Now I really wasn't that familiar with PROFANATICA to begin with and that alone could make it difficult for a novice to put into words. When it comes to pointing out and describing the dark and doomy sound coming off that stage, explaining the bit of history and where such a band would land in the Metal genre as a whole - I am far from a novice. Led by Drummer/Vocalist Paul Ledney who goes by title 'Mayhemic Slaughter of the Heavens', the one-time (early) INCANTATION drummer carried over some of the sound in the creation of this new group who has been around since the early 90's but only have had their first full-length debut Profanatitas de Domonatia come out in 2007, on the label run by the Horvel Brothers (1 of which is YT personality Justin Horvel, aka J-Dawg) Hells Headbangers Records. Since then, they've released 5 albums that has garnered some great attention for underground aficionados.

STORMRULER is a band out of Missouri with 2 releases under their bullet-belt, both through Napalm Records, one of my favorite labels right now, releasing/signing some great bands and STORMRULER is no different. Armed with spiked-gauntlets and some great energy, they started the night off right. The new breed and modern take on Black Metal whose later material/second album adapted a more melodic sound and folk'yness to it. Nevertheless, as a moderate Black Metal fan myself who loves his DISSECTION and WATAIN, I appreciated their sound and stage energy, fan with the hair-blowing and everything. With only 2 albums worth of material, it was enough to warm-up the crowd.

Dressed in black shroud, the power-trio that is PROFANATICA bring doom-encrusted lust and blasphemous perversion with songs like "Cursed Nazarene Whore", "Black C*m", "Ruptureholyhymen" - just to name a few. While I unfortunately couldn't tell you their full setlist, every song was epic-blackened-doom greatness, breaking your neck with every song. Reliving the show through various YT videos, you see the love fans from other places was much more intense, and the clubs were much more full than they were this nite in Echo Park. Which of the little to no expectations I had of the show, I thought the crowd would be larger, consisting of the East L.A. Metalheads who don't go farther the 101 freeway, and some of the diehard "Hollywood" rockers who rarely come to the hood. A setlist from a prior show the week of the concert showed their setlist to include songs from last year's release Crux Simplex and the songs "Condemned to Unholy Death", "Take Up The Cross", "The First Fall" and "Meeting Of A Whore". Also in the setlist was a couple from Rotting Incarnation of God, a cut from Altar of the Virgin Whore (2018), a track off their debut album - and other cuts from the multiple EPs. Ledney was ferocious on both the drums and mic, "The True Perversion of the Heavenly Father" on bass and "Destroyer of Holy Hymen" on guitar sounded absolutely crushing. Props to the sound-guy (or girl, whatever the f*ck) for dialing in some great sound as head were falling off the shoulders of the headbangers in attendance showing much gratitude.

Check out some more photos from the show!
All Photos By Thomas Delgado/@forthehordeprod