Blacksoul Seraphim - Profane Devotions

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BLACKSOUL SERAPHIM are a Doom/Gothic Metal band from Massachusetts.  “Profane Devotions,” is their third release; they also have another EP and two full lengths under their belt.  I’m a huge Doom fan but, admittedly, I hadn’t heard of this band before this EP. Their overall sound is definitely entrenched into Gothic Doom but also has a more traditional Doom side to it, especially with the clean vocals and some of the riffs.  The keyboards spice up the songs but don’t go overboard—their cathedral like tone fit the rest of the band like a glove.

The appropriately titled opening track, “Doom Junkie,” opens with a thick slab of guitars and then vocals—my only real complaint about this EP is there are instances where, vocally, there is just too much going on.  It makes the tracks sound cluttered and a bit too chaotic for this style. Still, “Doom Junkie” is a pretty good song—the riffs never stop and the drums are very complimentary to the structure of the song.  After the solo, the song gets more open with its atmosphere, really showcasing their Gothic elements.

“Priestess of the Deep,” has a slow gallop interspersed with some groove.  Terese’s vocals are  infectious—I could definitely enjoy a full length album with her featured more or even as the main vocals—her voice really lends itself to Doom because it is rich enough to pass for more traditional sounds but with the emotional weight of Goth behind it.  The end riffs and solos finish the song off strongly and I would say this might be the best of the three tracks.

“Bedlam Harvest,” is the longest track at 6:42.  A pulsating bass drum and bluesy Doom riffs give life to the song right from the start. The deeper clean vocals work perfectly with the song’s tone as do the backup vocals from TERESE.  The bass stands out very well on this track, especially around the halfway point when the singers are crooning among the pounding of the drums.

It is hard to judge an album, especially by a band I’ve never heard before, on three songs but this is a nice little EP.  The band really understands how to use Doom by embracing the darker elements presented by Gothic sounds.  Based on these three tracks, I would love to hear them expand what they have done here on a full length.  I will definitely take a lot at their back catalog and eagerly await more music from them.

Songwriting:7
Originality: 7
Memorability: 7
Production: 7