Black metal as a whole for me personally usually comes and goes depending on the style and generally speaking, I like the more fast paced, melodic and symphonic-esque style of the genre but thankfully so, Germany’s Sarkrista have won me over not only as a fan but to hear such blasphemous aggression I loved what I heard. Released through Purity Through Fire, Sworn To Profound Heresy is the third official full-length and is the follow-up to 2017’s Summoners of the Serpents Wrath which that album both lyrically, sonically, musically and progressively speaking it brought chaos and destructible currents to make their wave for the genre become a huge force to reckon with. From their Satanic lyrical content, ritualistic clothing attire and their simplicity to bring best of both worlds, this is without question their finest and most animalistic and ambitious albums this band has done to date. Songwriting here is well-rounded while the songs contain aggression, chaos and pure diabolical conquests to bring a maddening and old school flair gives this album a great glimpse of what fans of past releases will surely love this fine establishment.
Their influences for older black metal bands such as Satanic Warmaster, Enthroned, Horna and Behexen truly shows their creativity and originality which often times the genre can be overwhelming but when you dive deeper into the album’s context and content you will be satisfied to hear such brilliancy all around. There’s also moments on the second half of the album where I hear some atmospheric touches giving this release a much more depth and triumphant approach due to their resembling guitar melodies, fiery and darkened cymbals, thunderous bass tones and vocals providing that dissonant range gives me a nice pleasant surprise since the screams range anywhere from the highs, lows and demonic growls keeping the progression and flow rhythmic is a huge expectation for my liking while understanding how these layers and buildup suspense shine.
Tracks such as The Chosen Ones of Satan, The Beast Reborn and A Whisper Of Forgotten Coffins are their finest achievements in terms of consistency and technical skill but maintaining that traditional sounds fans come to expect coming from Sarkrista. There’s no denying that Sworn To Profound Heresy is a huge improvement over previous material and if this is the direction they’re taking for black metal then let bygones be bygones to see such growth and maturity as this is the best black metal album of 2021.
Overall Score: 9.0/10
Review by Jake Butler
