PROFANATICA, Spiter
PROFANATICA are at the vanguard of the rst wave of American black metal. Founded and led by infamous
master of black perversion Paul Ledney (drums/vocals), they have purveyed primeval blasphemy for nigh on
thirty-three years.
Ledney formed the band from the ashes of the rst INCANTATION lineup when he split and took with him all
of the members sans John McEntee. That early trio of ex-INCANTATION members reeled o three
ground-breaking demos of some of the most extreme and blasphemic metal of its time in rapid succession.
The band yers that permeated the tape-trading circuit were no less shocking and featured the trio bloody
and naked and in the throes of what was most certainly a primeval summoning of some kind. In short order,
they had inked a deal with the edgling Osmose Productions for what became one of that labels rst releas-
es (Osmose release #5); a legendary split with Colombia’s MASACRE.
Something so volatile could only last briey, and after another brief recording session the band collapsed
under the weight of its own extremity. but the recordings made in this two year window went on to see
dozens of reissues in the coming decades, in a testament to how formidable and formative they are to the
black metal scene worldwide.
After almost fteen years spent with his equally polarizing solo project HAVOHEJ, Ledney reignited the
ames of Profanatica in 2006. Reemerging with a new deal from Hells Headbangers, Ledney and his new
band released ‘The Enemy of Virtue’, a collection of that vaunted early material, and a new full-length, ‘Profa-
natitas de Domonatia’. A triumphant return, ‘Profanatitas de Domonatia’ picked up right where these Kings of
US Black Metal left o, delivering a savage stream of chainsaw guitars and relentless battery upon which
they desecrated everything sacred.
This set-in motion another frenetic burst of work for Profanatica. The next decade saw them unleash four
new full-length albums of blasphemous perversions, sacrilegious incantations, and furious black metal. In
addition, the band issued six mini-albums and EP’s, a full DVD of early footage, and began touring interna-
tionally in Europe and in Central and South America. For the rst time Profanatica were appearing near or at
the top of the bill at festivals like MDF, Messe Des Mortes, Hells Headbash, Prague Death Mass (Czech Repub-
lic), Chaos Descends (Germany), Black Sun (Spain), Tyrant Fest (France), SWR Fest (Portugal) and many more.
In fall 2018, Profanatica joined forces with Season of Mist and undertook their biggest tour to date support-
ing WATAIN and ROTTING CHRIST across Europe. And a year later, the trio vomited forth a most vulgar strain
of black metal ejaculate with their SoM debut album ‘Rotting Incarnation of God’.
The band embarked on an extensive twelve-country European headline tour in the album’s wake. Shortly
after returning home that winter, the world ground to a halt in 2020. Save a live-streaming concert produc-
tion for the legendary Rock al Parque in conjunction with BATUSHKA, little was heard from Profanatica.
That is until spring 2023, when Profanatica emerged from their den of iniquity on a European headline tour
to promote a new album. ‘Crux Simplex’ is a ten-track oensive of sin and sacrilege, a nasty aront that
bastardizes the rst 10 stations of the cross. As per their legacy, Profanatica deals in bestial, rst-wave black
metal barbarity, and their eighth album unveils ungodly levels of bile and blasphemy.
It was but the summer of 2022 when SPITER burst from the fucking grave with their debut
album for HELLS HEADBANGERS, Bathe the Babe in Bats’ Blood. Featuring members of
labelmates SHITFUCKER and Devil Master, the power-trio made plain - and vulgar - their
infernal & infectious True Vampyric Metal Punk: a raw-yet-anthemic blend of cult blackthrash,
obscure hardcore punk, and even the wildest deathrock. The album sowed its seeds of
sanguine depravity and SPITER took their madness on the road, cementing their cult status
immediately.
Now, the deviants of SPITER return with a ripping new mini-album, Enter the Gates of Fucking
Hell. This six-song / 26-minute recording sees the lineup scaled back to vocalist / guitarist /
songwriter Richard Spider (Daemon Bitch of SHITFUCKER) and drummer Snake (Disjawn) -
they continue to be a trio for live purposes - and remarkably shows even more fire and focus
than that not-inconsiderable debut album. Somehow, those six(-six-six) songs sound shorter
and more epic simultaneously, with Spider showing his songwriting chops between wild &
winding mania and ghoulish catchiness. The production, in kind, is colder and harsher but
clearer and heavier, assaulting the listener with arguably more undead energy than said debut.
And then, over before it began, you’re again possessed to press “play” and enter those fucking
gates over and over...again, until it fucking hurts.
