their best but I still think they can develop even more. I believe this release is a step in the right direction but finds a band that hasn't reached their full potential yet.