Review ANGEL DU$T ‘YAK: A Collection of Truck Songs’

American powerhouse Angel Du$t consist of members of Turnstille and Trapped Under Ice. Both bands, rooted in the Baltimore metal and hardcore scene, created with Angel Du$t an outlet for musical variety and numerous influences. Hereby the guys create a real distance to their motherships.

The quintet premiered in 2014 with ‘A.D.’. After having released two additional longplayers, the fourth record is ready to be shipped to the record stores. ‘YAK: A Collection of Truck Songs’ is the mysterious title of an album that contains a dozen of songs that are not all new. Four of them have been released earlier this year on the ‘Love is the Greatest’-EP and face a revival on the new longplayer.

As not expected, different, Angel Du$t’s music can’t be categorized easily. Many influences and twist provide a quickly changing experience for listener. From one song to the next one, style and expression can change a lot, while the general direction can be described as alternative rock.

The light-hearted ‘Big Bite’ starts the album that has with ‘No Fun’ also a calmer and pop-like moment. ‘YAK: A Collection of Truck Songs’ doesn’t feature the heavy riffs of metal nor it transports the anarchy of hardcore. Instead, listeners get offered a grooving and relaxed sound. The hypnotic ‘Dancing on the Radio’ featuring Rancid’s Tim Armstrong is one of these songs that slowly cruises through this world of sounds.

The album ends with a song called ‘Turn Off the Guitar’ which is a rather vivid track compared with some of the other tunes on ‘YAK: A Collection of Truck Songs’. Except for some heavier parts that are weaved into ‘Truck Songs’ that album reflects a relaxed vibe with groove and steadiness. Melodies is what acts as the appetizer and all in all Angel Du$t’s new album is a good soundtrack for a Sunday afternoon with ease more than for a thrilling Saturday night party.