Metalcatto
Arroganz comes in with an album titled Death Doom Punks, which is such an edgy combination of words that I honestly thought I was reviewing Metalcore again for a moment. But no, this isn’t some poser melodrama. It’s something genuinely serious—as in Death Metal serious. But of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The band will need more than just throwing a few heavy riffs and hippo sounds my way to convince me it’s legit. I’m cranky today if you can’t tell.
Dirt! This album has lots of it, and I don’t mean the production is super muddy. There is some mud in the mix, but it stays under control. It’s just an ugly piece of work that oozes raw and primal energy, like a gas station restroom at three in the morning. Arroganz actually sounds pretty low profile and even unpretentious to my ears. It feels like extreme Metal made by the people working in the mines, and as you know, this blog has a soft spot for the miseries of the under—I mean the working class. There’s an authenticity here that can’t be faked.
The bass is kind of sweet here, honestly. It gets moments to shine way more than you’d expect from this kind of bloodbath, cutting through the chaos with actual melodic intent. Then there are the vocals, which sound like someone is getting fed vodka and cigarettes three times per day while also getting a shot of roids here and there to compensate for the damage with pure rage. Beautiful stuff, as you can imagine. Everyone is putting their best effort into translating suffering and pain into pummeling destruction. You can hear the effort in every note.
There is something that did get me thinking, though. And I know this isn’t the kind of album you’d normally associate with long meditations, but the songwriting is pretty safe. As in, things work—they function perfectly well within the genre—but don’t expect a Dutch level of fireworks or unexpected twists. It’s as I hinted before: discreet work, maybe too discreet for me to fly over the dark rainbow. But anyway, it’s like an English breakfast. You know exactly what you’re getting.
Things can be basic and still deliver a nice experience. I believe that’s what Death Doom Punks accomplishes here. It might not have much actual Doom Metal or Punk in its DNA despite the title, but all that furious blasting compensates for whatever doubts you might have going in. It won’t be an album that makes you need to change your underwear from shock or awe, but it’ll help you warm up to get there eventually. Solid, reliable, and unpretentious—sometimes that’s enough.
Label: Testimony Records
Release date: 15 May, 2026
Website: https://arroganz.bandcamp.com/album/death-doom-punks
Country: Germany
Score: 3.0/5.0
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