A storm of devastating, blackened death metal is gathering in the frostbitten climes of Finland. It comes in the form of ‘Desolate Divine,’ the sophomore full-length album from the quartet Proscription, set to be released by the revered underground metal institution Dark Descent Records. The album arrives freighted with an unusual weight of expectation and artistic frustration. Proscription’s debut, ‘Conduit,’ a work of immense and punishing craft, was released on September 24, 2020. It was met with significant anticipation, born from the band’s respected lineage, but it was launched directly into the silent maw of a global pandemic.

The timing was, as the band’s camp has stated, a matter of profound misfortune. In a statement released through their label, they lamented that the “Corona epidemic robbed us of all touring and festing opportunities.” For a band whose power is predicated on overwhelming sonic force, the inability to manifest that power in a live setting was a crippling blow. The energy coiled within that debut was denied its release.

Seen through this lens, ‘Desolate Divine’ is far more than a follow-up record. It is a forceful, defiant act of reclamation. It is the sound of a promise deferred, of ambition held in stasis, now finally unleashed. The album’s title acquires a new, poignant resonance—a suggestion of some terrible, sacred power discovered within a period of profound global emptiness. The band’s own words, a simple and eager exclamation of “let’s go!!,” cut through the gloom, signaling a release of contained energy and heralding the “indiscriminate devastation” they intend to wreak upon the masses.

Proscription: From Colorado to Kuopio, A Darker Fire

Proscription’s authority is not that of a new contender but of a seasoned entity reborn. Formed in 2017, the band is explicitly a continuation, born “from the ashes of Maveth,” a highly respected Finnish death metal outfit that went defunct the previous year. Proscription was immediately understood as the “logical revival of Maveth’s legacy,” a new flag for the same relentless campaign.

At the heart of this campaign is its founder, vocalist and guitarist Terry “Christbutcher” Clark. His story is central to the band’s unique identity. His artistic journey is a pilgrimage from his native Colorado, where he cut his teeth in the band Excommunion, to his eventual relocation to Finland. It was there he founded Maveth, immersing himself in a cultural and sonic landscape that could fully nurture the dark, antediluvian death metal that has become his signature. His expatriate status is not incidental; it represents a deliberate quest for an aesthetic terroir, a specific bleakness he could not find at home.

The band’s lineup is a reflection of this focused vision. Christbutcher, alongside bassist Apep and drummer Mikko Koskinen, has formed a stable and formidable core since the band’s inception. A recent change in 2025 saw lead guitarist Kalle Laanto step in to replace Cruciatus. This transition only further cements Proscription’s deep integration within the Finnish scene; Cruciatus is also a member of the notable Finnish band Lantern, and Laanto is a respected engineer who recorded ‘Desolate Divine’ itself. This is a band woven from the very fabric of the Finnish underground, a collective of veterans dedicated to a singular, punishing sound.

The Sound of Finnish Bleakness

While the global consciousness of extreme metal often defaults to Sweden—to the famed Gothenburg and Stockholm scenes that have proven so influential—the true heart of Proscription’s darkness beats in the colder, bleaker soil of Finland. The band hails from Kuopio and Tampere, and their music is a potent exemplar of their nation’s distinct contribution to the genre.

The Swedish sound, particularly in its death metal variant, is often characterized by two major schools. The Stockholm scene, pioneered by bands like Nihilist (who would become Entombed), is famed for its iconic “buzzsaw” guitar tone, achieved by maxing out a Boss HM-2 pedal, and its rhythmic propulsion rooted in D-beat hardcore punk. In contrast, the Gothenburg sound, popularized by groups like At The Gates and In Flames, introduced a revolutionary and widely imitated melodicism, weaving intricate, harmonized guitar lines into the aggressive framework.

The Finnish tradition is something else entirely. It is a sound often defined by its “punishing low end, strange rhythms, and off-kilter melodies.” Where Swedish metal often found its footing in punk and traditional heavy metal, Finnish death metal has always had a deep affinity for the crushing weight of doom metal, resulting in a sound that is frequently described as “cavernous,” “putrid,” and possessing a horrifying, suffocating atmosphere.

This sonic character is often seen as a reflection of the national psyche, one shaped by harsh winters, vast and somber landscapes, and a cultural predisposition toward melancholy, introspection, and a fierce individualism. As one observer noted, “You do not tell a Finnish black metal guy how to write riffs.” The music is imbued with themes of mythology and a struggle against nature, feeling less like a societal rebellion and more like an acceptance of the inherent sorrow of existence.

Proscription is a pure product of this environment. While reviews of their debut ‘Conduit’ noted a “crossbreed” of influences from North American and Polish death metal, its soul is undeniably Finnish. The music’s “profane menace,” its “doom-laden passages,” and its relentlessly “oppressive” atmosphere align perfectly with the national archetype. It is the sound of being, as one commentator colorfully put it, “buried in six feet in snow and you are given just a shovel to dig yourself out.”

Conjuring the ‘Desolate Divine’

The creation of ‘Desolate Divine’ was a high-caliber, international affair, underscoring the band’s professionalism. The album was recorded in Varkaus, Finland, at Sonic Violence studio by Kalle Laanto, the band’s own new guitarist. Crucially, it was then sent across the Atlantic to be mixed and mastered by the renowned American producer Dave Otero at his Flatline Audio studio in Denver. Otero also helmed ‘Conduit’, and his continued involvement is a significant statement.

The album’s visual identity is a perfect mirror of its title and sound. The label’s description of the cover art paints a stark and powerful picture: “No gates, no choirs, not even ruins or a war torn paradise… just desolation and cold nothingness. The cover is this Behemoth of woe in a sense residing in this bleak sandstorm where perhaps the heavens may have been.” This is not the romanticized ruin of gothic fantasy but an image of absolute, unsparing emptiness.

This uncompromising vision places the new album at a fascinating critical juncture. The debut, ‘Conduit,’ was met with a polarized reception. It was hailed in some quarters as a “modern masterpiece” and “one of the best outcomes of the year.” Yet others found it “workmanlike,” “strangely conservative,” and ultimately suffering from songs that were “a little too samey.”

‘Desolate Divine’ does not appear to be a course correction. The band’s declaration of being “supremely proud” of the album, combined with the profound bleakness of its visual presentation, suggests a doubling-down on their core principles. It is likely to be another “disgusting dose of overbearing layers of riffing, drumming, and vocal styles,” a feast for those already initiated into their particular rites. It is the sound of a band with a remarkably coherent and unified vision, where the title, the art, the sound, and the context of its creation all point toward a single, unyielding artistic statement.

A Canvas for Desolation

Furthering the album’s commitment to a complete and uncompromising aesthetic, the band enlisted the formidable Venezuelan artist Samuel Aray to handle the visual presentation for the CD layout. This decision speaks to a deep appreciation for the physical object, treating it not as a mere container for music but as a unique artifact.

Samuel Aray is a master of the painterly and atmospheric. His work is often visceral and chaotic, using bold brushstrokes and a deep, rich color palette to create scenes of nightmarish intensity. His art provides an emotional, turbulent experience of oblivion. By employing Aray, Proscription ensures the visual dimension of ‘Desolate Divine’ offers a powerful window into the album’s cold, unforgiving world.

Conclusion

The modern death metal scene is, by any measure, at an “absolute saturation point.” In this crowded and deafening landscape, where countless bands vie for attention, the question of what makes any single voice essential becomes paramount. For Proscription, the answer lies in their profound and uncompromising authenticity. They are not “bandwagon hoppers.” Their legitimacy is built on a traceable lineage back to Maveth, a deep and genuine rootedness in the specific sonic geography of Finland, and the compelling artistic quest of their founder.

The band’s very name, Proscription, feels uncannily resonant. It is the act of forbidding or denouncing something. In a cultural sense, their music is its own form of proscription: a vehement denunciation of artistic compromise, of commercial accessibility, of the “light metal” trends that have existed as a counterpoint within the genre for decades.

‘Desolate Divine’ is poised to be the ultimate test of this conviction. By all indications, it is not an attempt to win over the critics who found their debut too uniform. It is a defiant plunge deeper into their own unique vision of “dark spiritualism.” It is the sound of a band that has found a divine, terrible truth in desolation and is now prepared to share it, not as an invitation, but as an edict. It is the sound of the “ravenous beast,” finally, and fully, unleashed.