Album review: PROFETUS – As All Seasons Die

Svart Records – Out Now.

Formed in Tampere, one of the southernmost provinces of Finland, back in 2006, Funeral Doom outfit Profetus was the vehicle that enabled guitarist/vocalist A.Maniken & keyboard wizard S.Kujansu express their love for atmospheric Doom/Death in the vein of My Dying Bride and Esoteric.

Having recorded their first two studio albums with the assistance underground labels of limited capabilities, the band has managed to reach an agreement with the better placed Svart Records for the release of their latest studio album entitled “As All Seasons Die”. Let’s see what this four track release has to offer.

As far as what one ought to expect from a Funeral Doom band such as this one here the clue, as they say, is really in the name. Slow Doom-laden riffs, deep Death growls and simple haunting keyboard melodies is what “As All Seasons Die” is all about and the Finnish quintet uses these very elements to maximum effect.

Indulging in long and thematically simplistic compositions could easily led to fans losing interest in the music on offer but that simply does not happen here.

It is the quality of the sound provided that may raise a few question marks, as the melodies and eerie themes on offer here are deserving of the best possible audio support – still, the mood and feel that this album manages to convey offers enough reward to those who are willing to invest their time and effort in it.

The opening theme of the album is a three and a half minute keyboard-led composition entitled “The Rebirth Of Sorrow” – a song filled with eerie atmospheric melodies and clear mournful/narrative style vocals in the vein of My Dying Bride.

Treading on a much heavier path “A Reverie (Midsummer’s Dying)” is a ten minute exercise in sorrow and heaviness featuring commanding growling vocals, mesmerizingly repetitive organ melodies and clear vocal narrations similar to those featured in the album’s opening track.

Though fairly simple in its rhythmical structure “Dead Are Our Leaves Of Autumn” features some hauntingly beautiful organ melodies and vocals of immense emotional weight and thus wins the title of the ‘best track’ of the album hands down while the closing composition “The Dire Womb Of Winter” operates on similar premise but with organ melodies and vocal themes relegated to a more supportive role.

Funeral Doom is not the easiest musical genre for one to indulge in so it takes a band of Profetus’ quality and vision to make these Doom laden riffs and painfully dark melodies appealing to people who are not naturally supportive of such elements in music.

Though not the kind of album capable of altering the face of the said genre forever “As All Seasons Die” is a step towards the right direction – a release which will hopefully raise the band’s stocks in a dangerously overflowing musical market.

John Stefanis

Rating: ***1/2 (3.5/5.0)

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