Angry Metal Guy
Angerot ventures deep into the Valley of Ov on The Profound Recreant, leaning hard into the strain of theatrical Satanism that ran through their first two albums. We’re defiling daughters here, swallowing other people’s mucous, and slaking the lust of the recently widowed. Choirs chime in to document the various blasphemies, with horns and keys dropping by to add occasional symphonic flourishes. I usually prefer my devil shit with at least a hint of a wink; this kind of deadpan Satanism sometimes feels no less tedious than listening to a Jehovah’s Witness who just knocked on the door during dinner. When it works, it’s because the band in question never breaks character while also bringing the songwriting goods. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the twin specters of Belphegor and Behemoth loom over The Profound Recreant. Can Angerot meet the challenge posed by those subgenre titans, or will the Dark Father, Most Hideous Font ov All Joyous Sin, sentence them to remedial classes in heresy?
It all comes down to the songs. The Profound Recreant delivers nine of them–seven if you discount the choral bookends. In spite of the overlay of Antichrist ooga-booga, Angerot still plays the same stout, high ABV percentage death metal that filled out their first two platters. Chad Petit’s burly vocals often dominate the proceedings, thudding away at your eardrums like Grond at the gates of Minas Tirith. He’s backed by his own (highly capable) band and a borderline ridiculous host of guest players who include Sammy Duet from Goatwhore and Acid Bath and Andy Larocque of King Diamond fame. The Profound Recreant feels like an album calculated to launch Angerot to the top of festival bills, and those studied moves lessen the impact of this slab. Fortunately, the writing skills that made these South Dakotans’ first two offerings stand out remain intact. The Profound Recreant may be a slight disappointment to those who were hoping for an uninterrupted creative ascent, but the album is still a potent good time that delivers its share of death metal earworms.
The Profound Recreant by Angerot
Gird yourself against the onslaught of bombastic cheese, and you’ll be rewarded with a full larder of memorable jams. Lead single and first proper song “They Shall Take Up Serpents” kicks things off with style. The Behemoth vibes are big here, but at least Angerot is channeling the best of Nergal’s hit-or-miss outfit. “The Bastard Creature” is an all-timer, throwing guest spots from Sammy Duet and Jack Owen at the wall and coming away with a killer anthem that is sure to find a spot on Ferox‘s 2023 playlists. The symphonic elements are applied sparingly, but they come to the fore in the horror-soundtrack intro to “The Profound Recreant.” The album stomps past before you have time to get bored, and even the handful of middling songs go down easy.
AMG Himself holds that paying attention to lyrics in metal is a losing game, but you kind of can’t help it with The Profound Recreant. Petit’s lyrics are easily understood, which doesn’t always work to Angerot’s advantage. He inhabits a writing voice that’s best described as Boastful Blasphemer. It’s fun in limited doses, but all the chest-thumping about various depravities gets numbing after a bit. Lowlight “Behold the Blessed Black” crosses over into the Realm ov Camp. Combine these over-the-top tendencies with an endless onslaught of guest spots and a few lackluster tunes, and it’s obvious that The Profound Recreant isn’t the big statement that Angerot seemed to be building toward with their first two albums.
This is a talented crew who don’t feel capable of putting out a bad record. But instead of growing more fully into their own voice on The Profound Recreant, Angerot has taken a scattered approach that feels like it’s calculated to please everyone. I can see myself going back to this one when I need a death metal fix, but it’s more likely that the standout songs will be stripped out and added to my workout playlists. The Profound Recreant is a capable blast of theatrical death metal that owes a huge debt to its influences–but I can’t help wishing that Angerot had found their own way down the left-hand path.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: V0
Label: Redefining Darkness Records
Websites: facebook.com/Angerot | angerot.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: March 24, 2023
The post Angerot – The Profound Recreant Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.
Sat Mar 25 13:36:26 GMT 2023