Kryptamok’s Profaani promised quick and glorious dive into Finnish black metal seeing that the main (sole) man Hex Inferi spent time in Vordven and Horna. Indeed, with dense and hefty production the EP tries to combine filthy fabric, blazing speed and epic melodies. A winning combination when Sargeist and Horna do it, just like Sargeist’s recent Unbound showed. Perhaps I am still under Unbound influence, so I expected same almost poetic black metal flames from Kryptamok. Instead, Vala is more one-note, double bass moving grind, with cymbal blasting providing the pulse. Unmerciful in its motion Vala is boulders rolling on endless flat plane in all chaotic directions, with only glimpses of triumphant melodies here and there. Varjoista Kutsuttu pulls the shroud a bit and allows for breaks here and there. More deliberative Varjoista Kutsuttu or ominous Kuoleman Katarsis, with its disturbing melodic bends, emanating from the depths, are better moments on Profaani.

Overall, while being a part of the genre, unquestionably, Kryptamok just doesn’t reach the levels of more institutional bands from Finnish black metal scene mentioned above in this review. At least on this EP …