Angerot – The Profound Recreant (Redefining Darkness Records)
Friday, 24th March 2023
A large amount of the music yours truly, and likely some of those reading this as well, tend to gravitate towards is relatively complex and grandiose in scope. However, one must also embrace the boisterous and less taxing side of metal. There’s a ton of old school, straightforward death metal that does the trick nicely in these parts, and Angerot has yet to disappoint in that niche. With their third album The Profound Recreant, the Sioux Falls natives are delivering another dose of classic goodness.
Opening salvo “They Shall Take Up Serpents” slot in with early Dismember and not miss a beat, highlighted by larger than life riffs and guttural screams that dominate our hapless eardrums. Andy LaRocque begins a cavalcade of guest musicians on “Grand Feast ov the Flesh,” adding his signature lead guitar flamboyance to that of main lead guitarist Jason Ellsworth, contributing a blistering solo to accompany that meaty death metal base. Ditto with Goatwhore’s Sammy Duet adding his fretboard work on “Bastard Creature,” which also features keyboards via David Gutierrez Rojas of Bleeding Gods, giving the song a blackened death metal aesthetic that results in an engaging romp of chaos.
Dramatic orchestrations combine with Entombed inspired barrages on both the title track and “In the Company ov Wolves,” boasting timely leads and smoldering riffs melding together to create an alternative to the more direct compositions on offer. Baest’s Simon Olson’s vocal stylings form an enjoyable back and forth with vocalist Chad Petit on “Horns ov Moses,” while “Behold the Blessed Black” gallops along with a tinge of Entombed’s death ‘n’ roll days without becoming convoluted. Surprisingly, we finish with a calm acoustic outro in “Slaughter ov Innocence” that features a chorus of chants and the soothing vocal stylings of Sebastian Bracht (Dahlian).
As detailed, the slew of guest musicians ultimately make The Profound Recreant a bit of a death metal party. Including a large number of collaborations can derail a release, but that’s thankfully not the case, as each adds their talents to enhance Angerot’s forceful ageless feel. Really, what self respecting metalhead wouldn’t want more Andy LaRocque? It’d be remiss to not also mention the talents of the rhythm section of Angerot – bassist Bill Zaugg and drummer Matt Johnson – and the backbone of low end that adds cohesion as the album thumps along.
If riveting and avant-garde oddities is what one seeks, Angerot isn’t the dish that’ll satiate that hunger. What The Profound Recreant provides is the metal equivalent of comfort food; death metal overflowing with influences of the genre’s illustrious past that is an absolute joy to ingest. This writer is always partial to a plate full of fried chicken (substitute your favorite grub, of course), and the satisfied feeling afterward mirrors the vibe on Angerot’s latest. Give those neck muscles a workout, crank this up to 11, and simply have a good damn time.
