Profane And Sacred: Chapter 1 A Long Time Coming

A stoner sludge groove outfit of varied attacks, Profane And Sacred aren't afraid to reveal their influences but neither are they afraid to vary them. This album, Chapter 1 A Long Time Coming, couldn't simply be a release by Clutch, Queens of the Stone Age, Down, Kyuss or Orange Goblin. However individual songs or more to the point, sections of particular songs certainly could. "Bench" initially crawls into life, subdued and calm, before a rolling guitar churns and burns. The vocals snarl and bite, vicious yet not in a take your head off sort of way, instead there's an easy confidence working alongside the urgency which heightens the attack. "Bleed That Stone" adds an unexpected twist that you wouldn't expect from this burgeoning UK act, an almost Iron Maiden like guitar line running alongside Sabbath sized riff and a mighty roar from Luke Alleeson.

All the tracks run to at least five minutes and while none ever send you for the snooze button, taken as a whole it can make this album a tough one to get to know. Perseverance is advised though, for the guitar work of Rick Spooner is straight to the point and undoubtedly of walloping proportions, while drummer Kieran Smith proves himself a masterful thumper of tubs. Factor in booming bassist Rob Taylor and "You Know" jostles and jousts with intent, "From The Top" rumbles and roars, even adding in a slice of Kerbdog as it does so, while "Words" thrums, throbs and thwacks in equal proportions. Instrumental "A New Leaf" closes the album, a pondering meandering where riffs are sidelined for harmonising bass and guitar, makes for a clever, almost palate cleansing end to the experience.

There's no denying that a touch of honing would have made this first excursion from Profane And Sacred just that little bit more memorable. Yet what is presented here goes beyond simple "promise", for many established stoner outfits would happily call much of Chapter 1 A Long Time Coming their own. This is a solid first step and one that suggests that we might just have a band capable of lasting the course on our hands.

Track Listing
1. Bench
2. Bleed That Stone
3. You Know
4. Weather The Storm
5. From The Top
6. All For None
7. Just A Little
8. Words
9. A New Leaf

Added: March 22nd 2015
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Profane And Sacred on Facebook
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Language: english

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