We don’t do a ton of stuff on demo recordings around here, which I’ve mentioned before, and it’s no disrespect intended toward those releases. I sometimes don’t have enough time in a week to get to the records I cover now, so scouring the earth for bands and releases that are operating so heavily in the underground just isn’t something that’s manageable.
Therefore, I rely on friends and social media to find hidden gems, or sometimes labels written about regularly on this site will unearth them for me, like Helter Skelter Productions is doing with their reissue of Kryptamok’s demo “Profaani,” initially regurgitated into the world earlier this year. This project helmed solely by Hex Inferi (Musta Messias, Necromonastery) is raw and unflinching black metal that scars and punishes physically but mostly psychologically. These four tracks are not just heavy and bloody but also haunting and sweltering with fear, injecting you with a sense of otherworldly terror seeping into the music and shaking you violently. There’s really not much more to say than that, as this crushing, bludgeoning music does the talking, so why waste time? Let’s get into it.
“Vala” rips the lid off this thing in no time, with fiery growls, echoes scrambling your brain, and a punishing assault barreling out of control. Synth mixes into the madness, with strong riffing storming out of that, drums blistering, and the vocals bringing corrosion with the track bleeding into weird chants. “Varjoista Kutsuttu” is a fiery flurry at the start, with the vocals crushing, melodies raining down, and the keys smearing colors. The leads burn savagely, giving off a classic metal vibe, as the track stomps angrily, ending in a sooty fury. “Kuoleman Katarsis” has noise carrying over like a poisonous cloud before cavernous hell breaks loose, making for a horror house feel that intends to terrify for real. The music has a ghostly aura, feeling eerie and chilling, with the leads flowing through and different shades than black being applied. The final minutes are moody and mashing, leading you into a disorienting haze that dissolves into the night sky. Closer “Kirous” has the bass unloading and flexing its muscles before the pace destroys and takes on a punk feel due to its speed and melody. The vocals are spat out with disgust, while guitar lines intertwine, pandemonium erupts, and the track blasts to its end.
Kryptamok’s first foray into the world “Profaani” is getting its just due with Helter Skelter’s involvement, and hopefully it smartens up more people than just me as to what this one-man destruction machine is doing so well. This is a blood-curdling, devastating collection that hints at what Inferi might do in the future with a fuller release. If that pays off, and there’s no reason to expect it won’t, that’ll add another barbarian-style band into black metal’s overflowing coffers.
To buy the album, go here: https://bloodharvestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/profaani
For more on the label, go here: http://www.helterskelterproductions.se/
Meat Mead Metal 