|
|
|
|
Arch Enemy - Anthems of Rebellion
|
I don’t know who it was that first though
that chicks can’t rock, but when it comes to Arch Enemy, I think they
might be dead wrong. I think any fan of heavy metal has gotten over one
of the more shameful exports that the country gave the world, Europe,
and they’ve more than made up for it with class death metal acts like
Entombed and Hypocrisy, but what the boys can do, Angela Gassow proves
that she can do just as well, if not better.
Anthems of Rebellion takes Angela’s raw and aggressive vocals and mixes
them in with some outstanding songs that have the heaviness of any death
metal band, but the melodic harmonies that make Arch Enemy a more unique
breed, and that’s mainly because of Michael Amott. Amott may have sheer
talent, but I still see him as the downfall of one my favorite grindcore
bands, Carcass, but that’s neither here nor there, and what he brings to
Arch Enemy certainly makes up for that.
The argument made by many first timers to this band is, “That’s NOT a
woman!” Uh, I hate to disappoint you, but it is, and Angela doesn’t try
and come across as some pretty girl with sensitive lyrics. Singing isn’t
what this is about, and her influences for the golden age of grindcore
certainly shine through from start to finish.
Vocals are one thing, but the songs speak for themselves, and there is
just as much power found in the music and the lyrics to make one very
brutal assault. Catchy isn’t necessarily a word that’s used often to
describe death metal, but many of the songs are, and there are certainly
tracks that stand out and speak loud and clear. “We Will Rise” served as
the bands first video cut from the album, and it may very well be one of
the best songs on here, though “Dead Eyes See No Future,” yet another
video, is incredibly aggressive and the verse build to the dramatic and
melodic chorus is ideal.
Many bands showcase their best tracks via music videos, but that’s not
necessarily true of Arch Enemy. “Leader of the Rats” is an amazing cut
on the album, but in my opinion the cut that shows the most
aggressiveness is “Despicable Heroes,” a pounding track with some
incredible musicianship, and then there’s “End of the Line,” another
superb track that shows the brilliant talent of the band.
While there are a few tracks that don’t necessarily have the same degree
of intensity, they are few and far between, and even the more melodic
piece, instrumentals, are short and sweet. Anthems of Rebellion proves
beyond a shadow of a doubt that chicks can rock, though I’m pretty sure
if you called Angela a “chick” she might just knock your ass out. Arch
Enemy’s only foes are those who can’t appreciate good metal, and this is
a new generation of death metal that will be imitated, but albeit never
replicated.
-mike-
|
Lineup:
Angela Nathalie Gossow - Vocals
Michael Amott - Guitar
Christopher Amott - Guitar
Daniel Erlandsson - Drums
Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass
|
Track Listing:
01 - Tear Down The Walls
02 - Silent Wars
03 - We Will Rise
04 - Dead Eyes See No Future
05 - Instinct
06 - Leader of the Rats (Anonymous Animosity)
07 - Exist to Exit
08 - Marching on a Dead End Road
09 - Despicable Heroes
10 - End of the Line
11 - Dehumanization
12 - Anthem
13 - Saints and Sinners
Total playing time
43:26
|
|
|
