Review ARROGANZ “Quintessenz”

German death metal force Arroganz is back with a new album called “Quintessenz”. The latest release follows “Morsus”, which was dropped in 2020. Four years and a pandemic later, the guys from Brandenburg are back with another studio album that solidifies the trio’s status in German heavy metal.

Arroganz doesn’t rely on high speed and abnormal tempo. The opener shows a musical compass pointing in a different direction. Slow and fueled with desperate evil, the song is slowed down with some furious outbursts acting as a counterpart. Massive riff power and the hoarse vocals of -K- are hereby central elements of the song and the album.

The following “Outlaw Reborn” follows the same formula and is a raw piece of music, while some twists and turns lead to music off the beaten path. Also worth mentioning is the massive “Dungeon Soul”. You can hear the desperate souls in this dungeon when you listen to this riff-slamming sound and it’s the strong bass-driven part in the middle that shows the creative approach of Arroganz.

Dark and full of melancholy, this is the doom-loaded “The Devil and My Companion”. We are not only listening to a great song. The track also shows the full scope of the band’s potential. In seven minutes Arroganz impress the listener with versatility and tremendous heaviness. It’s a devilish grin you’re looking at while listening to this monstrous piece, which slowly creeps into your head when the mesmerizing middle part casts a spell on you.

Right in your face, that’s “Deadened Rawness of Life”, while tempo is not the chosen tool in this case either. It is a brutal agility that accompanies the album from beginning to end. Although this is the basic pattern, the album still contains “Guardian Of Old Scars”, a rather fast song with breaks being the added spice that provides a special thrill.

Bottom Line: “Quintessence” is a sinister and ferocious album that shows the class of this untamed musical wild horse. Instead of some Houdini extravaganza, Arroganz pump some iron, resulting in pulverizing songs. These songs push the gates to the abyss wide open.