I'll say this, there aren't a lot of growl-vocal bands I really really like, although i'm starting to like more, but Arch Enemy was the first band of the sort that I began to accept and love, because it sounds different than the rest. Sure it's aggressive and brutal, but pretty melodic and Michael Amott's playing really stands out, along with Angela Gossow's brutal vocals.
So the Album starts out with "Blood On Your Hands", a fast paced tune that makes a great opener. (You will remember the sins of your fathers after hearing it a few times). The Last Enemy is a pretty cool hard song, but this,"I Will Live Again", and "In This Shallow Grave" don't stand out as much as the others, although I Will Live Again sounds very Arch Enemy like (you'll see what I mean), Melodic guitar followed by heavy riffs and Angela delivering lyrics, and it works really well. I should mention "In This Shallow Grave" has a very awesome solo in it, something Arch Enemy seems to do well. Track 5 "Revolution Begins" is epitomy of Arch Enemy's sound. Sparking Revolutionary themes, dark vocals and guitar, and mean screech/growls. Arch Enemy never fails to make me want to burn a building down and this song is very catchy. REVOLUTION!!!! The title track starts with a spoken intro from the 1979 Movie "Caligula" which really sets the tone for the song and the album as a whole, while i'm not really one for semi-long intros from movies before songs i'm A-OK with hearing this every time I listen to it, and once the intro is done the song drops into a heavy riff and the song takes a trip through hell and doesn't stop! A wicked scream from Gossow continued with the riff and lyrics/vocals are thrown at you from all angles, guitars are going crazy and you hold on tight! I'd say this is my favorite song from the album, as a whole it's got brutality and melody. Track 7, "The Day You Died", is what i'd say the best paced song on the album, it's not too fast and not too slow, and the guitar tracks sound great to keep the flow of the song moving with help from pretty deep lyrics. "Intermezzo Liberte'" is an instrumental track, and a damn good one at that! It still retains some of the heaviness you get from Gossow's lyrics in a powerful drum track and low guitar tone but also a high guitar solo echoing through. It's slow and fast at the same time and sounds really good. Track 10 "The Great Darkness" holds up it's name with a very dark tune, and a chorus that adds a chilly aspect to the song along with Gossow bringing her lyrics from the depths of hell! I don't know how she does it but every note she sings sounds fantastic. The album is closed with "Vultures" which is a brutal tune but I don't think it's rave worthy.
HIGHLIGHTS + SCORING
As a whole this album is one of Arch Enemy's finest works, it's brutal, melodic, and heavy. Which is something Arch Enemy always does very well. Tracks to look out for include "Blood On Your Hands", "Revolution Begins", "Rise Of The Tyrant", and "The Day You Died". Also check out their newest album, "Khaos Legions", it's really good!
9/10
