ARCH ENEMY - Doomsday Machine

ARCH ENEMY
Doomsday Machine
Century Media Records – 2005
9/10




This positively is the record that metal fans have been waiting for, a churning, hammering masterpiece of an album from Arch Enemy.

It is almost too easy to heap scores of praise upon this talented, deadly outfit as they make a roaring return with a record that lives up to the high expectations that fans have held for this release.

The twin guitar assault of the Amott brothers Chris and Michael has never been so precisely sharp or as emotionally compelling as it is here on “Doomsday Machine.”

As considerable heft in terms of riffing is counterbalanced with a diverse variety of melodic interplay throughout the record, the outcome is decided in this music’s overall substantially skull-crushing effect. The group is known for this balance, and tracks such as “Taking Back My Soul” and “I Am Legend/Out For Blood” reflect the group’s musical duality, while showcasing a maturity that is evidence in the continued maturity in the group’s songwriting.

Metal fans should be thankful for bands such as these. Arch Enemy continues to grow artistically, making improvements on their signature sound with each successive release, even though each preceding album remains a metal classic in its own right. One of the band’s newest anthems of rebellion, “Nemesis” is a prime example of the group’s wizened song crafting. When parts flow together as well as they do on “My Apocalypse”, and at the same time retain such a resourceful perspective in terms of performance, you have a formula for fantastic metal.

Ferocity seethes from vocalist Angela Gossow; it is her presence and performance that determines the overall darkness of the cuts. Although many bands are experimenting more often with clean vocals over heavy riffing, the group switches that equation around, with Gossow taking the approach of issuing blatantly abrasive death growls over riffs that are uncharacteristically melodic, even for Arch Enemy.

More than anything, this record is a broadening of the horizons for extreme music and it’s simple to imagine that it will be lauded as such by those in the industry that are in-the-know, but more importantly, this record is the product of a will for this type of record within the metal community, showing that metal can be raw, yet expertly composed and performed.

Darkness surrounds the thick atmosphere of the chugging “Carry The Cross.” as Gossow reflects a particularly menacing stance. “Hybrids Of Steel” showcases the talents of the Amott brothers; fusing Steve Vai influenced melodies with a pounding heavy metal rhythm. Sweeping arpeggio scales meet ultimate crunch on this instrumental track that will be of strong appeal to any guitar aficionado inclined toward heaviness.

The high-caliber rhythm section of Arch Enemy features bassist Sharlee D’Angelo and Daniel Erlandsson. It is their slamming tempos that are the backbone of Arch Enemy, as the pair powerfully demonstrates on mercilessly massive “Mechanic God Creation” and the buzzing, bludgeoning “Skeleton Dance.” The latter, accentuated by eerie sounds and an overpowering riff is a perfect example of a trademark composition for this quintet of metal warriors. Yet again, the guitars shred over ringing chords, then take a right turn headlong into a grinding power groove.

Easily one of the top five metal albums of 2005, “Doomsday Machine” delivers a crushing death blow for those that believe extreme metal cannot appeal to a wide cross-section of metal listeners. This monumental metal milestone launches this July 26th. Will you be prepared when “Doomsday” arrives?


ERIN FOX © 2005 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED