Review by Brian McLean
Following up a solid full-length debut release featuring a new vocalist, with a second effort measuring up to the first, can be a daunting task for any metal band. Being able to follow up a pair of monstrous releases sets the level of expectation bar even higher.
For Swedish based Arch Enemy, the task of meeting the expectations of fans and critics was met and exceeded with their latest effort titled Doomsday Machine through Century Media Records.
The release is Arch Enemy’s third full length since vocalist Angela Gossow joined as vocalist but the fourth release over all, the other being the Dead Eyes See No Future EP released earlier in the year.
There are eleven tracks total including two instrumentals, one that begins the whole Doomsday Machine deathly melodic experience and the other later in the disc.
Arch Enemy has toned down the pace with several melodic or mellow intros like track one which is the first instrumental titled “Enter the Machine” as well as “Carry the Cross” and “Hybrid of Steel” which are the other instrumentals.
Yet, Arch Enemy hasn’t sacrificed their heavy style of material with the more melodic guitar touches. The variations allow AE more latitude to work within the song writing process, which pays off with the results on Doomsday Machine.
As anticipated, the leads and riffs from siblings Michael and Christopher Amott shred with flash and flair. The two brothers utilize what’s available, that would be their mastering ability of the lead guitar. The two are redirecting the importance of leads back in metal. Actually it’s something they have been doing all along.
The fans of the heavier Arch Enemy songs will be satisfied, there’s still plenty of metal with “I am Legend / Out for Blood," “Skeleton Dance,” and “Mechanic God Creation” which is heavy but slower.
So many good things have been said about Arch Enemy from their musicianship, song writing, band chemistry as well as stage presence. All these accolades start becoming redundant but the fact of the matter is, it’s all true and there’s no way around it.