Exclusive Premiere: De Profundis Rally Against Religion on ‘Obsidian Spires’

In the years 2009 and 2010, London death metallers De Profundis built their relationship with India with as grand an entry as possible. They supported heavy metal pioneers Iron Maiden in Bengaluru in 2009, signed to Sony Music for their doom-leaning debut album Beyond Redemption and proceeded to tour India in 2010.

Of these, guitarist Shoi Sen calls their 2010 countrywide tour as the most memorable. “We picked up a lot of fans on that tour which have remained with us.” Now, they’re releasing their fifth album The Blinding Light of Faith via Mumbai-based label Transcending Obscurity. Nearly a decade since their debut album, the band goes in for an overhaul in both, sonic and aesthetic terms. Moving away from doom and prog-inspired metal, there’s just good old gnarly death metal on their latest. Sen says, “From a musical point The Blinding Light of Faith is in the same direction to Kingdom of the Blind [2015] but with a heavy more punch production which was a big disappointment for us on Kingdom. The music this time is more vicious and streamlined which was a key motto during the writing of the album.”

The opening track, “Obsidian Spires,” includes ”“ in addition to incisive, rattling vocals and riffs ”“ a vocal sample of Shirley Phelps, the daughter of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps talking about god and death. Sen adds, “You may be familiar with them for being a bunch total morons who believe pretty much god hates every minority out there. We found this clip on YouTube and it really sums up the whole thought process behind this album.”

With their latest album set to release on May 10th, Sen notes that there’s a tour of the U.K. plotted out in June and an appearance at Bloodstock Festival later on, with a possible European tour kicking off as well. The guitarist has roots in Kolkata, where he hopes the band would make a stop someday when another India tour clicks. Until then, De Profundis’ India connection continues, as Sen and bassist Arran McSporran join Mumbai extreme metallers Demonic Resurrection as session musicians on their final U.K. tour later this month. Sen adds, “I have had the learn Nishith Hedge and Daniel Rego’s solos and both are monsters on their instrument so it was a challenge but fun. Both [D.R. frontman] Demonstealer and Viru [Kaith, drummer] are arriving a few days before the tour begins so we will have intense rehearsal before heading off.”

Listen to “Obsidian Spires” below. Buy the album here.