ALBUM REVIEW: Prosanctus Inferi – Hypnotic Blood Art

War Metal barbarians PROSANCTUS INFERI are back with another album of destruction. Set for release via Nuclear War Now Productions on August 15th.

Creepy samples briefly set a nightmarish vibe for the record before bestial riffs gloriously soar into action with pummelling drum hits, cascading with a putrid and blasphemous darkness. Maniacal howls join the instrumental ferocity, churning forth a morbid chaos with surprisingly tight production that still retains some rawness to give a legitimately evil feeling to the mighty music while allowing all parts of the sound to permeate the air with a thick fog of devastating heaviness. The artillery shell drumming and grinding riffs certainly make a monolithic conjuration of Blackened Death Metal obliteration for the eerie vocals to add a macabre layer to.

Visceral and punishing, the record continues in a tight and proficient manner that still conveys the war-like assaults we know from the bands previous works. This is definitely more proficient musically, showing a more refined blend of darkness than before, which some may find less extreme but it still retains the feel of the bands other material. Doomy sections give texture to the depraved concoctions while mainly we see a mid-tempo crawl that subsides with volatility into barbaric assaults. Hammering onwards, the sonic hellfire repeatedly drives into savage realms of obliteration which certainly satisfy all cravings for some tight War Metal vitriol.

While the rhythm sections may be more focal, there are plenty of whammy driven solos that add a sense of frenzy to the ravenous aggression of the record, overall offering a very balanced blend of destruction. Snarling with energetic and passionate hatred, there is no denying the insanely punishing nature of this new record. Interestingly we see some parts utilising galloping drums in a manner akin to NWOBHM bands but of course this is given a more brutal overhaul, a rather unique and enjoyable addition to the blasting rampage. Deathly, creepy and crushingly heavy, this is a magnificent new addition to a killer discography of pulverising Blackened Death Metal warfare.

A ripping new album ferocious War Metal insanity. Tight and vicious, this will certainly please fans of the band and certainly has the potential to win over new listeners with the refined and hideously brutal approach that conjured demonic aggression and bestial malice in a focal and piercing manner. Although some rawness was lost, this is certainly not overly polished either, giving a fierce middle ground that works wonderfully with the bands demolishing riffs, blasts and growls. -8/10