So It Begins

I used to really enjoy Profugus Mortis for some reason, and I can't really remember for the life of me why. Maybe it is the simply-digestible nature of the melodies? The easy on the ears faux-harshness of Zinay's roars? Either way, it's time to exorcise some past demons here. I recently tackled the group's second release under the Blackguard moniker: Firefight and found it wholly unappealing. Most of the irritating tendencies present on said album aren't necessarily accounted for here on So It Begins, which focuses more on the sticky, driving keyboard and violin melodies as opposed to watered-down brutality in the verses.

So It Begins is certainly bombastic and epic sounding, but Turisas this ain't, people. Lefrancois' keyboards aren't as prominent as one would think once taking the ever-present violin into account, forcing him into a second stringer position that only sees him surfacing during strategic points when the song calls for turgid orchestra hits or twinkling bells. This disappoints me, as he is clearly one of the most skilled musicians here; his later session work for Ex Deo would undoubtedly prove as much. The guitars are a universal afterthought, with their muffled and indistinct tone muddying the rhythm section's waters alongside Mailloux's faceless bass and the plastic sounding kit. It honestly sounds like a mess at times, with song sections clunking together by virtue of awkward joins and scattershot ambition.

The one saving grace could have been Livernois' ethereal violin work, but even she comes off as little more than eye candy in the end. The meandering violin passages constantly attempt to distract the listener from a lack of substance elsewhere, but at the same time amplify said fault in the process. So It Begins is mercifully short at least, as the band refuses to stick around any one songwriting area long enough to induce slumber. The one exception might be "Vile", which is appropriately named and stands out like a sore thumb in the procession. Otherwise, most of these tracks are sub-three minute bursts of melodic excess. Not entirely devoid of potential in the live arena, but something is certainly lost when So It Begins is tackled in one sitting. The first two songs make a concerted effort at coming off as actual full-fledged compositions, but other than the uplifting intro of "Arm Yourself", nothing of marked value is necessarily going on within their haughty confines.

Profugus Mortis is at their best during the shorter numbers, with "The Darkest Hour", "The Beauty of This Form", and to a lesser extent "Upon the Raging Storm" all being enjoyable enough in isolation. As stock as Ethier's drumming may be, these songs rumble by at a decent enough tempo and avoid flagging too much despite the busywork nature of the compositions. Most of these are naturally re-recorded versions of the band's earlier material, which stand tall and mighty above the lackluster newer compositions that bookend them. The second half of "The Beauty of This Form" is easily the best single passage in the entirety of So It Begins, so be sure not to miss that one, if anything.

Otherwise, while it hasn't aged as badly as I suspected it would have, So It Begins is still wholly unimaginative and stock even when comparing it to the 2007 scene it was released into. The band would lose Livernois after this release, and Lefrancois was soon to follow, leaving them with virtually nothing of marked value to begin Blackguard with. The band now stumbles onward, a mere shadow of it's past self. Admittedly, it wasn't that great to begin with.

Now known as Blackguard, Profugus Mortis are a symphonic folk metal band from none other than Montreal, Canada. ‘Shouldn’t this kind of band be coming out of Finland’ you say? Who cares, It works. So It Begins is similar in sound to the bands earlier released demos, but the Dimmu Borgir-like production might scare away a few purists. It’s evident that Profugus Mortis drew influence from all over the place for this album. There’s elements of a wide variety of genres, ranging from melodic black metal, gothic, death, folk, and so on.

The instrumentation here is good. The songs get their melodies from extensive use of keyboards and from some nicely played violin. The excellent use of violin is what sold me to this band the moment I heard the opening of The Fallen. This isn’t the only time the violin shines, the instrument remains to be a highlight all throughout the album. Most of the songs are at a frantic pace, but the band does know when to slow down on songs such as Upon The Raging Storm. If I had to pick a favourite it would definitely be Majesty. The title really sums up the epic nature of this track. It’s a bit more slow-paced than most of the other songs and all of the instruments come together really tightly on this one.

I have a few complaints about this, otherwise, very strong and professional sounding debut for this young band. The vocals are usually a high pitch shriek which, unfortunately, remind me of Dani Filth of Cradle Of Filth. On the upside, though, Paul Zinay also incorporates a fair amount of gruff death growls to avoid too much repetition. While listening to this album in it’s entirety, I found the synth to be quite overused. Not all the time, but sometimes it takes over as leading instrument and one is left searching for the guitar riffs.

Other than that, I quite enjoy this album. It’s rare that a debut leaves no room for improvement, so let’s not forget that. Profugus Mortis (Blackguard) is a a young and fresh band that I would definitely recommend keeping a close eye on.

Once in a while, I will be struck down by the urge to find new music and a lot of it. After searching high and low on the internet for recommendations, I decided to have a look see what recommendations popped up on Metal Archives very own forum, since I’ve never really taken the time to see what sort of material was on it. I came across a very useful source of information entitled ‘Black Metal Help Thread’ started by another very useful source, one of Metal Archives own users, Mors_Gloria. I consider myself to have an extensive knowledge of black metal because it’s the only genre I truly explore when I have the time, but this fellow blew my knowledge out of the water. I came across a few suggestions of bands I’d never heard of and decided it was worth looking in to. This brings me to our port of call, Profugus Mortis.


Now, I’m not the biggest fan of folk inspired metal, nor am I a fan of symphonic metal, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. I’m pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Whilst Profugus Mortis’ debut, ‘So It Begins’ isn’t the best material I’ve heard, it’s certainly not the worst and better than the majority of music I’ve listened to of this nature. Thing is, whilst I say music of this nature, this is in it’s own league. Why? Because this is a black metal band that incorporates a lot of experimentation into their music, which is often unheard of in this particular genre. Bands like Profugus Mortis, who incorporate pianos and violins into their music, are irregular of such a genre as black metal. Usually, it’s unacceptable to explore the sound that the genre is capable of producing because it’s not ‘true’ to it’s bleak roots. Certainly, ‘So It Begins’ is not the bleakest of records I’ve heard. With it’s symphonic sound, it’s uplifting in certain parts. However, one could argue that the melancholy of this records lies hidden within the layers that entwine together neatly.


There aren’t many gaps in which one can pick faults in. Not even me, a critic of music of this nature. Usually, it comes across as unnecessarily cheerful, or just downright tedious, but Profugus Mortis have managed to keep the record short and sweet, as the previous reviewer stated. In doing so, they have managed to make this an enjoyable listen. If it were any longer, it might become tedious, but considering it’s not, one doesn’t have to consider that possibility. There is just the right amount of time and space to make ‘So It Begins’ as enjoyable as it possibly can be. As I was saying, there are hidden hints of melancholy in the music, which gives it a sense of variety, meaning it can ultimately appeal to many sets of listeners. The violins, for instance, can at times make the soundscapes sound considerably sorrow. The violin itself is a beautiful instrument, which can only enhance the qualities of the atmosphere that entrenches the record. There is the occasional use of the piano too, which adds a new context to the beauty buried within the record’s depths. As aforementioned, songs like ‘The Beauty Of This Form’ typically showcase what Profugus Mortis are all about.


Symphonic symphonies depicting the lyrical themes which seem just as complex as the music. Complex black metal? Why yes, it is. As I said, the layers of this record make it so. The ever present violin which resembles, on occasions, gothic-inspired melodies, the excellent drums (especially the double bass section) and the sweet sounding guitars, that includes acoustics as well, which play so rhythmically and soulfully that fans of any sort of symphonic music will be in love with by the end of this record. For acoustics, I recommend the last song on the record, which is purely instrumental. It has a beautiful acoustic passage, played alongside the mesmerising violin. The beauty of both instruments comes together to form a wonderful sound. Whilst this may not be exactly my type of thing, I can appreciate it for what it’s worth. Good showcase from this Canadian act.

So it Begins, the debut full-length from Montreal folk/black metal band Profugus Mortis is short and sweet, just the way I like it. The songwriting is very quick and to the point, yet the band seems to really have a direction, and that's what makes this record really good.

First off, the band have a very interesting lineup, beyond the usual frontman, guitarist, drummer and bass player Profugus add keyboards and violin to the band's sound, seperating them from much of the rest of the canadian metal scene.

Their sound is very symphonic, with some very melodic riffs and harsh screaming to complete the mix.

On to the music, there are only nine tracks, including one instrumental, but that does not handicap the album in any way. There is no filler on the So It Begins. "The Fallen" is a great song to kick things off with, a high energy tracks showcasing every member including a cool guitar solo, a keyboard solo as well as some gut wrenching screams from frontman Paul Ablaize.

However the two tracks which caught my attention the most were "Upon the Raging Storm" and "Majesty". The first is a short and upbeat track with some impressive vocal contributions from violinist Emilie Livernois/Desroches whose growl goes as low as any other on the album. The break in the middle os also interesting before jumping into one last huge chorus. "Majesty" is a doomy black metal inspired track where Ablaize's vocals just take over along with the atmospehere brought forth by the keyboards and violin tracks. The gloomy aspect of this song just takes you over until it speeds up towards the end.

These are very talented and are developing quite a buzz, they are also definitely worth checking out.