There are times when execution is the only suitable punishment, and PROFANATICA’s newest ungodly mass has taken its name after one of the most severe methods, which matches the abrasive and bestial sound carried forth on “Condemned to Unholy Death.” Its warped introductory ambience forwards an infernal presence that transfers to various chord and tremolo forms, and the filthy guitar tone proves ideal as their serpentine paths desecrate alongside battering drum blasts. A section of hammered frets adds to the affliction, and another key dynamic is observed when rhythms shift, with slower strides compounding the low-end reverberations of “Take Up the Cross.” An array of similar effects transpires throughout “The First Fall,” where a grooving riff swing is further distinguished by cymbal taps, and a punk-laced beat also emerges before oppressive forces come bearing down. Vocals effectively drive that menacing point, and focus is drawn to their rasps while guitars subside momentarily to mark the end.
An aural shade is faintly perceivable later in “Meeting of a Whore,” showing atmosphere likely isn’t limited to ambient fringes or the production’s cavernous appeal, and a striking exercise of percussive and riff interplay is distinguished amid the barbarity until breaking for a doomed oration. That burden becomes fully realized during “Compelled by Romans,” where heavy trudging arrangements reflect the dread of one dragging their cross toward its final post, and the vocals appropriately match this tone at guttural levels before grooved pulsations elevate the pace on “Wipe the Fucking Face of Jesus.” A deranged melody takes lead over its course, which contributes a more detailed layer of torment to the procession, and it only becomes more dire when “The Second Fall” ensues with a crushing riffload behind its blasts and power grooves. Certain tremolo melodies radiate distress on “Cunts of Jerusalem,” and the descent of other riffing paths echoes their strain before fading into imminent tortures ahead.
Different vocal and tremolo combinations are noted on “The Third Fall,” where areas of low-end speed and rasps cross over to higher-leveled melodies with gutturals, and they demonstrate one instance of how simple rearrangements can bring further vitality to an overall minimalist approach. A foreboding cymbal-tapped crawl soon develops, and its crushing intensity is expanded favorably on “Division of Robes,” after mighty chord structures and blasting tremolo attacks gather for the final charge. While the vocals are a prominent force throughout, one particular quality has been notable across many tracks, which involves a hocking effect produced during some of the prolonged screams. This occurs definitively when the slow and brutal engulfing of demise arrives, as if to send a last scornful loogie flying at the crucified one, and this outcome is compounded by features in the ambient outro that are almost angelic, concluding the work then on perverse notes of triumph. Crux Simplex clearly follows Jesus’ crucifixion, with the available lyrical excerpts capturing it from multiple perspectives, including his own, and its music acts as the whips and spearheads prodding him along. It doesn’t aim to push boundaries, but instead shows these US legends doing what they do best for a gallows-bound trip even the cursed Nazarene can’t deny.
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