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DE PROFUNDIS
The Corruption Of Virtue

Transcending Obscurity (2022)
Rating: 7/10

This is the sixth full-length instalment from prolific UK act De Profundis – a band who while talented rarely entertains me, but that’s mostly down to my own tastes.

It would be unfair to call this standard death metal as it’s far from it with the band now progressing to a point of numerous intricacies within their sound, but it’s a style of death metal that, to me, appears all too contemporary. Even so, The Corruption Of Virtue reveals a nice blend of melody and speed without bamboozling the listener, even though there’s a lot of intricacy within its folds, and the axework of Shoi Seen and Paul Nazarkardeh impresses throughout;

Opener ‘Ritual Cannibalism’ is a surprising opening track in my opinion as it’s quite tame in comparison to, say, a track a like ‘Sectarian Warfare’ which pretty much sums up the extremity De Profundis has to offer. ‘Ritual Cannibalism’ is exceptionally melodious almost thrashy in some of its structures, while the bellows of Craig Land are rather standard for this sort of expression.

As this album unravels my attention sadly wanes, but as I said before it’s just down to personal taste. However, I do like the slower, twisted melody of ‘Relentless March’ with its fluid bass bubbles and eventual seething aggression, and I really like the wizardry of ‘Religious Cancer’, so there’s no denying the power and creativity of the band. There’s a nice level of sludge to the bass delivery of Steve Woodcock, and I like the cosmic leans of a track such as ‘Embrace Dystopia’. Meanwhile, the combo always brings a groove-based style to their sound alongside the more obvious complexities which harken back to Death via their Individual Thought Patterns (1993) escapades.

Maybe because it’s simply “modern” death metal is the sole reason I can’t immerse myself in such a record, preferring the murk and gloominess or far more squalid acts. But The Corruption Of Virtue certainly delivers with some of its more dizzying trends, such as with the epic strains of the closing track ‘The Sword Verses’ where one is treated to numerous twists and turns, while ‘Scapegoat’ coughs up several abrasive angles too.

De Profundis can effortlessly swipe you away with breezy melodeath passages while the next minute they pulverize with heavier, crushing segments and so die-hard fans will certain reap the rewards, and that’s what matters most.

Neil Arnold

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