PROFANITY is a tech death band from Germany.  "Fragments of Solace," is their fourth full length album-they have also released two demos, two splits, and an EP. I'm not into most technical death metal these days but I am always willing to keep an open mind/ear.  Exceptions to any rule always exist after all. "Fragments of Solace"is a huge exception.  They take all the preconceived notions about tech death and grind them into little pieces. Then they take those pieces and stomp on them.

The hallmarks of the genre that many bands use are present here: flashy showmanship, chaotic song structure and solos out of no where. But they take these tried, true and often boring tech death cliches and inject them with a ton of personality and different aspects of death metal. So with every little "widdly wham" guitar solo or a sharp left turn of a song, there is a foundation of a band who just wants to play heavy and brutal death. Meaty riffs and slapping bass counteracts the more techy parts and gives PROFANITY much more focus and clarity than others in the same style.

Their keen sense of melody is also another reason why they are so damn good. Many sections that might otherwise come off as pompous and overly complex become some of the best moments because they sound so crisp and melodic. The opening track "Disputed Territory" begins with searing speed and riffs that crunch and snap with a sharp tone. As the song progresses and the band gets more complicated the music gets even heavier.

The song's mid solo is what I spoke of earlier: technical but also melodic enough for the brain to actually care about it. "Progenitor of the Blaze," had me questioning how many drummers they have. Three? No just one and he is a beast: technical as hell but brutal as fuck. I don't know what else is needed! The song's section from 2:15 thru 3:32 is mind bending but also extremely atmospheric and almost beautiful. Wow, just an incredible song. But wait there's more! The back half of the song feature thrash riffs pummeling through in between bits of lead guitar that is as inspiring as it is brutally complicated.

"Where Forever Starts," nails down some epic moments from the beginning with oddly catchy guitar leads. It kind of reminds me of video game music a little and it reveals their clever song writing to evoke those thoughts when playing death metal. The first two minute are layered and lush and set up perfectly the carnage that quickly comes afterwards. This song reaches past the 9 minute mark but every second is a gift.

"Ceremony of the Rotten," throws into the mix classic death metal that keeps the song on a high momentum even with all the changes the music, especially the riffs go through.  The track has an odd cadence to it: chaotic yet singular. If I had discovered this album earlier it would have definitely made my top 10 death metal list. It is rare that tech death presents itself in such an presentable fashion that keeps the hallmarks of the genre but isn't afraid to do more and sound different.