Artist: Arch Enemy
Label: Century Media
Release Date: 8/26/03
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Title: Anthems of Rebellion Artist: Arch Enemy Label: Century Media Release Date: 8/26/03 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
Arch Enemy's well-received Wages of Sin introduced us to new singer Angela, and their new opus lets her express a little more of herself. The first thing that struck me when comparing this record to the previous one is that she actually sounds like a woman on this one. Even though I knew the vocalist on the last record was a woman, I couldn't tell just by listening to it, much in the same way that the singer from Shadow made it hard for me to believe that such gutteral sounds could come from a petite Japanese woman. On Anthems of Rebellion, however, her shriek has the slightest inklings of femininity. That's not to say she's gone soft by any means. In fact, her growls remain piercing and malevolent, they just have an added insight to them, one that makes her identifiable in a sea of growlers. Another thing I find compelling about the vocals on this record is that the harsh vocals are female and they're complemented intermittently by clean male vocals. Nice way to switch the stereotype.
"The harsh vocals are female and they're complemented intermittently by clean male vocals. Nice way to switch the stereotype." Enough about the vocals, Angela gets far too much press as it is. With the Amott brothers on board, the most important aspect to this album are the guitars. The songwriting and production styles hit in much the same way their last album did. It is immaculate in its production, slick and hefty; polished and dark. The riffs still have a habit of reminding me of other, unrelated songs, but they can't be called rip-offs since any resemblance is fleeting and usually not the driving force of the song.
The best news for Arch Enemy fans is also the most obvious: These guys are really talented, so you know you're in for a great album. Sure, you might like some songs better than others, but there won't be any fans out there that liked their last few and hate this one. I do think this album is a little less impressive than their last few. There aren't any songs that hit me like the first time I heard "The Immortal", but this album will rest proudly beside the others. I do like this record much better than some of their more happy sounding material off of Burning Bridges, it's peaks and valleys just stay within a narrower range.
"There aren't any songs that hit me like the first time I heard 'The Immortal', but this album will rest proudly beside the others." End result is that Arch Enemy have delivered another winner, and I'm sure the masses will eat this one up. Hey, at least we didn't have to wait a year for it to be released in the States! One word review: Awesome.
Death's Review:
This album smokes. It will undoubtedly will be on my list of the best releases of 2003. Angella Gossow, the prior weak link in a lineup otherwise chock full of musicial virtuosos, has grown into a charismatic and aggressive vocalist. She loosens up here on Anthems, displaying more confidence and more of her own style, coming across as infinitely more interesting in the process. Sure, she has blonde hair and wears tight clothes, but she's also a pretty killer metal vocalist. Who knew?
"Angela's vocals are for the first time memorable, catchy, charismatic." She belts out some cool vocals this time around too. Simple yet effective, they are non-pretentious yet thoughtful and fit the music perfectly. Her enunciation of lines like "Thissss isss killing usssss! Fighting the truth, a losing battle!" or "No morrre, no morrre! This painnnn, must end!" or "Stereotype fooools, playing the gaaaame, nothing unique, they all look the same. In this sea of mediocrity, I can be anything - anything I want to be!" Admit it - those of you that have spent any kind of time with this album can't help but read those phrases without picturing Gossow's kick-ass delivery along in their heads. "The more I heeaarrrrrr, the less I caaaarrrrrre. We used to be the chosen onessss, sssecond to nonnnne!" Her vocals are for the first time memorable, catchy, charismatic. You can sing along, yet they are totally metal. The comparison to Chuck Schuldiner's style in the bio is often accurate, but her own style is clear.
"Fans of Wages of Sin will be thrilled, and tens of thousands of new fans are about to get on board." So we are adding this new level of heightened vocal prowess to what already is one of the top notch thrashy-melodic-death outfits in the world. There has never been any doubt about the Amott brothers' guitar-playing abilities. From Michael Amott's days as a member of Carcass right up to his and Chris' twin lead attack heard on 2001's Wages of Sin, the guitar playing and technicality of Arch Enemy has held is own as a fundamental element of the formula right along with melody and aggression. The band dumbs it down ever-so-slightly here (almost letting a ever-so-slightly nu-metal riff creep for a second in here and there, e.g., in "Instinct"), but in a way that works - we still have killer riffs and total heaviness, and they are still of a more technical rather than simple power chord style. But they are also catchier and more focused. I'm sure they will crush live. And the leads are everywhere. As expected they are awesome. Expressive, dexterious, and totally right for the songs when they appear. The drumming is tight and complex yet induces headbanging with ease. Sharlee D'Angelo rocks on the bass too.
The whole album is musically exactly what I was hoping to hear from Arch Enemy, all wrapped up in a tight, crisp, Andy Sneap-poduced package. The songs are fun metal anthems, the lyrics fit perfectly, the vocalist has personality and she is aggressive, the musicianship is tight and the guitar magic flows free. This is what heavy metal music is all about. I can't wait to catch the tour with Evergrey and Hate Eternal, and then see them again with Slayer and Hatebreed. The fall of 2003 should be great for Arch Enemy. Look for this on my year-end list. Bottom line: fans of Wages of Sin will be thrilled, and tens of thousands of new fans are about to get on board.
Hel's Review:
Here it is at last, Arch Enemy latest release - their second with not-so-new-anymore vocalist Angela Gossow, their fifth studio effort overall. Not knowing really how to begin writing about this record, I tossed my Arch Enemy collection (all the studio releases except Stigmata) into the player and started listening from the beginning. Never once has this band drastically altered their essential direction or vision along the way. They remain, to this day, a death metal band obsessed (and understandably so) with intricate dual-guitar melodies.
"The songwriting is more balanced these days, with all the parts getting their moments in the spotlight, and producing generally well-rounded songs overall." The Amott brothers continue to prove that they are two of the most talented guitarists ever to grace the metal scene, and their guitar lines continue to be the centerpiece of the band. The overall focus has shifted ever-so-slightly, particularly since Angela came along, and instead of the guitar parts being the most prominent part of each and every song, the songwriting is more balanced these days, with all the parts getting their moments in the spotlight, and producing generally well-rounded songs overall. The new innovation to emerge on this album is the introduction of clean male vocals. They are used sparingly, and for that reason in particular, they are a nice touch. Anything more and I may have been irritated by it, but as it is, it's like having an attractive garnish on your dinner plate.
"The Amott brothers continue to prove that they are two of the most talented guitarists ever to grace the metal scene." I've been onboard the Arch Enemy fan wagon since I was fortunate enough to have Burning Bridges cross my path back in the first days of Metal Judgment. My ardor for that record only grew over time, and I have embraced every release since. This one is no different, and in fact, it has already grown on me immeasurably in the time I've spent with it, and I like it even more now than I did the first time I spun it 'round in my player. Anthems of Rebellion is another link in the long chain of excellent Arch Enemy albums. At least, that's the case from my perspective. I know this one will find its way back into my player quite a bit - if it even comes out of it in the first place, that is.
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