DE PROFUNDIS - The Emptiness Within

[lorenzo_kolony]

Another new review online @ Trebuchet-magazine.com!

"The Emptiness Within is the third album by this British-based metal band. De Profundis describe themselves as "Extreme Technical Metal". The definitions of the myriad metal sub-genres can be a bit of a minefield in which this reviewer is in danger of getting well out of his depth. So the best thing to do is just listen to the record and try to describe what it sounds like.

The album beings with a menacing instrumental 'From the Depths', little more than a slow-burning sequence of doom-laden chords. It serves as an extended intro to the first actual song, the seven-minute 'Delirium'. This starts with a galloping riff that could easily have been an early 1980s NWOBHM band but for the growling death-metal vocals. Three minutes in, the heaviness drops away with a delicate semi-acoustic interlude leading into a beautiful melodic solo, before building up to a shredding climax. The following number, 'Silent Gods' follows a very similar structure, and sets the tone for the rest of the album.

could easily have been an early 1980s NWOBHM band but for the growling death-metal vocals.

Craig Land's death-metal growls work well enough on the lower end, but aren't always totally convincing when he attempts to sing in a higher register; the occasional 'clean' passages in a fragile baritone work rather better, sounding like a more delicate version of Andrew Eldrich (Sisters of Mercy). But this album is really more about the guitars than the vocals, and the two lead guitars of Roman Subbotin and Shoi Sen deliver in spades, whether it's the great twin-guitar harmonies of 'Dead Inside', or the shredding acoustic solo on 'This Wretched Plague'.

There's a jazz-tinged edge in places, such as the intro to 'Release' and parts of the instrumental 'Parallel Existence'. The latter is a highlight of the album, building into a swirling symphonic metal tour-de-force complete with a bass solo. The album closes with the nine-minute epic of 'Unbroken (A Morbid Embrace)' which builds from a lengthy brooding intro, moving through swirling instrumental passages, ending in a delicate and atmospheric outtro

The music is certainly technically complex, although describing it as "extreme" is pushing things a little. Aside from the previously mentioned death-style vocals, the instrumentation is far closer to the classic metal of Iron Maiden than it is to someone like Meshuggah.

describing it as "extreme" is pushing things a little

There are tempo changes a-plenty. In many places it straddles the border between death metal and the progressive metal exemplified by mid-period Opeth, balancing brutal heaviness with moments of delicate beauty. The raw production gives something of a live-in-the-studio feel, although the very poor thudding drum sound is one of the album's weaknesses.

balancing brutal heaviness with moments of delicate beauty

So, a good album, if not quite a great one. De Profundis owe a clear musical debt to Sweden's Opeth, and there is more of the 90s 'Northern Doom' of Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride than just the rather gothier-than-thou song titles. But De Profundis still have enough identity of their own to avoid sounding like a derivative copy of any other band." [Tim Hall]

Link:
http://www.trebuchet-magazine.com/in...tiness_within/

[lorenzo_kolony]

Another great review of 'The Emptiness Within', this time @ Spain's Noizz Webzine - rating is 8,5 out of 10!

"Con un magnífico artwork obra de Costin Chioreanu / Twilight 13 Media (MAYHEM, DARJTHRONE, ABSU) se presenta el nuevo trabajo de los británicos DE PROFUNDIS, el tercero en su carrera desde su formación en 2005. Una banda que se podría considerar como Metal Extremo Progresivo como deja bien claro en este “The Emptiness Within” que ha sido co-producido por Fernando Pereira (MISANTHROPE) y mezclado en los Studios Davout (AC/DC, THE ROLLING STONES, OZZY OSBOURNE), con la masterización de Tim Turan (EMPEROR, MÖTORHEAD). Vamos, que si te va la música extrema y técnica este álbum promete de verdad.

Sin duda la seña característica en DE PROFUNDIS es esa riqueza musical que saben combinar con los sonidos extremos, de ese modo se acercan a estructuras propias del Rock Progresivo e incluso del Jazz, pero con una personalidad extrema y oscura más relacionada con el Death Metal. Y aunque hoy en día estas osadías sonoras ya no sean una novedad sí que lo es el hecho de conseguir unos resultados tan interesantes como los que consiguen DE PROFUNDIS en este nuevo álbum, siendo un disco que te hace volar la imaginación por oscuros mundos y enriquece tu camino con matices y cambios originales. Un álbum variado en el que encontrar desde voces extremas hasta melodías de guitarra, pasajes armoniosos, melancólicos y también momentos perturbadores o épicos. Muchas sensaciones para un trabajo de lo más completo que además suena muy bien, pudiendo disfrutar de cada instrumento con nitidez.

Lo dicho, “The Emptiness Within” es un disco más que recomendable para quienes sigan la música extrema con fuertes deslices de rollo Progresivo y Técnico, siendo exigentes con los acabados y la calidad de las composiciones. Puede que no sean los más extremos ni los más técnicos, tampoco los más enrevesados o bizarros, pero tienen una personalidad bien definida y dominan la materia."

Link:
http://noizzwebzine.blogspot.co.uk/2...ss-within.html

[lorenzo_kolony]

Hungary's Femforgacs webzine rated 'The Emptiness Within' 9/10!

"Gondolom az együttes nevét olvasva sokaknak tör elő valami emlék a szürkeállományuk zenére fenntartott részlegéből. No igen, megkisebbedett hazánkban is van egy duó ezzel a névvel, de Francia honban is alakult csapat ezen nevet választva magának. Emellett a Vader együttes is ezt a címet aggatta második lemezének, csakúgy, mint ahogy tette azt másik tizenhárom együttes valamelyik saját korongjánál. A klasszikus zenét kedvelők és ismerők pedig Liszt Ferenc első komolyabb zongoraversenyére gondolnak, amit nem csak azért említek meg, mert tavaly jubileumi éve volt, hanem mert nagyszerű zenemű, noha befejezetlen maradt. És a végére hagytam a legfrissebb elmlékindukátort, a Rotting Christ 2011. május elsejei Club 202-es koncertjét. Ott élőben is elcsíphette jelen írásom brit csapatát a zeneestre időben érkező metalfan.


A The Emptiness Within a csapat harmadik nagylemeze, így már rosszindulatból sem nevezhetőek kezdőknek. Maximum útkeresőknek; ugyanis kezdetben inkább a doom lassú lépteivel járták a nehéz fém kárhozatra ítélt erdejét, amit a black metal sötétje trágyázott meg később. Mára mindehhez pár hektárnyi friss telepítésű death, egy írtásnyi progresszív rock, kis zugnyi jazz és egy bodzásnyi heavy metal adódott. Ha meg azt is figyelembe vesszük, hogy megfordultak már 22 országban és nem csak mint turisták, és olyan nevek előtt szerepeltek, mint az Iron Maiden, vagy a Lacuna Coil, akkor már joggal biccenthetünk reményekkel telve az új lemez kapcsán. Persze csak akkor, ha nyitottak vagyunk a black/death gyökerű zenei egyvelegre.
A dalok a zenei összetettség és témák alapos kifejtegetése végett hosszúnak mondhatóak, hiszen az első, kedvcsinálónak szánt ál-instrumentális tételt leszámítva majd’ hét perces átlaggal bírnak. És egy cseppet sem üresek, unalmasak, sablonosak. Sokkal inkább használnám a meglepő, szórakoztató és egyedi jelzőket, ha jellemezni akarnám a hallottakat.

Illik pár szót ejteni egy lemezkritikánál a zenészek teljesítményéről is. Itt könnyű dolgom lesz, hiszen a nagyszerű dalok mellett csupán egy ember miatt szerettem bele ennyire a The Emptiness Within korongba. És meglepő módon nem az Amon Amarth torokzsenire, Johan Heggre emlékeztető vokalista, Craig Land győzött meg, sem pedig a gitárjain oly’ magabiztosan játszó Roman Subbotin és Soikot Sengupta. De még a dobokat kellő fantáziával, gyorsasággal és technikával püfölő Nick Tingle is csak háttérmunkás maradt a hathúros fretlessén pihenő nélkül virgázó Arran McSporran basszerosnál. Ez a fószer eszméletlen. Igaz, keverésnél előre is tolták rendesen. Joggal, mondanom sem kell. A dalok ívét nem egyszer ez a háttérhangszer határozza meg, ami nem megszokott sem a death, sem pedig a black műfajában. Olyan messze elkóricál néha a vezérdallamtól, hogy a hallgatónak olyan érzése támad, hogy felvételkor talán nem is ugyanazt a zenét hallotta a fülén, mint ami alá később felkeverték. Nem ragozom tovább, amúgy is lehet, hogy Baathory kisasszonyon kívül eleve nem is érdekel mást, de megjegyzem, hogy nem véletlenül kellett neki két húrral több a gitárjára.

A szerteágazó behatások miatt nem említenék meg egy együttest sem, mint hasonló zenét játszót, vagy mint inspirálót, de azt gondolom illene megindokolnom, hogy miért nem kaphat nálam tíz pontot a lemez. Először is előfordul, hogy egy-egy dallam túl egyszerű és ehhez képest túlhangsúlyozott. A hangjegyek tengerében való fürdőzésben a másik lábra kötött kő a nem túl tiszta ének és a túlkárogott torokzengés párosa. Én a helyükben egyiket sem erőltetném nagyon. A hörgés viszont, mint már tettem rá félreérthetetlen célzást, nagyon befogadható.
A lemezborító szép, a zenei stílusnak teljesen megfelelő. Csak az a fránya zenekarnév ne lenne ennyire görcsös. Olyan, mint egy részeg medúza, aki nem vette észre, hogy belekeveredett egy műszakban lévő jégtörő radarernyőjébe és ezt azóta már nagyon megbánta. Olyan semmitmondó és annyira nem illik a zenéhez, hogy az egyből grafikusért kiált.
A lemez keverési munkáit egyébként abban a párizsi stúdióban tették (név szerint a Studios Davoutban), amelyet előtte nem kisebb zenekarok használtak már, mint az AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne és a Rolling Stones. A masterezést Tim Turan végezte, aki dolgozott már az Emperornak és a Motorheadnak is. Kell-e mondanom ezek után, hogy a lemez úgy dörren ahogyan kell, zörren ahol kell és tökéletesen csendül, pendül, zendül, dobban, kattan, zizzen, csörren ott, ahol arra van szükség.

A zenei kutyulmányok iránt fogékonyaknak és a középidős Vintersorg lemezeket (Visions from the Spiral Generator, The Focusing Blur) kedvelő zenebolondoknak, valamint minden újdonságot és inspirációt kereső zenészeknek bátran merem ajánlani, maximum nem értenek majd egyet velem és csak bámulnak írásomra, hogy ezt komolyan gondolta, vagy csak illuminált volt? Én mindenesetre csak gratulálni tudok a srácoknak, szép munka!" [bahon]

Link:
http://www.femforgacs.hu/kritika/229...ss_Within_2012

[lorenzo_kolony]

French fans don't miss interviews with DE PROFUNDIS on the current issue (#71) of Metallian Magazine!



For further info:
http://www.metallian.net/

[lorenzo_kolony]

New review of 'The Emptiness Within' by DE PROFUNDIS online @ Auxportesdumetal Webzine (France)! Rating is 17/20!

"De Profundis nous vient du Royaume-Uni. Le combo, formé en 2005 et déjà auteur de deux albums (Beyond Redemption en 2007 et A Bleak Reflection en 2010), nous propose un Metal Extrême Progressif très convaincant.
The Emptiness Within est donc le troisième opus de la formation.

Entrons immédiatement dans l'album.

Passée l'intro mystérieuse, atmosphérique (From The Depths...), Delirium nous entraîne, après un début rapide et incisif, dans un titre à la croisée des styles, avec des riffs empruntés assez fréquemment au Black Metal, une variation de tempi (avec quelques cassures de rythme bien amenées), des aspects heavy. De Profundis n'est pas un groupe qui part dans une seule direction. Ainsi, on trouvera des passages délicats, des soli somptueux, des vocaux clairs parlés et plaintifs, bien dans cette ambiance mélancolique.
Non, décidément, De Profundis n'est pas du genre à s'enfermer dans un style. Ainsi, Silent Gods ne reste pas cantonné aux éléments issus du Black en matière de riffs mais conserve cette tristesse, lorsque l'atmosphère s'assombrie, laissant alors apparaître ces vocaux parlés caractéristiques. La variation des approches vocales, cette diversité de tempi, la puissance ou la délicatesse, c'est la marque de fabrique du combo. Eléments Techno-Death (guitare "tournoyante"), heavy (certains riffs peuvent rappeler Iron Maiden), passages atmosphériques ou speed, ce titre est assez énorme... mais sur cet album, il est loin d'être le seul !
This Wretched Plague commence doucement, la mélodie s'installe, la basse est bien présente, la tristesse ressort de la guitare, puis ce sont les aspects habituels de la musique du groupe qui nous sont proposés, avec ces fluctuations stylistiques qui montrent que le combo est ouvert à tout, le Prog, le Death, une certaine propension à développer des ambiances dans une optique proche du Doom... mais qui ne part jamais totalement dans cette direction. Une basse aux intonations jazzy, un chant clair (moyennement assuré, même s'il traduit la tristesse) qui s'invite ensuite, la musique de De Profundis accroche l'oreille !

A ce stade de la chronique, on constatera que les contrastes sont souvent saisissants au sein de The Emptiness Within, entre les moments calmes, planants et ceux speed, qui partent vers l'agressivité (mais jamais la violence, la mélodie étant toujours un point fondamental ici).
Le passage de l'un à l'autre, contrebalancé par le mid-tempo, fait que le terrain est plutôt balisé mais jamais il n'engendre l'ennui, le groupe ayant le don de rendre sa musique attachante.

Allez, on poursuit avec Twisted Landscapes qui part de façon bien dynamique, avec des riffs entêtants et cet aspect technique bien présent mais jamais rébarbatif. Des choeurs discrets mais efficaces, bien intégrés, sont un ajout très positif.
Release nous apporte un côté très prog, plus que sur les autres titres, et puis il y a ce passage instrumental catchy, avec cette guitare qui entre en tête pour ne plus la quitter !
Dead Inside lui succède, il inclut de nouveau un passage bien accrocheur, avec un magnifique solo.
Puis c'est Parallel Existence, un titre instrumental, qui nous est proposé. Début somptueux, typé Rock Progressif, atmosphérique, tout en retenue, posé... puis la puissance reprend ses droits, mais toujours dans une optique profondément mélodique. On a de nouveau un passage lorgnant vers le Jazz (cette approche est vraiment intéressante, peut-être serait-il bien de développer cette particularité lors de la conception du prochain album). Au sein de Parallel Existence, on retrouve bien sûr toutes les variations s'appliquant aux autres compos.
Enfin, c'est Unbroken (A Morbid Embrace) qui, du haut de ses neuf minutes, prend possession de nos oreilles. Le début est très glauque, puis on repart dans ces contrées habituelles, bannissant toute linéarité.

Avec Emptiness Within, De Profundis a enfanté un album très plaisant, qui nécessite plusieurs écoutes pour y entrer intégralement et saisir toutes ses subtilités.
La musique pratiquée se révèle mélodique, sombre, la variation des tempi et des atmosphères est fréquente, la technique instrumentale est impeccable, on trouve des éléments empruntés au Prog, au Death, au Black, au Heavy, au Doom ou au Jazz, au service d'un ensemble cohérent, inspiré et, cerise sur le gâteau, parfaitement produit.
Bref, je vous recommande chaudement de découvrir The Emptiness Within!" [fifi59]

Link:
http://auxportesdumetal.com/reviews/...esswithin.html

[lorenzo_kolony]

Another cool review of 'The Emptiness Within': 8 out of 10 @ Metalstorm.net!

"So apparently this band from the UK just decided to release what can best be described as a mixture of the greatest parts of Opeth and Quo Vadis. That's a pretty awesome combination if you ask me.

De Profundis formed back in 2005 and have since managed to garner quite a following. They have a few full-lengths to their name, a pretty extensive touring history, and most recently, a major label contract thanks to Kolony Records.

Touching back on the Opeth comparison, The Emptiness Within is more like Blackwater Park's younger, but much crazier, sister. She likes to go out every night and hit up the clubs, get super drunk, drop a couple happy pills, dance her pants off and take home random strangers to cap off a fun-filled evening. She doesn't have the same level of couth as her older sister, but that doesn't mean she's an unpleasant person to be around.

Basically what I'm trying to say is this is a more exciting and up-beat version of what Opeth sounded like more than a decade ago. The pace and overall instrumental goodness helps break the monotony of transferring back and forth between "awesome death metal" and "prog wankery". And then those Quo Vadis moments come in. The greatest similarity this album has to the Canadian melodic tech-death masters is the songwriting. The songs are well-crafted and somewhat playful, but the musicians' professionalism keeps it from becoming some kind of lighthearted affair.

So you have your time signature changes, your outstanding musicianship, quality death metal growls with clean chants scattered throughout, enticing compositions, intensity, consistency, and it's catchy. And for lack of a better term, you can file it under "extreme technical metal" or something. So... you have an album that could easily find itself being enjoyed by the majority of metal fans." [Troy Killjoy]

Link:
http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review...eview_id=10781

[lorenzo_kolony]

German fans check out interview with DE PROFUNDIS + review of 'The Emptiness Within' (12 out of 15) of on the current issue of Legacy Magazin (#78)!



For further info:
http://www.legacy.de

[lorenzo_kolony]

Ehy guys pick up your phones, download the latest issue of Nachtplan Magazine and check the QR codes inside to listen to DE PROFUNDIS music on your mobile!



Link:
http://www.nachtplan.info

[lorenzo_kolony]

New review of 'The Emptiness Within' online @ Don't Count On It Reviews Blog, rating is 8/10!

"I first heard of De Profundis back around the time they were putting out 2010's A Bleak Reflection, maybe a little while before that. I remember really enjoying that album a lot when it first came out and it was one of those albums that really grew on me every time I listened to it, which, while it may not be the most fun thing, makes a better and longer lasting impression. While I can't say I was overly hyped on this album, when I finally heard it, I knew it was gonna be good.
I guess to start off I think I should say that these guys have definitely come a long way from their first full-length, 2007's Beyond Redemption, which I know wasn't that long ago, but in terms of how the band's sound has evolved, it's been quite a while. If you listen to that album, or A Bleak Reflection, the band were, at their core, a doom metal band. On that debut full-length it was a whole lot more obvious, but on their sophomore release, they definitely broadened their scope through the influence of progressive rock, fusion, and more straight ahead death and black metal. This new album is the first time I guess you could say they've moved past being a more doom oriented band. There is a much wider array of styles explored on this album, I mean, the band essentially open the album, after the obligatory intro track, with a black metal song. Sure, Delirium, it's not a traditional, kvlt, black metal song and there's a jazz breakdown in the middle of it, but it's a lot faster than most of the band's previous material. When listening to the rest of the album, there is a much higher degree of a black metal influence, which I obviously don't mind, and is certainly a welcome change in pace for the band.
Though the higher influence coming in from black metal is most certainly welcome, the other influence that stuck out to me right away was the larger influx of ideas coming in from jazz and fusion. Though the band is no stranger to utilizing ideas from those genres, I found that they come out a lot more often on this album, especially around the half-way mark of the album. Tracks like Twisted Landscapes and Release feature some of the more obvious traits from those genres, but they're not just thrown in at random and are integrated well with the more aggressive metal riffing. I can't say that it's become, or is becoming, a staple for the band, but they once again have an instrumental, in the form of Parallel Existence, which highlights their more progressive and jazzy side, as it did on their last album. You have no idea how disappointing it can be when you hear a band attempt to pull off more progressive ideas in their music, and it just sounds, not only lame, but contrived. Like they're just trying to sound technical or weird for the sake of it, instead of actually liking those sort of ideas. That's not the case with these guys.
Personally, one of the biggest qualms I had with the band's last album was the mixing of it. I mean, all the guys in the band can obviously play well, but the bass was just mixed so loud in the mix; and sure, I like to hear the bass on a record, but it was loud enough to where that and the vocals were always the focus of my attention whenever I put it on. This album has a much more balanced mix to it, the bass is still clear in the mix, but is nowhere near as overpowering. The band still have those jazzy bass solos on here as well, which I think is a very nice trait that they've carried on with this album. Along with that, the band have also brought in more clean vocals as well, which I also find to be a nice addition to their sound. I can't say that they're the best vocals, but, seeing as I think this is the first time the band has really made use of singing as more than just a back-up vocals or the occasional line here or there, I think they were pretty well done. They actually kind of reminded me a bit of Paul Kuhr of Novembers Doom a little bit.
Overall, I think it's a solid album and it's nice to see the band advancing forward with some noticeable changes in style, and ones that they can actually pull off. I don't know how fans of the first album will react to this album, it isn't like a total left-turn, but it is still different enough to give some fans some difficulty, so I guess only time will tell if this was a successful release or not. I'd say check it out if you're into more progressive forms of extreme metal, whether it's doom, black, or death, even thrash to an extent, I think you'll find something on here to enjoy." [Ian]

Link:
http://dontcountonitreviews.blogspot...thin-2012.html

[lorenzo_kolony]

New review of 'The Emptiness Within' online @ UK's webzine The Modern Alternative - check it out!

"De Profundis' secret is a strangely kept one, it is difficult to see how their talents have continued to elude the attentions of the audiences for so long. The forthcoming third album continues their evolution through rock, many of the metal sub-genres and way beyond, reaching into areas of jazz. Extreme and dark progressive metal with a great variety of doom, death, melody and hooks. The band have a great habit of reminding me of several of my favourite metal bands, but without actually sounding like them, still retaining their own individual appeal. This album is perfectly executed with such a high level of complex musicianship and varied vocal delivery, including some of the best bass guitar and deep guttural vocals that I have heard in some time. An astounding World class album, full marks." [Alex]

Link:
http://www.themodernalternative.co.uk/Alex.html

[lorenzo_kolony]

'The Emptiness Witin' rated 13/15 by Folkmetal.at!

"Mit grossem Interesse und einer Spur Neugier hörte ich mich in diesen Longplayer hinein. Gespannt was die fünf Musiker auf dem Kasten haben war ich auf alle Fälle. Schliesslich spielten De Profundis schon International an grossen Konzerten mit, unter Anderem am Bloodstock Openair. Als Supporting Act von Iron Maiden und als Tour- Partner von Rotting Christ konnten sie ihr Können unter Beweis stellen. Produziert wurde das dritte Album "The Emptiness Within" von Fernando Pereira (Orakle, Misanthrope).

Musikalisch sind die Briten nicht leicht einzuordnen. Ihre Einflüsse reichen von Heavymetal über Rock bis zum Jazz. Technisch sind die Jungs sehr versiert. Die Songs sind sehr abwechslungsreich, mal schnelle Parts zum Abrocken dann wieder eher atmosphärische Einlagen wie man sie etwa auch bei Opeth hören kann. Alles in Allem eine solide Progressive Leistung auf einem gut produzierten Album. Der Gesang erinnert mich zum grössten Teil ein wenig an die Band Hate. Doch muss ich gestehen dass mich der doch auf weiten Längen monotone Gesang von Craig Land nach einiger Zeit ziemlich langweilt, welches man ihm aber verzeihen darf. Das Album prügelt euch trotzdem garantiert den Schweiss aus den Poren.

Für Freunde des extremen Progressive Metal ist diese Scheibe schon fast ein Muss. Man wird von Spielfreude und von der Abwechslungsreichheit überflutet. Ein starkes und solides drittes Album der fünf Musiker ist euch garantiert.

Der Release der Scheibe ist für die UK am 7. Mai und für den Rest Europas am 11. Mai angekündigt.

Am RockHarz Festival werden De Profundis auftreten, welches in Ballenstedt D zwischen dem 12. Juli und 14. Juli stattfinden wird. Das Offizielle Video zum Song This wretched plague aus der neuen Scheibe könnt ihr euch unter dem Link reinziehen." [snape@folkmetal.at]

Link:
http://folkmetal.blog.de/2012/05/09/.../#more13655013

[lorenzo_kolony]

'The Emptiness Within' was rated 4 out of 5 in the latest issue of Terrorizer Magazine (#223)!




For further info:
http://www.truecultheavymetal.com

[lorenzo_kolony]

New review online, 78/100 by Italian webzine Metal of Death!

"Terzo album per gli inglesi di Londra De Profundis, band attiva dal 2005 e già con un ragguardevole pedigree in quanto a live performances, supportando i tours di bands come Iron Maiden e Rotting Christ!
L’ascolto dell’album non delude le aspettative e si capisce chiaro e tondo che questi DP non sono un gruppo di “raccomandati”, buoni solo per i soldi che ci mette qualcuno.
No, il quintetto londinese ci sa fare: prende una serie di riffs death, death melodico e black in minor parte e li riempie del proprio tocco personale aggiungendo un gusto melodico piacevole e riuscito, a volte grintoso, altre volte più pacato e sognante, ma per la maggior parte debitore alla melodia e alle capacità tecniche, talmente tanto da riuscire a proporre in un paio di occasioni anche delle interessanti digressioni jazz.

Un quadro musicale dunque ricco e ben variopinto, che non mancherà di stupire l’ascoltatore che non disdegna la melodia e che si ritroverà ad ascoltare l’originalità di “Delirium”, che unisce l’impatto di certi Opeth più violenti alla poliedricità dei Novembre, i richiami anche ai Moonspell di “Silent gods”, l’orecchiabilità di “Twisted landscapes” non a caso scelta come canzone da video, e l’impatto di “Release”. Il tutto condito con una vivacità ritmica e globale che non fa che impressionare positivamente sul risultato finale i palati più avvezzi al metal più progressivo e melodico, anche se estremo.

Difetti ce ne sono in realtà, ma non minano la riuscita globale di un album ben fatto e completo. Per esempio, la troppa carne al fuoco sembra a volte appesantire un disco di qualità buona ma forse a volte un po’ ridondante, mentre altre volte è il minutaggio dei brani che si fa sentire, praticamente sempre superiore a 5:13 a parte l’intro. Ok che si tratta di un cd influenzato dal progressive, quindi difficilmente si avranno brani corti, ma forse un piccolo sfrondamento del songwriting è auspicabile per perfezionare il tutto.

A parte questo, il cd è da indirizzare agli amanti del progressive metal estremo come un buon esempio di rappresentazione di questi generi. Anche gli amanti di altri generi metal più open minded possono, secondo me, provare a dare un ascolto. Non dovrebbero restarne delusi." [Snarl]


Link:
http://metalofdeathzine.blogspot.it/...ss-within.html

[lorenzo_kolony]

Check out this new interview with singer Craig Land @ Lethal Conflict!

London based De Profundis is a band that has created huge expectations from the very beginning in UK metal scene. Their self-released debut Beyond Redemption (2007) was pretty impressive show of force and skill.
The successor A Bleak Reflection (from 2010, on Kolony Records) showcased a natural and engrossing evolution of their blend of technical death/doom metal with blackend progressive elements.
Now, exactly two years after the predecessor, The Emptiness Within will be available worldwide on May 2012 (again on Kolony Records). This third studio effort continues their evolution through rock and many of the metal sub-genres and way beyond, delivering a one solid mass of progressive metal of darker veriety.

Vocalist Craig Land answered the questions.

Few weeks and your third album "The Emptiness Within" will be released on Kolony Records, so the obvious question that what's next for the band?
Craig: We’re on the road promoting the album as much as possible. We’ll also be shooting a promo video for the song „Twisted Landscapes” in June. We are building a new studio at the moment, so we will begin writing the next album when that’s done, which will be in the Summer.

Everyone has occasional moments when your band starts to taste like a stale job. What you do when those times come on your path?
Craig: Being in a band is a bit of a rollercoaster. Usually when we feel down about some aspect of the business, something will come along to lift our spirits and remind us why we do it.

I know that active musicians can't have holidays, but if you would have chance to spend two weeks without band worries, which option you would pick: Olympic football tournament in London or UEFA European Football Championship in Poland & Ukraine? (Yes, Brits, soccer, yes)
Craig: Does anyone care about football at the Olympics? I don’t. The UEFA championship actually means something. Besides, I live close to the Olympic venues in East London, so it wouldn’t be much of a holiday, so I would much rather visit Poland and Ukraine.

How the process for this album went, as far I have understood, you managed to get all done within the original timelines you had set earlier?
Craig: Yes. We recorded most of the album at our own studio, so could work whenever we needed to to get the album done in the time we set for ourselves. Some of the parts took longer to record than anticipated due to them being quite technical, but in those cases we just put in long hours to get it done.

Where the albums name "The Emptiness Within" came from?
Craig: We struggled to come up with a name and it just sounded cool so we went with it.

What kind of procedure it is to bring this album sound into live setting? Are you pain in the ass for any sound engineers running sound systems in the gigs?
Craig: We don’t do anything special or different to how we have always approached shows. There are some very subtle synths on the album which we don’t do live, but otherwise we just make sure we are well rehearsed for a show so that we can do the best job possible – even when the sound is poor.

You just scored a gig in sweden, any plans to taste the Swedish delicacy of fermented herring (surströmming) while there?
Craig: Definately not!

Do you sleep better at night when you know that you have booking agency handling all the gig hassle?
Craig: No – we certainly don’t just leave them to get on with things. We are always actively working to get shows as we have always done, and we still get stressed out and fed up with the behind-the-scenes politics.

Looks like UK government is abandoning ABSO's. Do you miss them, did the band members collected any of them?
Craig: I don’t think they did much anyway. Criminals wore them as a badge of honour! The government is very soft here, and that’s one reason why the society is a mess. None of us have collected any ASBO’s, but if we had it would be nothing to be proud of.

I was reading Alex Scarrow's Last Light, a novel about peak oil and what would happen in Londonstan in case of little oil supply problems. I do not want to dwell into your political stances, but do bands members share the same page when it comes politics?
Craig: No, we don’t. We don’t speak about politics much as it has little relevence to us as a band, although some of us are more interested in politics than others.

If would need to play a cover song from limited number of bands, which band/song you would pick if the ONLY choices would be between Amon Amarth, Anata, Edge of Sanity and Hypocrisy. Do you play any cover songs on regular basis?
Craig: Edge Of Sanity are the only one of those that I like, so it would be them. It would be taking the piss to play „Crimson” due to it’s length, but it is a masterpiece. I’d probably pick „Enigma...” from the „Unorthodox” album as that would sit quite well in our set. We have done a few covers in the past – most recently „Electric Eye” by Judas Priest.

There has been few reports here and there about how big (American) labels will phase out CD all together and from 2013 onwards all (American) mainstream music will be more or less itunes/ipod/iphone/ietc only. Do you see this monopoly scheme as a blessing or rather a threat?
Craig: Most mainstream music is disposable rubbish, so it is suited to the digital format. It has no substance, so why bother with the physical form? I won’t buy digital music and I don’t count a collection of mp3’s as a collection of anything. Real music lovers will always demand the physical thing, with the artwork, lyrics etc.

How the summer 2012 is looking for you gig/festival wise?
Craig: We’ve got a few shows in the UK, Netherlands, Sweden, and then Rockharz Festival in Germany. We’re talking to people about a European tour at the end of the year.

Anything to add?
Craig: Support music by buying it and going to shows otherwise you will be left with only reality tv „music” – and nobody wants that.

Link:
http://www.lethalconflict.com/?page=interview&pid=303

[lorenzo_kolony]

New review 4/5 online @ TheNewReview.net!

"De Profundis is a work in progress, and what was once a smooth, fluid progression has now become a drunken stumble forward. Their third album, The Emptiness Within, which boasts the longest track list and shortest song lengths, continues to see this band pull away from their blackened doom beginnings. Maybe in the long run it was a mistake to label them at all. The band’s second effort saw the boys broadening their horizons and now The Emptiness Within sees the band continuing that trend, but at what cost?

If you are coming into this album as the first exposure you’ve had to De Profundis, then boy, is this album going to knock your boots off! This album is the perfect blend of a few key genres that these guys pull together with precision to craft beautiful melodies and epic songs. With black metal being the predominant sound here, the band uses it as a backbone and then throws in death metal and even what sounds to me like a small dose of Viking metal to sweeten the pot, which is completely new for this band. De Profundis don’t even stick to one style of black metal. Not only can they pull off a progressive style with mid-tempo soaring harmonies and classic guitar shredding but they can also switch over to in-your-face, blast beaten driven black metal as well.

The tunes on this disc focus in on song structure, melody and a layering of guitar sound, all of which lends to some pretty intricate, yet catchy songs. You may be aware that the band is singing about despair and loathing but they make it sound so attractive. My initial instinct when listening to this was that the overall tone made The Emptiness Within seem very soothing, almost as if the listener was reflecting in on their own soul. Even when the tempo is high and the snare drum is blasting away, the listener never really gets a sense of aggression and angst.

The band also enjoys the frequent use of a clean sounding guitar, which only adds to the soothing component of this record. I do enjoy how predominate the bass is in the mix and really like that the bass sometimes carries certain songs at certain points. The bassist has a style and sound similar to bands such as Obscura and Augury.

Altogether, this album is solid and a definite listen for fans of these genres; however, if you have been a long time fan since the Beyond Redemption days, then you may not even recognize this band at all. Gone are the slow, droning tempos and lumbering vocals. Nowhere can you find a gritty, slow-tempo guitar solo over a hulking, beefy rhythm section. The sound is cleaner, the production slicker and the songs shorter and more appealing to the modern metal listener. This can only be expected with more money to spend on production. This can even be expected with the new genres that the band employs and experiments with, but at what point does creativity and experimentation hinder the soul of a band?

Original fans will scoff at the clean vocals and the lack of grit. What seems like a soothing, mellow album to some will seem like a lack of passion and personality to others. What seems like an experimental and progressive album to one will sound like a hum-drum recycled thought to another. The band had successful forward progress with A Bleak Reflection, effectively pulling in some new sounds while keeping the same intensity, aggression and creed that they set out with. Now it’s as if they lost their way. They know where they want to go, but aren’t quite sure how to get there, and because of that, they missed a few turns along the way." [Kevin Juliff ]

Link:
http://thenewreview.net/reviews/de-p...ptiness-within

[lorenzo_kolony]

New interview with guitarist Roman Subbotin online @ Blistering.com! (Part 1)

An up-and-comer in the United Kingdom extreme metal underground, De Profundis's stellar recording output is matched by their attention to detail, the kind of sort you'd see from a much more high-profile act. These are the foundations for a band that in good time should be a major force on a global scale, as evidenced by the inherent strength of their third opus, The Emptiness Within (Kolony Records). A fearsome blend of technical death and black metal, De Profundis also finds it within themselves to weave in the occasional jazz interlude, drawing comparisons to progressive death metal legends Atheist and Death. And when combined with professionalism, a strong conceptual base, and a tireless touring load, De Profundis should have little problem rising up through the ranks, something that was top of mind when we grabbed guitarist Roman Subbotin for a chat...

Blistering.com: After you released A Bleak Reflection, you did quite a few live shows/touring. How did those go, and how critical were they in terms of laying the groundwork for album #3?

Roman Subbotin: Absolutely, we toured a hell of a lot for the A Bleak Reflection album. We played in over 20 countries and did three international tours across Europe and India. On the whole, the experience of playing across so many places and meeting many new people was great. Of course, some shows were disappointing - it can be quite frustrating to spend many hours travelling to a venue only to find out that the promoter has not done any promotion and no-one even knows that the show is on. I'm sure most touring band have been in the same situation, but the important thing for us to learn from such experiences. Most of the shows have been excellent, however, with the crowd reaction being very strong. Quite often we get people coming up to us saying "that was great - why haven't I heard about you before?" Hopefully more and more people are getting to hear about De Profundis now.

Touring really motivated us to write the new album in a way that would come across as well as possible played live on stage. Live shows are a great test for any new tracks, so we used this environment to test the new songs once we were happy with them to see how they translated on a live stage. We realized some of our earlier songs took too long to get to the "point,” so on the new album we made a conscious effort to make the song structures as concise as possible, and ruthlessly cut out any arrangements that we thought were not necessary to the songs.

Blistering.com: Music as complex and atmospheric as yours can get lost in translation in the live arena. How do think the band comes across, or are you still a work in progress on the live front?

Subbotin: In my opinion, De Profundis is at its best as a live act. For us it's always been more of a question as to how to capture this in the studio. As I said before, the songs are written with the live performance in mind, and the new tracks seem to be going down very well with the audiences. We've played to all sizes of crowds - from 3 to 30,000 - and the band always gives our all. For us it has always been more of a question how to capture the energy and atmosphere of our shows on record. I think we are getting better and better at this with each recording, but I still feel that we are a better live than studio band. We all love playing live - there's an amazing energy at our live shows. We have a really good chemistry now and the band really plays tight as a unit now.

Blistering.com: There’s this distinct air of professionalism in everything you do, from artwork, to production, all the way to band photos. As a band on a small independent label, describe all of the legwork that goes into making the band appear so professional.

Subbotin: It's not easy. First and foremost we do everything to a standard that we set for ourselves. It does not matter what anyone else thinks of what De Profundis does - as long as we are happy with it, then this is the only thing that matters. We all love creating music, and we are very passionate about what this band does. We try to work with like-minded people who also give it their all. We don't settle or compromise on the quality of anything that the band puts out. This can be very tough - financially but also time-consuming - but really it's only about creating something that we are proud of ourselves and working with the right people.

Blistering.com: A Bleak Reflection was rather impressive, but The Emptiness Within takes it to another level. Is that how you were feeling after wrapping up the album?

Subbotin: I think that's a fair comment. We strive to progress and improve with every album. Certainly the feeling in the band has been that we have improved as composers and as musicians and were able to capture this with the new songs. We purposefully tried to make the songs have more impact and more "hooks" - if the listener cannot remember any melodies after listening to the album, then what was the point of it? Of course, some things did not work out perfectly on this album. Without going into detail, I think it's fair to say all band members had to compromise. From a personal level, there are some things that I know we could have done better... but I'm happy enough with the final product and I'm sure we will do even better on the next record. After all, if you think you have made your perfect record and you can't do better - then it's better to retire and go out on a high. I wish some of these older bands would do the same as opposed to tarnishing their legacy with half-baked crap.

Blistering.com: What was the writing process like for album #3?

Subbotin: In a way, it was quite different to the previous albums, as we worked a lot in Shoi's (other guitarist) private teaching/recording studio. The whole band plugged in directly into a computer with multi-tracking program, using guitar processors and electronic drums. We recorded ideas at almost every rehearsal and took them away to work on individually between rehearsals. Because the ideas were captured on demos very early on, we were able to spend a lot of time and attention on arrangements. If you play in rehearsal studio at loud volumes, it can be easy to miss certain notes clashing or rhythms not working. Writing in a recording studio environment at quieter volumes, everything was very clear. As a result, we have been able to come up with some very cool arrangements.

Link:
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/f...mpidx/5/link/1

[lorenzo_kolony]

New interview with guitarist Roman Subbotin online @ Blistering.com! (Part 2)

Blistering.com: You were able to keep the same lineup between releases – how beneficial was that when putting the new album together?

Subbotin: I think the fact that we had a stable line-up for a few years now really helped as we are all very comfortable with each other and know each other's playing styles. Everyone was able to contribute as much as they wanted to the writing process, and in fact there are a lot of very subtle nuances in the arrangements as a result. There is "chemistry" on this album that you can only get from a band that has been playing together for a while. We've toured fairly extensively over last few years, so know well what our respective influences and interests are. Ideas just bounce off each of us when we write - we have a real understanding now as a band. This takes time to develop, so having the same line-up for several years now has been hugely beneficial to writing and playing live.

Blistering.com: Clearly, the band has its own sound, but it’s not like you’ve settled into one particular sound/style. What’s the ingredient to keeping things fresh?

Subbotin: I think we have a pretty unique way of composing the songs - putting together the ingredients, if you will. We may take ideas from different genres but the way the music is ultimately structured follows the same philosophy and way of creating music. I would say that THIS is our sound. As our albums have progressed, we have explored different genres to varying measures. The reason for that, I guess, would be curiosity and interest for many types of music within this band. We all like different bands, so each band member brings in their own ideas into the mix. Also, I just don't see the point of releasing the same album again and again. If we do an album, then it has to mean something, and say something different. Stagnation is not an option.

Blistering.com: There’s a noticeable progressive metal influence on some of the songs…are you prog nerds by chance?

Subbotin: Yes, we are big fans of many different acts, and "progressive" bands are some of the ones that we find the most interesting. Likes of King Crimson, Rush, Pink Floyd, Queen, Cynic, Atheist and many more. Our bassist and drummer are huge 70's prog rock fans, so I'm sure there's an influence there on our sound. We don't try to recreate the 70's though... I think there are two types of influence - one is imitation - for example PLAYING something in the style of (name a band), and the other is sub-conscious / mental influence - THINKING according to the influence of an artist. Each band has a unique message, and that's what their music is about. Understanding that is engaging with the artist.... it's inevitable that some sections of our music will remind the listener of certain bands, given there's only a limited number of notes, chords and so on - but I like to think that De Profundis shows its influences in the way of thinking, and developing ideas, rather than just imitating.

Blistering.com: Also, gotta love the Death Individual Thought Patterns influence too. How has Chuck Schuldiner influenced your music?

Subbotin: I think Human was the first really heavy record that I got into. Certainly there's some influence from Chuck's riffs and the Death aesthetic - the way that Death arrangements were put together - on what we do, especially on the more "death metal" sounding sections of this new album. It's probably fair to say that because The Emptiness Within is a faster record than our previous two, we have got some riffs that sound closer to the kind of super-tight picked riffs that Chuck was famous for, however his influence has always been present on De Profundis. I'm glad you've picked up on that. I'm a big fan of Symbolic too - some really great ideas and songs on that album.

Blistering.com: The band has played some rather exotic places over the years. Any particular favorite of yours?

Subbotin: India has to be one, since we played there to 20,000 supporting Iron Maiden in 2009, and also we returned there for a headlining tour in 2010 - when we got to play to 30,000 people in a single show. The fans there have been really great to us, and we've had such a great experience there. It's very different from the UK, so it was incredible to see new cultures and meet new people. I wrote a blog about the tour - you can find it via our official website. Closer to home, we've had really good responses to our music in Netherlands and Belgium, so always keen to play some more shows there. To be honest, we love playing live and would tour the world and play as many shows as possible. Obviously we are limited by financial resources available to us, but we're always keen to do any show - anywhere.

Blistering.com: Finally, what’s on the agenda for the rest of 2012?

Subbotin: We will be aiming to tour even more for this album and hopefully get the band's name out there. We think we have something good going and we're keen to show it to the rest of the world. Onwards and upwards.

Link:
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/f...mpidx/5/link/1

[lorenzo_kolony]

Metal.it rated 'The Emptiness Within' 7,5/10!

"Terzo disco, il secondo per la nostrana Kolony Records, per i britannici De Profundis, autori di un interessante quanto personale doom death metal assai serrato ma allo stesso tempo alquanto melodico e progressivo, che già il nostro buon Coroner aveva recensito positivamente un paio di anni fa in occasione del precedente "A Bleak Reflection".

Per spazzare via ogni dubbio va detto sin dall'inizio che il nuovissimo "The Emptiness Within" raggiunge il buon valore del capitolo precedente, grazie ad un'ampia eterogeneità dei brani, talvolta più squisitamente progressivi e coraggiosi (l'inizio in fretless di "Silent Gods" è eloquente e quasi la matrice death scompare, così come in "Twisted Landscapes"), altre volte decisamente più oscuri e pesanti come in "Dead Inside" (questa sì ancora veramente estrema), altre volte ancora più decadenti e dark come nell'iniziale "Delirium", con vaghi eco di Paradise Lost e Sentenced dei tempi che furono, tanti tanti anni fa.

A dire il vero oramai unico elemento estremo, in senso di pesantezza, è rappresentato dalla voce di Craig Land che con il suo growling tiene i De Profundis ancorati all'area extreme metal: struttura delle composizioni, produzione, soluzioni ed arrangiamento oramai pendono completamente dalla parte prog-metal ma non è un peccato od un difetto poichè il quintetto albionico lo fa con molto gusto e savoir-faire.

Le delicate (ed intricate) conclusive "Parallel Existence" ed "Unbroken" chiudono "The Emptiness Within" con toni a-là Pestilence(di "Spheres"), e conferiscono a questo lavoro, nonchè alla band, uno status di ottimo ed interessante, molto più elevato del 90% della paccottiglia che il mercato purtroppo ci propina in abbondanza, anche grazie ad un'ottima produzione ed un packaging, sin dalla copertina, più che adeguato.

Ormai la qualità va ricercata, e fortunatamente, trovata, nei nomi più piccoli e meno conosciuti... " [Gianluca 'Graz' Grazioli]

Link:
http://www.metal.it/album.aspx/17681...tiness-within/

[lorenzo_kolony]

'The Emptiness Within' rated 15/20 @ France's VS-webzine!

"Limite parce que je suis une tête de con et que je déteste faire comme tout le monde, j’aurais aimé me détacher de mes chers confrères. Mais nom de Zeus, bien que Sheb (pour leur premier album, d’abord sorti en auto-production) puis Dark Rabbit (pour ‘A Bleak Reflection’ il y a deux ans) les avaient déjà salués, je vais avoir beaucoup de mal à dire du mal des Rosbifs de DE PROFUNDIS.

Bon allez, pour la forme, on va dire que trop de versatilité tue la versatilité. Non pas qu’ils se la jouent CARNIVAL IN COAL, genre en option zapping frénétique, non. Mais sur une base donc doom/death (désormais franchement assez lointaine), ces petits gars ont donc greffé des plans prog rock 70’s, black-metal et limite folk par moments, les deux seules véritables fautes de goût étant un (rare) chant clair mal assuré et des claviers trop en retrait et se résumant souvent à des nappes pas très inspirées et surtout trop typées 90’s. Sinon oui, cela fait beaucoup et justement, parfois cela fait un chouia trop. Non pas que l’interprétation ou le rendu soient à remettre en cause, loin de là, mais disons que le rendu a tendance à ne pas être très digérable et nécessitera pas mal d’écoutes.

Par contre, ce qui est évident, c’est la constante progression de ces musiciens. Et notamment de leur bassiste fretless qui joue à armes égales avec les guitares et qui, d’ailleurs, comme sur les deux disques précédents, profite de l’instrumental « Parallel Existence » placé en avant-dernière position pour s’éclater et cavaler à la Steve Harris entre deux descentes de manche. Instrumental qui évite de commettre à nouveau la faute de goût qu’était sur ‘A Bleak Reflection’ en se révélant être le titre le plus black du lot, avec même une poignée de blast en fin de parcours histoire d’éclabousser un peu. Et là encore, on peut d’ailleurs saluer le mix très propre de l’ex-MISANTHROPE Fernando Pereira qui, une nouvelle fois, a fait en sorte que chaque musicien puisse s’exprimer sans prendre trop de place, même si le tout manque parfois un chouia coffre dans ces parties les plus saturées.

Après, difficile voire impossible d’éviter ce qui se voit comme un éléphant au milieu d’un magasin de porcelaine, cette foutue comparaison avec OPETH. Sauf que si sur le banc des accusés se bousculent déjà IKUINEN KAAMOS, STEORRAH ou encore très récemment MOONLOOP, DE PROFUNDIS eux sont plus coupables dans le fond que dans la forme. C’est-à-dire qu’ils se sont inspirés avant tout de leur esprit aventureux et de cette façon d’alterner moments presque intimes et avis de tempête. Car sinon, prise en tant que telle, mis-à-part quelques accents guitaristiques et certaines intros (comme celle de « This Wretched Plague » par exemple), leur musique n’est pas si ouvertement pompée sur celle de Mikaël Åkerfeldt, notamment grâce à un côté black plus prononcé. J’irais même jusqu’à parler de black hellénique bizarrement, tant on a parfois l’impression d’entendre des plans qui n’auraient pas dépareillé sur le dernier ROTTING CHRIST par exemple, groupe avec lequel ils ont tourné récemment. Manque plus qu’à l’appel que quelques vrais morceaux vraiment mémorisables plutôt que cette foutue impression d’entendre des gens très compétents oubliant hélas parfois un peu qu’un ou deux péquins les écoutent…" [Olivier 'Zoltar' Badin]

Link:
http://www.vs-webzine.com/new.php?pa...&pagh=&droite=

[lorenzo_kolony]

'The Emptiness Within' rated 78/100 @ Italy's Hardsounds.it!

"Con questo nuovo album i De Profundis migliorano sotto diversi aspetti. Il più significativo è senza dubbio quello del songwriting, oggi affinato, maturato e più convincente. Lo si evince in particolare dalle progressioni e dagli stacchi strumentali che figurano incastrati più efficacemente tra la pesantezza del death/doom che fa da base allo stile della band inglese. 'The Emptiness Within' rappresenta quindi un passo in avanti rispetto al pur interessante 'A Bleak Reflection' che vedeva le idee del quintetto concretizzarsi con maggiore fatica a causa di una fretta esecutivo-compositiva che ne minava la stabilità. Oggi, invece, pur non raggiungendo il massimo equilibrio nelle proprie strutture i brani risultano più dinamici e compatti a fronte di una qualità complessiva che supera abbondantemente la media delle uscite di genere e non. I riferimenti non sono cambiati, però, dato che i De Profundis si rifanno a quanto My Dying Bride e Paradise Lost hanno già scritto sul fronte death/doom, ma grazie alla sempre più pressante componente progressive i nostri provano a dire la loro attraverso intuizioni che dilaniano l'atmosfera cupa e furiosa che padroneggia nell'ora quasi di musica, e lo fanno con cognizione e disinvoltura tecnica - ulteriori aspetti migliorati. Probabilmente era lecito aspettarsi una crescita più sostanziosa, se non definitiva dopo ormai tre album ed oltre un lustro d'esperienza, però vogliamo credere che i De Profundis siano indietro di un disco in quanto a perfezionamento del loro stile, e che il prossimo lavoro sarà quello della consacrazione di un talento che ancora non riesce ad esprimersi come dovrebbe." [Andrea Punzo]

Link:
http://www.hardsounds.it/recensione.php?id=8159

[lorenzo_kolony]

'If you consider yourself a fan of metal in any shape or form this is quite simply an essential album' - check out the review of 'The Emptiness Within' @ Sonicabuse.com!

"The last time we caught up with De Profundis they were playing a sparsely attended all-dayer at Leicester’s The Musician Pub and yet, even there in that less-than-crowded venue, you couldn’t help but appreciate that De Profundis were destined for bigger things. Now, on ‘The Emptiness within’ released on the excellent Kolony Records, the band are poised to gain the recognition that they so richly deserve as they deliver an album that has poise, precision, subtlety and power raging through every one of its nine searing, gloriously innovative tracks. Quite what sets the band apart is hard to pin down. It could be their exquisite musicianship, but that alone is never enough; it could be their ferocious riffs and devastating vocal attack, but that also is a facet shared by many bands; it could be the progressive streak that takes their songs above and beyond the realms of the ordinary, but, then, even this has done before. So perhaps it is where all of these things coalesce and where the band seamlessly (and seemingly effortlessly) combine all these things that makes them so special and so deserving of your time and attention. Whatever ‘X’ Factor it is, De Profundis undeniably have it, and this is one of the most exciting extreme metal albums to have come our way in some time.

Openign with ‘from the depths…’, De Profundis work on developing mood and atmosphere from the beginning. The first track is but an intro, but one that has been meticulously crafted to build a very genuine sense of anticipation that builds until the twisted attack of ‘Delirium’ screams into view, the brutal rhythm guitar offset by a fluid classic rock solo and jazzy bass runs that are as unexpected as they are welcome. It’s an awe-inspiring start that soon leads to a rampaging black metal attack, all guttural vocals and pummelling percussion all of which would impress even if that was all that was on offer… but it’s not. Not by a long way. Just as the band have taken you as far dwon the extreme path as they are willing to go, the music does an almighty volte-face, with the bass leading the way towards altogether different climes, the guitars suddenly smoothing out and hitting a jazzy Santana vibe that miraculously does not sound disparate but which fits into the track as if it was always meant to be there. This is the sort of abrupt U turn that hitherto only Opeth and the Conservative government would consider (and which only Opeth got away with) and the result is an immense track whcih runs through a gamut of sounds and emotions always leading you into unexpected recesses and areas before you even realise that a change has taken place – and all this takes place on just the first track.

‘Silent Gods’ is the next track and once again it is the bassist (the implausibly named Arran McSporran) who deserves special mention for his amazing performance which speaks of countless hours spent practicing his instrument and developing the idea of what can (and can’t) be done with a bass guitar within the context of a song. This is not to detract from the stunning guitar work or powerful percussion – it is simply that it is rare to hear the bass played with such skill and ingenuity and it sits right at the heart of what makes De Profundis so special – each and every musician in the band contributes a huge amount to the overall feel of the music and the result is a complex, adventurous mix of extreme, brutal, and occasionally beautiful music that has you standing in simple, unaffected awe of the band who produced it. ‘This wretched plague’ opens on a reflective note, the guitars rippling through your speakers with an unexpected sense of calm that is as suddenly still as the calm after a storm and as welcome as the inevitable freshness torrential rain brings to the air. It does not last for long, however, and the music explodes into brightly coloured life as the band pile in with gleeful ferocity, destroying the sense of tranquillity with a serpentine ferocity that draws the breath from the body. Next up is the aptly titled ‘twisted landscapes’, a mind-boggling number of chaotic complexity that takes a strong mind and steely determination to follow. Once again the band’s remarkable musicianship is demonstrably to the fore and yet it never feels like they’re engaging with complexity for the sake of it – nothing that doesn’t serve the song makes the final cut and the result is a series of songs that challenge the intellect as well as fire the adrenal glands with their blistering intensity.

Taking a jazzier direction, ‘release’ is a chance for the rhythm section to shine whilst the guitars are initially content to add colour to the sound before crashing back in for a jerking, syncopated, menacingly metallic assault that takes any number of detours before it’s near eight-minute run time is through. ‘Dead inside’ is a heavier number that takes the dying days of Emperor as it’s cue (think the crazed urgency of ‘Prometheus: The discipline of fire and demise’) and then the comparatively brief (a svelte six minutes) ‘Parallel Existence’ opens for all the world like a latter-day Pink Floyd number, all languid guitar and jazzy time signatures before an almighty riff at 01:20 tears the progressive ambience to pieces, the band throwing thunderous percussion and jaw-dropping solos at the mix for an instrumental number that gives the whole band a chance to flex their musical muscles. ‘Unbroken (A morbid embrace)’ draws the album to a close over the course of a nine minute mini-symphony that refuses to follow any expected patterns and instead repeatedly decimates your expectations, proving to be a shattering curtain call indeed.

In producing a record of the quality of ‘the emptiness within’, De Profundis have raised the bar for extreme metal bands everywhere. Here you will find riffs that shatter your peace of mind, moments of sublime beauty, musicianship that is quite simply beyond reproach and astute, innovative song-writing skill. There is not a weak moment, not a bum note or poor performance anywhere to be found and whilst De Profundis themselves may go on to top this remarkable piece of work, it’s hard to imagine anyone else doing so… not this year at least. If you consider yourself a fan of metal in any shape or form this is quite simply an essential album." [Phil]

Link:
http://www.sonicabuse.com/2012/06/de...-album-review/

[lorenzo_kolony]

'Give this album a spin and, trust me, this will be the best hour of your life' - another great review of 'The Emptiness Within', this time @ MetalRecusants.com!

"The music scene, and especially the metal scene, is saturated with loads of bands from all kind of genres and sub-genres. A lot of them might be original and very interesting while some of them might be unoriginal and boring. However, only a few are able to connect with you and take you on a musical and dream-like journey. The newest album from UK act De Profundis should be categorised in the latter group.

Let’s introduce the band first. De Profundis formed, not so long ago, in 2005. Up to date, the Londoners have released three albums: Beyond Redemption (2007), A Bleak Reflection (2010) and their newest output The Emptiness Within. Followers of the metal scene should be familiar with this stellar act as they’ve been on various European tours (most recently with Rotting Christ) but even supported Iron Maiden in India.

From the first note on The Emptiness Within, I knew that it would be a mind blowing experience. After spinning the album a dozen times, my prediction proved to be true. De Profundis’ third full-length has music on it which you can just listen to all day long. Come on, when was the last time that you actually sat down in your comfortable chair or bed and just listened to a (new) album more than once and ACTUALLY loved it?! Can’t remember? I thought so…

Everything on The Emptiness Within is dream-like and beautiful – and yet brutal as tracks like “Delirium” prove. To be found on all tracks are instrumental interludes with an awesome proggish/jazzy sounding bass. A great example is “This Wretched Plague” where both the bass and guitar are very jazzy and proggy, thanks to which you enter the world of dreams. Later on in the track when all the instruments play together – i.e. when the music takes a brutal turn – you are still in that dream world; maybe suffering or running away from “This Wretched Plague” but that’s for the listener to interpret for himself/herself.

The band also deserves praise for the lack of selfishness among the instruments. Everyone gets their turn in the spotlight. But even when in the spotlight, there is no domination of one instrument over the other. All instruments are clearly audible which leads us to comment that the production is excellent.

The instrument which had the biggest impact on me was the bass. There are awesome solos (for instance on “This Wretched Plague”) and it is audible throughout the album. At times it felt as if I was listening to a jazz band rather than an extreme metal one… However, this could be their form of extreme as they stray away from the norm.

Even if De Profundis do not lack imagination and creativity, comparisons to other bands are inevitable. For instance, at times the drumming and the rhythm sections could be compared to Amon Amarth while the track “Release” has some Opeth-y moments.

Nevertheless, listening to all those melodies and riffs on this album is like heaven (or hell?!) for the ears. The instrumental track “Parallel Existence” is the ultimate dream track that you will ever listen to. De Profundis’ The Emptiness Within should be recommended by doctors all over the world – this music will heal all your anxieties, nightmares and depressions. This is definitely one of the best albums I have listened to recently. Give this album a spin and, trust me, this will be the best hour of your life." [Dom]

Link:
http://metalrecusants.com/2012/06/20...tiness-within/

[lorenzo_kolony]

'The Emptiness Within' rated 4,5/6 in the June-July issue (#047) of Zero Tolerance Magazine!



For more info:
http://ztmag.com/current.html

[lorenzo_kolony]

8,5/10 @ Italian webzine Darkthrone85.org!

Link:
http://darkthrone85.org/?p=3470

[lorenzo_kolony]

There's a new interview with the band online @ Fémforgács webzine (Hungary)!

Kérdés-felelek Shoi Sennel, a De Profundis gitárosával

- Az első szó jogán engedjétek meg, hogy gratuláljak a nemrég megjelent lemezetekhez!
Sikerült egy nagyon tömény, de aki szán rá időt, annak egy roppant szerethető albumot alkotni. Úgy érzem, hogy az előző, A Bleak Reflection-hoz képest a The Emptiness Within egy teljesen új ösvényt választ a népszerűséghez vezető ingoványos terepen. Ez mennyire volt tudatos? Vagy csak én gondolom úgy, hogy ezúttal sokkal több fantáziát és szabadságot kovácsoltatok a dalokba?
- Köszönöm, egyetértek azzal, hogy a zenénket párszor meg kell hallgatni, hogy mindent megértsünk, teljesen befogadjuk. Nem akartunk teljesen mást összehozni a “A Bleak Reflection’-től, az egyetlen célunk az volt, hogy összetettebb, töményebb dalok szülessenek. Úgy csináljuk a dalokat, hogy összehozzuk az ötleteinket, majd megírjuk őket, szóval ez egy nyitott kreatív folyamat.
- A lemez megjelenése óta túl vagytok négy koncerten és idén eddig további három időpontotok van lekötve. Gondolkodtok lemezbemutató, zenekar népszerűsítő turnén?
- Idén a későbbiekben tervezünk turnét, remélhetőleg hamarosan többet tudunk erről írni.
- A fellépéseken milyen volt a korong dalainak fogadtatása a színpadról nézve? És milyen visszajelzéseket kaptatok eddig a lemezről úgy általában?
- Azok, akik egy ideje már követnek, figyelnek, ismernek minket, nagyon szerették a dalainkat, látták, hogy egy másik szintre jutottunk. Nyilván néhányan, akik szerették az A Bleak Reflection-t nem túl lelkesek az új albummal kapcsolatban. Az új rajongóinknak tetszett, amit játszottunk, eddig a cd-eladásaink nagyon jók, szóval ez ösztönzően hat ránk. Azt gondolom, néhányukat, akik már hallották a nevünket, de nem láttak még minket, lenyűgöztük és meglepődtek azon, amit láttak.
- Most egy kicsit tolakodó leszek. Volt egy olyan észrevételem, hogy az amúgy szépen kidolgozott zenekari logó leginkább egy didergő és nagyon meglepett medúzára hasonlít, így inkább a black és durvább death metal műfajra fogékonyak figyelmét kelti fel elsősorban, pedig a zenétek az előbbi skatulyákon messze túlmutat. Nem gondolkoztok egy könnyebben olvashatóbb és zenétekhez illőbb névleírás elkészítésén?
- Érdekes kérdés, a logót a bandán belül döntöttük el, és mindannyian különbözőképpen gondoltuk. Talán a jövőben lehet, hogy valami változhat rajta. Valóban igaz, hogy a zenénk messzebb mutat, mint egyszerűen csak black metal.
- Most visszakanyarodok még egy kicsit az élő előadáshoz. Volt már szerencsétek nagy tömeghez és kis klubokhoz egyaránt. Melyiken léptek fel szívesebben és miért?
- Mindkettőt nagyon szeretjük. A tömött klubos fellépés döbbenetes élmény, mert nagyon közel lehetsz a közönséghez, szinte az arcukba játszol. A nagy koncert meg önbizalomnövelés, látni a sok embert, akik a zenédre emelik a magasba az öklüket.
- Van olyan zenekar, akivel szívesen bejárnátok Európa színpadait?
- Őszintén szólva bárkivel szívesen játszunk, úgy érezzük, a mi zenénk széles körben vonzza a hallgatóságot, szóval örömmel játszunk bárkivel.
- És ha már koncert, mint rajongók sűrűn jártok koncertre?
- Nem olyan gyakran, amennyire szeretnénk. Esténként gitárleckéket adok, ezért sokszor kihagyok koncerteket. Utoljára az Amorphist láttam pár hónappal ezelőtt.
- Van közös kedvenc zenekarotok?
- Rengeteg! A metal bandák mint az Emperor, Opeth, Cynic és a Death. De nem metal zenekarok is, mint pl. Queen, Journey és a Pink Floyd.
- A zenéteket hallgatva, a hangszerek egymásba fonódása miatt olyan érzésem van, mintha rengeteg időt töltenétek együtt, holott öten vagytok és négy országból származtok. Hogyan fújt össze a szél titeket és hányszor tudtok találkozni?
- Romannal és Craiggel interneten keresztül ismerkedtem meg. Ugyanígy Nickkel, a dobosunkkal, neki a hirdetését találtuk meg. Arrant válogattuk – a másik bandája velünk lépett fel pár koncerten és nagyon tetszett, ahogy játszott. Amikor basszusgitárost kerestünk, ő volt az első és egyetlen, akit szerettünk volna, szóval nagyon szerencsések voltunk, hogy igent mondott.
- El tudom képzelni, hogy a sokféle vérmérséklet is szerepet játszik abban, hogy ilyen összetett zenét hoztatok a világra. Hogyan fogantak a dalok, volt-e vezető dalíró?
- Tényleg teljesen különböznek a vérmérsékeletek… Alapvetően Roman és én hozakodunk elő riffekkel, Arran (basszusgitáros) és Nick (dobos) keresi meg a tökéletes ritmust a riffek alá, és Craig próbálja a gondolatokat egy dalba rendezni. Szóval mindenki hozzájárul a dalíráshoz.
- Szabad tudni, hogy amikor nem zenéltek és bármit választhattok akkor mivel töltitek az időt, és mivel akkor, amikor a pénzkeresési kényszer dönt helyettetek?
- Két állásom van, kereskedelemben dolgozok és gitárleckét adok. Van családom is szóval rettentő elfoglalt vagyok.
- Egyre inkább úgy tűnik, hogy csupán lemezeladásból ma már szinte lehetetlen megélni egy fiatal csapatnak. Milyen lehetőségeket látsz ma és szerintetek mi várható a következő években annak fényében, hogy elindult már valami mozgolódás az internet korlátozására?
- Ideálisan a sok turné jó lenne, de az sem olyan könnyű. Azt gondolom, hogy az illegális zeneletöltés az internetről megölte a zeneipart, ami nagyon szomorú. A jelenlegi modell nem működik. A fiatal bandáknak az összes pénzüket be kell fektetniük, ami azt jelenti, hogy azért kell dolgozniuk, hogy túléljenek, vagyis kevesebb idejük lesz írni, gyakorolni, ami azt eredményezi, hogy a legvégén a zenéjük minősége fogja megsínyleni. Mi a harmadik albumnál tartunk és még mindig dolgoznunk kell… Összehasonlítva a Metallicával, 25 évvel ezelőtt még mindig underground bandaként megírták a Master of Puppets-et, és teljeskörű támogatottságuk volt. Hidd el, ha anyagilag megteheted, hogy egész nap csupán zenét írj, előrukkolhatsz egy remek albummal.
- Ha a maják nem tévednek, akkor nem lesz időtök még egy lemezt megalkotni. De ha mégsem lesz 2012-ben világvége, akkor mik a távlati terveitek?
- Turnét és új dalok írását tervezzük. A stúdióm most épül, ha készen lesz, kezdhetjük a zúzást. Németországban a RockHarz fesztiválon is játszunk idén nyáron.
- Ha találkoznátok Istennel, vagy kifognátok az aranyhalat, esetleg megmentenétek a jótündér életét és kérhetnétek egyetlen dolgot, akkor mi lenne az?
- Szeretnék főállású zenész lenni, hogy el tudjam tartani a családomat.
- Nagyon köszönöm az interjú lehetőségét és a válaszokat. Végezetül mit üzentek azoknak, akik a Fémforgács.hu-n mindezt olvassák?
- Támogassák, szeressék a metalt, ne töltsenek le netről ingyen semmit, senkit nem segítenek ezáltal! És jöjjenek koncertre! Nézzék meg a De Profundis-t és terjesszék! Köszi!
- Sok sikert kívánok a jövőtökhöz, sziasztok!
- Neked is köszönöm, minden jót!

Külön köszönet Krisztinek a két nyelv közötti szakadék áthidalásáért!

Link:
http://www.femforgacs.hu/interju/666...fundis_interju