Black Hole Deity – Profane Geometry
Release Date: 5th July 2024
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal
FFO: Morbid Angel, Nile, Hate Eternal.
Review By: Andy Spoon
Alabama death metal outfit Black Hole Deity is set to release their debut album Profane Geometry on July 5th, 2024 from death metal connoisseurs Everlasting Spew Records, who’ve been on top of the game in recent years. Featuring ex members of Malignancy and Chaos Inception, Black Hole Deity is seeking to add their own flavor to the Everlasting Spew line-up, something that takes a formidable effort, these days. Touted as being set for fans of Morbid Angel, Nile, and Hate Eternal, Profane Geometry is aptly-categorized, as the overall effort and production are top-notch, easily making this an album that ought to be recognized for its prowess and flavor in mid-2024.
Wringing out the blood from the instruments is something that’s usually a hard process. I think that too many bands spend time trying to get a mix and master that is focused on instruments, focused on vocals, focused on pristine sounds and masters, or the opposite – sludgy and doom-y. After having spent a couple of days with Profane Geometry, I started to gather a unique perspective on the overall tone of the album, which seems to follow none of the above-listed methodologies. That isn’t to say that the general tone of the album wasn’t extremely well-contrived, it’s really just a testament to how the blending of the tones seems to inundate the total package of the album.
Interestingly, the album was produced as a matter of elemental purity, not having any synth instruments at any point on the album, something that you might not really notice until you notice. The overall heaviness and thrashy-speed doesn’t give you a whole lot of time to dive into the minutiae of the individual instruments until the band gives you a moment to do so, so it’s something that I honestly didn’t think about until I had read from their press release. That’s neither good nor bad, just something to give you some insight into the band’s ethos on the purity and intentional sound you are getting. I like to think that when a band gives listeners a concise understanding about what the plan was for an album, it can bring certain tracks and pieces to life. Some might argue that the record ought to stand for itself. I find myself in the former. Go ahead and show me why this is special.
I think that the sonic attack of the album with the Morbid Angel-style vocals was really formidable. The blend of mixing and mastering was great, something I’ve come to expect from the Everlasting Spew artists in the traditional/modern death metal line-up. I was happy to really dig into the nasty drumming and rhythm section, especially on Cybernetic Inferno, track 9. I was totally enraptured in the excellent execution of the drum accents through the song on the ride cymbal. I have to tell you, it’s really something you’re probably gonna like. I was thoroughly happy with the overall guitar attack, especially in the moments where the pinch note leads and screams from the guitar section.
Overall, I was really impressed with this album. I think that I’m excited to listen to more from these fellas, as I think they’re right in the mix with the upper echelon of purist modern death metal that has roots in OSDM. This isn’t necessarily one of the albums that I’m going to give a perfect score to. There are moments where I think that the tracks went on a little longer than I might have hoped. There are some mix/master choices that I might have changed. That being said, I’m just one guy who has opinions about music. I think it’s absolutely worth your time to listen if you want filthy, fast, and furious death metal that scratches an itch for the sounds and atmospheres of the 1990s with a modern twist.
(3.5 / 5)
