Interview with death metal band from USA - ANGEROT.
Translated Duzl, thank you!
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Recenze/review - ANGEROT - The Profound Recreant (2023):
Ave ANGEROT! Greetings to the underground. I hope everything is fine with you. It should be because this year you have released a third long-play full-length album in your band's career. I have to admit it has literally blown my mind. It is dark, energic and as if it cuts by the sharp edge of the knife. I can hear from the record you did a really good job and you added a big portion of the talent, too. How do you perceive the new album in comparison to the previous work? Where did you want to move and in what are these two records different?
First let me thank you for the compliments, I greatly appreciate it. Very happy to hear that you like the new album. This album has been a long journey for us as a band. We wrote the music for this entire album when we wrote The Divine Apostate. In essence, they are sister albums. Divine was released just as the world went to shit and fell apart. It was a bit foreboding, dark and somewhat doomy in feel and coincidentally very fitting for the year to come. We had a bit of luxury of time when recording The Profound Recreant, which was great. We were very pleased with Divine and we definitely wanted to grow from what we learned during the making of that album. Divine was the first step into our zone. Profound was us in our zone. I think we have fully become comfortable with what we do and what we are capable of. We have shed the fear of trying things outside the scope of what one may think fits the old school Death Metal playbook, and we are extremely confident and comfortable being creative as we see fit. It has been a remarkable growth period for us that will absolutely propel us forward on the next album as well.
„The Profound Recreant“ includes all attributes of good death metal. For me personally, it represents the record, which I really like to listen to. How did you produce it? How look the writing process of new material in the case of ANGEROT?
Profound was a very new approach for us. After we lost our drummer post Splendid Iniquity, we took an entirely different approach to writing and composition. After 25 years of jamming in the same room and hashing things out as a group through our past bands…we were no longer able to do that. Matt lives about 4 hours from us, so we had to modify our process. It was strange at first, however I think we quickly adapted and definitely made the best of it. We examined and explored each song closely as they came together. Openly discussed layers, options and potential additions to each track.
I found out that Andreas Linnemann signed under the mix and mastering of the new record. I have to confirm that the sound is literally killing. It still makes me add volume to the player. Andreas Linnemann has created a sound that is cruel, raw and at the same time dark and organic. How went the work with him and why did you choose him? In which studio did you record it? How did the recording process look like?
This is the second Angerot album we have done with Andreas and he has definitely become a huge part of what we do. We feel like he is essentially our 5th member. He has the uncanny ability to completely understand what we are trying to accomplish not only in tone, but in overall feel. Our to keep true to our old school roots…but also dial things up a notch with some of the obtuse and unique ideas we have. We work closely with Andreas from the moment we start writing through the final mix. The communication and discussion about where we are attempting to go with things definitely helps us to collaborate. We can't express how much we appreciate and respect the guy.
An important part and a kind of extra bonus for fans today is the physical CD. You released the new album at Redefining Darkness Records, and it has a corpsy cover art. Who is the author? How did you choose the motif and how does it relate to the music at the record?
We have worked with Jon Zig on all three of our albums. He is an incredibly talented individual. I had a long discussion when we first selected Jon for art on Splendid Iniquity about our direction and overall plan for artwork for years to come. Some puzzles take time to put together. It will all make sense after number six.
I have been wandering the underground for over thirty years and I still go to USA (Dakota) for music with certainty. I think we have a similar nature and taste when it comes to metal. I like your bands a lot and I monitor your scene carefully. Maybe I envy you a little, because we only have a few death metal bands that are worth it. How do you explain that death metal are doing so well in your country? How do you perceive your scene, fans, labels?
The Dakotas are unique and have been for decades now when it comes to extreme music. We have spawned some incredible bands from Maul, Ghost Bath, Gorgatron, Phobophilic, Suffer, Fall, Rifflord, Empty Throne and several others stemming back to the very late 80s. I honestly think much of that stems from midwest work ethic and dedication to craft. As far as the US metal scene as a whole, I think we are on par with the global market on many levels…and subpar on some levels. The major problem is live support, overall size of the country and the enormous amount of bands as a whole. I am still very partial to the vibe that the 90s produced not only for the quality of music, but the unique energy that it brought. Technology and the internet has stripped away the mystique and iconic aura that used to be what drove us all to pick up an instrument. Times are just different. I am just extremely grateful that we grew up in the era we did.
You play death metal influenced by, among other things, the old school. Today, the band can't avoid comparisons, but I would like to know how the idea to start ANGEROT was born, who was and is your metal idol? Where do you want to move your band? Are you attracted to large foreign festivals, for example, are you willing to go on tour with a more famous band?
We definitely are old school. We don't set out to make old school Death Metal…we just ARE old school Death Metal. We all began our Death Metal journeys in the late 80s and through the 90s when Death Metal was born and flourished. It is what makes us who we are as musicians. I think we could go on for days about our early idols and how they each influenced us in different ways. If I had to name a few they would be Nicke Anderson - one of the absolute best minds in the 90s, David Vincent - one of the most iconic voices and absolutely killer frontman, Jack Owen - one of the best riff writers ever, Glen Benton, James Murphy, LG, Chuck…man it is impossible to stop. As far as our direction forward in band movement, the next album will be a step in a very aggressive direction. As far as shows, touring and festivals…we never say never. We are definitely not one of those bands that will jump in a van and grind it our for weeks on the road. We did that when we were kids, but those days are gone. Always open to fest ideas.
When I started my blog six years ago, I had a vision that I would try to support bands that are not so much popular, or they are lost in underground. To let the world knows about them. I think I'm doing quite well, at least according to the responses. How do you approach the promotion of your music? Do you rely upon the label or do you send the CDs for various reviews by yourself? For example, I buy albums that I really enjoy. What about you? Are you also fans who often support your colleagues? Do you go to concerts?
One thing that sets Angerot apart from many bands out there is the fact that we do not tour…therefore we have to work creatively to market ourselves and gain as many eyes and ears as possible. We focus heavily on visual media, quality music videos and heavy marketing online. We have a wonderful relationship with Thomas and Redefining Darkness Records. He gets us, what we do, how we do it and what it takes to cut through the static of a million bands. We totally understand that we will not smash any glass ceilings, but we will do everything possible to create the best music we can, back it with the best visuals we can and hopefully leave a permanent mark on some people.
On the one hand, today the new band has a lot of opportunities to make themselves more known, but on the other hand, there are a huge number of groups and the fans are getting lost in this big metal sea. A lot of people just download mp3s from the internet and instead of to visit the concert they prefer to spit poisonous saliva on Facebook. How do modern technologies affect you as ANGEROT? What do you think about downloading music, google metalists, streaming music, etc.?
Personally…I miss the 90s a lot. I miss the grandiose aura, the majestic imagery, the bigger than life mystery or the bands I loved. I think social media has completely destroyed virtually all of that. I am not a fan of social media at all. I think it brings out the worst in everyone. It fuels 100% of the narcissistic vitriol that is ripping our world apart as well. Seeing what your icons do on a daily basis, what they ate for lunch, where they went on vacation, and hearing about their personal opinions on daily drama has completely crumbled the iconic musician persona. Now, some of the technologies are a double edged sword. Digital recording for instance. It's amazing to be able to record, edit, and produce your own recordings to professional levels, however it has created a massive flood of bands so deep that the vast majority drown in it all. It is so difficult for any one band to cut through all of the chaos and be found and heard by those who would no doubt love them.
I like to ask the musicians what death metal means to them. How would they define it, whether it is more the philosophy and lifestyle thing for them or "just" relaxation? What does it mean for you? How do you perceive and experience it?
To me, it is the purest and most demanding form of music that has ever existed. It is the only genre of music that has a sincerely dedicated underground audience worldwide. It pulls from the purest aggressive elements of the human mind and mixes it with grass roots structures of rock n roll. I absolutely love the power and aggression of it all. The hook that has kept me involved with death metal for 35 years is the absolute borderless possibilities and endless creative options within the genre. Death Metal means more than music to me. I have built lifelong friendships, powerful relationships, business partnerships and so much more.
Finally, a classic but important question. What is ANGEROT planning in the upcoming months? Where can we see you at the stage and when will you visit the Europe?
We will be filming a few shows this summer with plans on releasing a DVD. We dont tour and keep shows at a premium, so releasing a DVD with a good chunk of live footage, some interviews and some good side footage is a good way to bring that to those who may have interest. It's definitely not the same as seeing us live, but it is something. Plus, it is another direct reflection of our 90s roots.
Thank you so much for the interview. I wish a lot of success to the new album and let the number of your fans expand as much as possible. I will look forward to seeing you somewhere live again. I wish you a lot of success both musically and personally. I'm going to push „The Profound Recreant“ into my head again!
Thanks so much for your support!!
Recenze/review - ANGEROT - The Profound Recreant (2023):
about ANGEROT on DEADLY STORM ZINE:
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