Style: Symphonic black metal, progressive black metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Borknagar, Septicflesh
Country: Norway
Release date: 24 July 2026

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Summer living in the southern United States is a grind. The simple midday act of mowing the lawn is a high risk activity for dehydration and heat stroke, as time spent outside is either by a pool, rushing to or from your car, or a mistake. This sweltering heat results in cravings, mostly beer and salty snacks. As far as music goes, I’ll tell you what my overheating neurons aren’t suggesting: the bleak, snow-covered landscapes of black metal. But what do they know anyways? Going against my natural instincts (which often fail me anyways) I’ve chosen to escape the heat by diving into Norway’s frigid fjords with Profane Burial’s Desolate Echoes of Turmoil. Who better to help tick down these searing days than members of Borknagar, Trollfest, Funeral, and Haimad anyways, right?

The opening notes of Desolate Echoes of Turmoil show that Profane Burial have no interest in playing into traditional black metal expectations. Like the mythological calling of the Huldra from deep in the woods, Profane Burial lure the listener in with a soothing, melodic guitar passage as opening track “Den Fortaptes Krønike” begins, only to violently pounce with bursts of blackened blast beat fury when escape is beyond reach. Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow employs frequent tempo changes behind the drumkit, rather than simply blasting away. With these changes in velocity, the strings (all of which are performed by André Aaslie) interweave emotive, soaring guitar solos (“Den Fortaptes Krønike”), lurching single note riffs that meander up and down the fretboard (“Prognostic Augural Obsolescence”), and harmonized melodic lines (“Triumph of Dreadful Aftermath”) throughout Desolate Echoes of Turmoil. With this varied approach, Profane Burial reach beyond the repetitious boundaries of conventional black metal instrumentation. Kjetil Ytterhus, on the other hand, belts out a traditional, frigid growl, freezing everything that his icy breath touches.

Passages of isolated piano, grandiose symphonies, and choirs make appearances throughout Desolate Echoes of Turmoil. Rather than being tightly interwoven alongside the distorted maelstrom, however, they frequently appear isolated from the black metal in fragmented, intermittent pauses. As a result, these elements never feel completely incorporated into Profane Burial’s aural identity but come across as unexpected and often out-of-place guests to the frigid forest cabin of Desolate Echoes of Turmoil. As an example, in the midpoint of “Channeling Epiphany”, a palm-muted triplet stomping abruptly gives way to a dramatic piano performance atop synthetic orchestral strings prior to suddenly roaring back into black metal fury. While each respective passage, both metal and symphonic, are well written and appealing, together they amount to less than the individual components. The sudden shifts between starkly contrasting sections with minimal or absent segues lead to a battered listening experience, roughly bouncing the listener between chaotic black metal and refined symphonic segments.

With the frequent mashing of opposing sections, long stretches of consistency in style feel like a reprieve. Penultimate track, “Horror Code, Pt 2”, contains frequent tempo changes, though does so with natural transitions and incorporates the backing symphony into the black metal rather than opposing it. The interplay of weeping guitar melodies and backing vocal chorus creates a fittingly melancholic atmosphere. This unified approach greatly benefits the flow lacking in the preceding tracks due to fragmentation.

While Profane Burial did provide a reprieve from the sweltering heat, the lack of cohesion within individual tracks of Desolate Echoes of Turmoil results in a dizzying and often frustrating listening experience. No doubt the Norwegian trio is massively talented and chock-full of ideas, though by placing them all on display, the album’s cohesion suffers. Either that the heat has melted my brain into a jumbled mess incapable of understanding their frozen vision.

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Recommended tracks: Prognostic Augural Obsolescence, Triumph of Dreadful Aftermath, Channeling Epiphany
You may also like: Lamentari, Aquilus, Bekor Qilish, Haimad, Omni, Strigiform
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: These Hands Melt Records

Profane Burial is:
– Kjetil Ytterhus (vocals & Keys)
– André Aaslie (guitar, bass & keys)
– Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow (drums)
With guests:
– Tom Alexander Trones (lead guitar on songs 1,2 & 3)
– Torstein Nipe (lead guitar on songs 1,4 & 6)