2013 will go down in history as being the year that death thrash horde Pentagram Chile released their blistering debut, but it will also herald the less high-profile re-release of ‘Profane Cvlt’ – the initial offering from fellow Chilean blasphemers Praise The Flame. Quite the year for this country then, famed for its barbaric output and it’s good to hear fresh-sounding offerings blasting through the mire of tired formulas. Bassist Necroterror sums up their sound: “It’s a band that cultivates merciless and obscure death metal with fast passages of thrash in the vein of the pioneering hordes of the genre. Unquestionable, Possessed, Morbid Angel (Old), Sadistic Intent, Death (Old) among others, are great inspiration for us.” ‘Profane Cvlt’ honours these pioneers in shovel loads; at once notes of Slayer and Possessed ring through the barrage of blastbeats and frantic guitars, but it is the brief hints at melody and obscure twists that make this release all the more memorable.

The foundations upon which PTF build their hellish hymns are firmly rooted in the Chilean tradition, comprising a strong “rhythmic base, with fast drumming and a furiously-played overdriven bass guitar.” No complaints here! Then “a single guitar is added to this base with obscure and fast riffs. This is complemented with guitar solos which are, at the same time, quite technical, effective and crude.”

On the band’s ideology, Necroterror proudly reveals: “The lyrics and the ideology are mainly based on the cult of the eternal fire mixed with the pure blasphemy and total hatred [for] the bastard god.” This lexicon is unmistakably rooted in the South American underground tradition, and you know this is more than mere hubris when you hear the vehemence of their material. Equally as passionate is his response to their origins: “It was born as a trident of fire (three maniacs) and will die the same way.”

Lastly, when questioned about the future we are told: “due at the end of this year we’re gonna release a split with Abrekadaver (Chile), which’ll be released by Rawforce. And by April or May 2014, our first LP will be released by the Spanish label Memento Mori. ‘Profane Cvlt’ is going to be re-released by Metal Inquisition in a Digi CD format, and in 12″ vinyl by Blood Harvest. Both editions will include bonus tracks.”