Obsequial Sceptre – Profanation Gnosis [EP]

Artist: Obsequial Sceptre
Country: Cyprus
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital EP
Year: 2026

Cyprus isn’t exactly a country that’s flooding us with any particular style of metal; in fact, I didn’t get much further than Necrosadist and Temple Of Evil, two Black Metal bands with releases on Blood Harvest. Not Black Metal, but Obsequial Sceptre is a band that could well put this small country on the Extreme Metal map. I’d missed their earlier ‘Utterance Of Deathly Murmurs’ demo (2022), but this new 3-track EP, which would make a splendid 7″ EP, certainly leaves a lasting impression. Fans of solid guttural and swampy Death Metal, take note!

With a playing time of well under eight minutes, there’s maybe not too much to sink our teeth in, but what’s on offer is undeniably quality Death Metal. While it has traces of “Caverncore”, ‘Pofanation Gnosis’ is far more versatile and has a remarkably dynamic character. With its generally fast tempo and gurgling, lower-than-low vocals alone, Obsequial Sceptre already creates an interesting contradiction. Many of today’s bands that like to draw on the same source of inspiration, i.e. a lot of Undergang, form a rather monotonous whole, resulting in music that is actually quite interchangeable. Whilst these Cypriots do take the same foundation provided by Autopsy and Incantation, they combine it with the aforementioned brisk tempo, a good dose of technical skill and a Grindcore-like groove. It would be going a bit far to call this original, but it certainly feels a fair bit ‘fresher’ than the average standard of today’s Death Metal output. What certainly helps here, of course, is the short running time, which ensures the music loses none of its brutality and intensity. As well as the few bands mentioned above, fans of, for example, Blood, Coffins, Anatomia, Bloodsoaked Necrovoid, early Pungent Stench, Rippikoulu, Funebrarum, Disma, Krypts and Stench Of Decay will certainly find Obsequial Sceptre to their liking.