Nothing is guaranteed in life, including the continuation of said existence. It’s not always an easy thing to grasp when we realize our times on Earth are limited, and we watch others around us we love suffer and sometimes enter into the beyond. It’s a constant reminder that at any time, our journeys could come to a sudden conclusion.
Finnish funeral doom monsters Profetus were dwelling on such subject matter when it came to their immersive third record “The Sadness of Time Passing.” Just the name itself should instill in you the misery and sadness locked into these five songs and 65 minutes of sobering playing, but actually taking them on is a completely different thing altogether. The band itself—vocalist/guitarist A. Mäkinen, guitarist/vocalist M. Mäkelä, guitarist M. Saarikoski, organist M. Nieminen, V. Kujansuu—suffered personal loss as well since “…to Open the Passages in Dusk” seven years ago, and that is laid on the line in generous portions on this record. There will be obvious comparisons made to Thergothon and Skepticism, but there’s also some Mournful Congregation frostiness in the mix, giving the best of all morbid worlds as you take on this record.
The 14:34-long title track opens up the record by bleeding slowly as the organs spill all over everything, feeling elegant and sorrowful as it stretches its way. Growls begin to bubble as a gothy melody acts almost as a carrier for the words, which gets inside you and cripples your heart. The feeling is haunting and massive as misery keeps falling and spellbinding, while clean singing adds a new texture. Growls swallow the pain whole as the track goes back to its verse structure, as the pace keeps shifting, and the track pounds until the playing gives way. “Nostalgia” opens with keys swelling and speaking echoing over the playing. The track muscles its way by taking its time, as the growls creak, and echoes splatter the sound. The song crushes in a second assault as the guitars catch fire, and the ground is awash in keyboard lights. The track bleeds painfully while acoustics flush, and the music disappears behind the wall of misery.
“Momentary Burial” attacks with deep shots, letting the music hang in the air as gurgly growls crawl over the verses. Those vocals get guttural and cavernous as the song moves, while the cymbals are bashed in calculated manner, as the riffs smear more salt in your wounds. Organs lurch while the growls cry out, the playing is immersed in sadness, and the track comes to a smothering end. “Northern Crown” quivers as the keys crash through the walls, while the speaking echoes, as the music reverberates in the clouds. The track is eerie and cold, with guest Ana Carolina Ojeda’s voice entering and adding a different strain of color before the bottom drops out to its doom. The drums clash as Ojeda’s voice returns, while the walls topple everywhere before calm trickles in. That mixes into one final blast of fury before the track fades into oblivion. “Tiarnia” closes the record, and at generous 16:35, it’s the longest track here. Rain falls generously as thunder strikes, as the song emerges from the storm. Dialog mixes with a murky, foggy ambiance, with the band pounding slowly but surely, meeting up with thick keys. Melody manages to poke through the cloud cover, twisting and turning in the mire before there’s another eruption. Growls scrape while the leads bleed and melt, catapulting into mystical soaring as the track disappears in keys.
Our very existences are delicate things, as Profetus do a masterful job conveying their respect for that fragility on “The Sadness of Time Passing.” This isn’t just another Finnish funeral doom band that you should follow simply because of where they trace their roots. This is a band that makes you feel every twist and turn, every sharp point to your heart on this gushing, gloomy beast.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/SaturnineDoom
To buy the album, go here: https://avantgardemusic.bigcartel.com/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.avantgardemusic.com/
Meat Mead Metal 