“Death Doom Punks” sounds like a mission statement more than just a title. Was this album about locking in your identity as a band once and for all?
Yeah, mission statement sounds great man. I wouldn't claim that the title describes our entire band identity, but it comes very close, you're right about that. And the title has several layers: the two most obvious ones are, on the one hand, our musical roots and, on the other, our lyrical content. But above all, it underscores the attitude with which we’ve been making music from the very beginning.
The record blends old school death metal with punk attitude pretty aggressively. Do you see punk as a musical influence, or more as a philosophy that shapes how you operate?
Both. I mean, without punk, there wouldn't be extreme metal, right? The influence punk rock had on the metal scene is often underestimated. So, practically every metal band is influenced by it, at least indirectly. And for us, it’s a direct influence, too, I think you can hear that. Of course, the attitude we bring to things is just as important. For us, that has far more to do with punk than with those metal bands whose albums, performances and all that are often far too choreographed.
You’ve mentioned that this album lets your influences shine through more than ever. While the "Old School Death Metal" roots are clear, tracks like "Under Scarred Skin" have been noted for their "funky" basslines. How do you balance paying homage to the legends while maintaining that signature Arroganz "obscurity"?
Old-school death metal was, is, and always will be the musical foundation of Arroganz. However, that doesn't mean we go through life with musical blinders on. We can be "old-school" and open and creative at the same time. Accordingly, other genres, for example, classic doom metal, but also sludge, grindcore, and punk, are important to us. We're primarily fans of good music. We couldn't care less what category others put it or us in. I also listen to a lot of jazz, for instance. One of our hallmarks is precisely the fact that we move very freely within and around the death metal cosmos. That’s why you’ll never get "the same" album from us twice. With many bands, once they’ve found a comfortable, and perhaps successful, formula, they just repeat themselves over and over again. That won’t happen with us. We constantly push our boundaries without ever forgetting our roots. A lot of people don’t get us because of that, or they write our music off. But we don’t give a fuck. We are Arroganz, and we do our own thing, come what may.
This is your seventh full-length album. Looking back at 2011’s “Dark And Deathless”, how does the Arroganz of 2026 differ in how you approach the “D-beat" vs. the "Doom" sections of your songwriting?
Well, we grow and evolve as individuals, and the same goes for the band. Naturally, our music changes along with that. It’s a completely natural process. And, as I said, we give ourselves total freedom in that regard. Perhaps the difference compared to our early days is this: we have an increasingly clear idea of what we want, and we’re getting better and better at it. It’s a never ending process.
"With many bands, once they’ve found a comfortable, and perhaps successful, formula, they just repeat themselves over and over again. That won’t happen with us. We constantly push our boundaries without ever forgetting our roots."
Europe, and especially Germany, has been dealing with political tension, economic pressure, and social division in recent years. Do you consciously reflect that chaos in your music, or does it just seep in naturally?
It does influence us indirectly. That’s only natural. Just listen to "Die For Nothing" or "Anti-Ideology" from the new album, for example. Then you’ll quickly understand where we stand.
You’re returning with a revamped line-up. How did the new blood in the trio influence the creative process for “Death Doom Punks”, and did it change the dynamic of how you stack those massive riffs in the rehearsal room?
For us “Death Doom Punks” is the logical successor to our latest album “Quintessenz”. However, both the songs and the sound have become more direct, harder, and more aggressive. Our video producer, Nick Scholey, said when he first heard the songs: "This sounds so hard, punchy and direct, it's like Rage Against The Machine, but death metal." Even though I would never have made that comparison myself, I think, it fits very well. And well, that certainly also has to do with the creative process: “Death Doom Punks” is the first album we've worked out and recorded as a duo (our drummer -T- and myself). It was an incredibly intense and productive process. While I've written our songs and riffs in the past (as I did for “Death Doom Punks” as well), with a few exceptions, I've always left the guitar recording to the others. This time, I took over the guitars completely in the studio. Our new guitarist -B- joined us after the recordings. And we're more than happy that he's now part of Arroganz. We've been good friends for many years, and we knew that if he agreed, it could only be awesome. And that's exactly how it turned out. He's an absolute powerhouse on the guitar, shares our very own sense of humor, and most importantly, understands what Arroganz is all about.
You’ve worked with Timo Rotten at Dungeon Soul Studios again. Given the album's title and raw intent, what specific instructions did you give him to ensure the production felt unpolished yet absolutely confident?
We’ve been friends with Timo for many, many years. He’s been involved in every Arroganz recording session so far, so he knows us really well. We didn’t have to tell him much, just that we wanted the sound to be more direct and "in-your-face" compared to the previous album. We figured out the rest together while recording. We experimented a bit here and there, but ultimately, we arrived at our results very quickly. And we’re more than satisfied. To me, the album’s sound is exactly the Arroganz sound we need right now. It was awesome working with Timo again, just like always. By now, he’s basically like an unofficial fouth band member during our time in the studio. He’s the best.
You have a guest appearance from Zingultus (Endstille, Nagelfar) on "Incubus' Veins." What made him the right "voice" to bring into the world of this specific record?
Zingultus is not only an awesome vocalist and frontman but also a good friend of ours. His raw, sometimes punk-infused, yet always dark voice simply had to be on the track; the vibe and content of "Incubus' Veins" practically demanded it. And he did a fantastic job.
The lyrics are reflecting a world that wrecks all certainties. Between the olitical extremism mentioned in "Die For Nothing" and the social shifts we see in 2026, do you view Arroganz as a mirror to this chaos, or an escape from it?
I think it’s a bit of both. Of course, you always reflect the world you live in to some extent. And to some extent, it’s also an escape from it. But we're not a band that explains our lyrics down to the last detail. We want to leave room for the listener’s thoughts. In the past, people have often come up to me and asked about my lyrics. They explained how they would interpret them. And some of those interpretations were really good, and some were pretty wild. Even if they had absolutely nothing to do with my intention. And I love that. We have personal, spiritual, and philosophical lyrics just as much as to socially critical ones. So, reading these might well be worth it.
In an age of easy answers and digital echo chambers, do you feel that a "death-doom-punk" attitude is more necessary now than it was when you started in 2008?
Yeah, that could be. I also think that sooner or later, people are going to get sick of all this over-designed crap. And if they want real music, they’re more than welcome to join us. And if not, that’s fine too. We’re sticking to our path
either way. Like we always did.
Your lyrics bridge the personal with the philosophical. Is there a specific track on this album that was particularly difficult to write because it hit too close to home regarding your own "comfortable lies"?
There are plenty of those. On every album. But lyrics that are easy to write often aren't very good. It’s only when it gets difficult, and sometimes even painful, that something good comes out of it.
You’ve historically embraced the hate of some listeners as a badge of authenticity. Does that "us against them" mentality still fuel the band, or have you found a sense of peace within the underground scene after 15+ years?
Authenticity is the most important thing in music. Whether people end up liking it or not is absolutely secondary. It was never "us against them," but rather "we do whatever the hell we want, and if you have a problem with that, go fuck ourselves." So, we had already found our "peace" back when we started. Hehe.
Add comment
Comments