From Bandcamp, “Notorious black metal apostates PROFANATICA emerge from their den of iniquity with the new full-length “Crux Simplex.” Their latest salvo of sin and sacrilege, this ten-track offensive is a nasty affront that bastardizes the first 10 stations of the cross. Led by infamous master of black perversion Paul Ledney, the band deal in bestial, first-wave black metal barbarity, “Crux Simplex” unveils ungodly levels of bile and blasphemy.

“Condemned to Unholy Death” is first. The opening tones are horrid, with the sounds of a beast breathing. From there, a bass forward sound approaches. “Take Up the Cross” is another bass heavy sound with dissonant tones and guttural vocals. The entire song sounds like the musings of Lucifer. “Meeting of a Whore” is a three-minute blast of filthy sounds and dissonance. The song barely can be described as music…it sounds more like pure evil personified. “Compelled by Romans” has deep gutturals, as deep as the caverns of the earth. What emerges from the chasm is a monster that you can’t even lay your eyes on…if you did, it would reduce you to dust instantly.

“Wipe the Fucking Face of Jesus” is a short two minute song, again with a very bass forward sound. Indeed, the bass is probably the best part of the album so far. It creates a heaviness that weighs on your very soul. “The Second Fall” is another short song that focuses on blast beat drumming, dissonant riffs, and horrid vocals. “Cunts of Jerusalem” has a similar sound, and the album is beginning to blur together a bit. “The Third Fall” sounds like a continuation of the previous track, and the band is starting to fall flat, and their weaknesses are exposed. “Division of Robes” closes the album, and it’s more of the same.

The album started off very promising, but because the band didn’t put much diversity into their sounds, it fell rather flat. As I mentioned above, the heavy bass sound is probably the best part of the album, but who needs another FWOBM band that is afraid to deviate from the norms that began the genre many years ago. Overall, nothing special.