Was today the day I realized that blasphemy became played out? Having listened to Angerot’s The Profound Recreant (Redefining Darkness Records) a few times enjoying the volleys of blasts and cacophonous noise I can’t help but wonder if I’ve already heard some of these numbers or themes before.
How many more extreme metal bands will substitute “of” with “ov?” How long have I been listening to this album? Two hours? Weeks? Months?
Not, but seriously, we’ve got to cool it with the whole “ov” thing. Aside from every Blackened Death Metal band and their sister overusing the term, Angerot features it in four of its latest song titles. Yes, it’s very “metal” and “kvlt” but also cliché. Same with the lyrical content as maybe I’ve been lost in these woods for too long, but how many more times do I have to hear lyrics about western religions being absolute rubbish and embracing some version of paganism and or cartoon version of Satan?
Before you decide to attack in the comment section, I’m Catholic but couldn’t tell you the last time I confessed. Shit, might not be able to tell you the last time I attended Mass.
Boring bits aside, you’ll be happy to know that what Angerot’s got going for them is their grasp on some damn good death metal. ‘They Shall Take Up Serpents’ is a great opening as it dances in and out of a crawling stomp into all out-blast assaults while sprinkling in moments of lead guitar clarity. ‘Grand Feast ov the Flesh’ continues the heavy shelling with drummer Matt Johnson leading the charge only that this time a certain Andy LaRocque joins the fray and drops a fleet-fingered solo.
However, the best of The Profound Recreant may be found in its surprisingly yet storming mid-tempo title track. Sure, there’s a brief blast-beat interlude, but the joy here is its Godzilla-paced smashing and Dimmu Borgir-styled keyboards. And make sure to check out closer ‘Slaughter of Innocence.’ Is it practically acoustic? Yes. Great? Absolutely.
Once we drop the whole “ov” bit, we’re really going to be on to something.
Buy the album here:
8 / 10
HANS LOPEZ