This American Black Metal horde attacks with their debut full-length album, a harrowing, philosophical descent into sound and symbolism built on contrasts between the cosmic and the personal, defiance and decay, melody and obliteration.

A harrowing, philosophical descent into sound and symbolism, Herezjarcha, the brand new opus by Bangor, Pennsylvania-based Black Metal horde Profane Elegy, sees the band expand every element of their vision, sounding heavier, more dynamic, more refined, and deeply introspective. Produced by J Gulick and mixed and mastered by Kevin Antreassian at Backroom Studios, the new offering by vocalist Mikael L , guitarist J Gulick, bassist David G, and drummer Sean M is more than an album. It is a record built on contrasts between the cosmic and the personal, defiance and decay, melody and obliteration, exploring themes of nihilism, mortality, philosophy, and religious symbolism, often invoking figures like Satan not as dogmatic statements, but as metaphors in a broader spiritual and existential dialogue.

There’s no time to breathe as the band attacks in full force with Exeunt Omnes, which is Latin for “all go out,” a phrase drawn from Shakespeare’s Richard III, where Mikael’s grim vocals will lacerate your minds in a perfect fusion of Black and Death Metal. Then Sean’s hammering drums dictate the pace in the devilish Haunted, also presenting those classic Black Metal riffs we love so much by J, followed by The Accuser, drawing from the Biblical role of Satan as prosecutor, with the song representing both indictment and rejection. Put differently, it’s another undisputed blast of savagery by such an uncanny horde, led by J’s classic riffage and supported by David’s rumbling bass. The band then offers one of the heaviest songs of the album, titled As My Heart Turns to Ash, while also showcasing an overdose of melody and progressiveness, reminding me of some of the best bands from the current Nordic extreme scene.

In the pulverizing I AM, with its title drawn from the book of Exodus, taking the phrase spoken by God “I am that I am” and transforming it into a proclamation of human rebellion, we’re all invited to slam into the pit to the unstoppable beats and fills by Sean, once again ending on a more pensive, melancholic vibe. Immutable explores the inescapable traits and traumas we are born into, keeping the album at a high level of violence while blasting our damned souls with the band’s scathing Black Metal; whereas And Then We Are Gone might not be a bad tune, but it’s way below the rest of the album in terms of violence, speed and electricity despite its doomed vibe. Finally, we face Herezjarcha, a sprawling, conceptual narrative about a man transformed by his own heresy. In visions and madness, he births a new ideology, becoming one with darkness in pursuit of hidden truths, and the music perfectly depicts that by sounding very intricate and detailed, with Mikael’s roars exhaling endless anger and hatred while his bandmates craft thunderous and hypnotizing sounds before the song’s nocturnal ending.

The name Herezjarcha is a neologism meaning “arch-heretic,” and the record embodies this fully, an oath against complacency, a testament of defiance, and a new scripture of darkness, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Mayhem, Woods of Ypres, Swallow the Sun, and Emperor. Hence, you can get to know more about the band via Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, stream their sulfurous music on Spotify, and of course, purchase their excellent new opus from BandCamp. Fusing the atmospheric elements of Black Metal with the weight of Doom Metal, the precision of Death Metal, and the unexpected textures of orchestration and clean vocals, Herezjarcha rejects genre purity in favor of vision. This is what Profane Elegy stand for. This is a new heresy.

Best moments of the album: Exeunt Omnes, As My Heart Turns to Ash and Herezjarcha.

Worst moments of the album: And Then We Are Gone.

Released in 2026 Independent

Track listing
1. Exeunt Omnes 4:57
2. Haunted 3:31
3. The Accuser 5:20
4. As My Heart Turns to Ash 5:23
5. I AM 3:49
6. Immutable 3:56
7. And Then We Are Gone 4:02
8. Herezjarcha 5:55

Band members
Mikael L – vocals, orchestrations
J Gulick – guitars, orchestrations
David G – bass, orchestrations
Sean M – drums