Profan is the final instalment in a trilogy of Kampfar albums that began with the witchcraft-themed Mare and was continued with Djevelmakt, an exploration of the Underworld.
This time around, the Norwegians dive into blacker waters and, in their own words, find nothing but suffocating emptiness in what is perhaps their most ferocious offering in their 20-plus-year career.
Dispensing, for the most part, with the flutes, classical flourishes and folk influences, Profan is a more intense and focused beast that goes for the jugular from the start. Featuring a booming, anthemic chorus and filthy main riff, opener Gloria Ablaze gives goosebumps you could hang your hat off, while elsewhere Daimon is packed with melody and menace in equal measure and Profanum is a black’n’roll-minded blast.
Old-school fans will be pleased to know there are some nods to Kampfar’s past too (particularly on Pole In The Ground) and in regards to their trilogy, they’ve saved the best for last.
