Review Summary: A return to form is an understatement.
Travelling around Europe in 2003 and living in London was an opportunity to check new music. As a certified metalhead, I needed to check everything and that’s when I bought Arch Enemy’s Anthems of Rebellion CD. Initially taken aback by a woman doing harsh vocals, I couldn’t deny the guitar playing and drumming. Incredible introduction to a band. It was beyond the other melodeath I had heard to that point. Two years later brought the equally killer Doomsday Machine and I caught them live a few times to witness this deal first hand.
After that I continued checking them out to lesser and lesser personal acclaim. I thought they had totally lost it with 2018’s Will to Power but what do we have here. Deceivers.
It opens with “Handshake From Hell” which has the familiar opening finger tapping calling card and you know it’s Arch Enemy. A thunderous riff ensues and Alissa’s growls are quickly followed up by some eyebrow raising cleans which gives the opener perhaps a wider appeal. It’s the only cleans on the album which could be a segue to the next album. The following “Deceiver, Deceiver” has a Fear Factory-esque drum roll intro before another rumbling riff speeds up to a quicker riff which is classic Arch Enemy. The playing is tight and crisp and sounds heavy for a band of this standing in festival-land.
The slower “In the Eye of the Storm” evokes Ghost and In Flames and “The Watcher” has more intricate riffing and kit work with flashes of Iron Maiden and then leads which results in one of the best songs.
A stings and guitar intro to “Poisoned Arrow” reveal a more restrained tune that has a clever tempo change and then more leads. The quality continues with two of the best songs in the atmosphere drenched “Sunset over the Empire” and the thoroughly delicious "House of Mirrors”. "House of Mirrors" is a career defining song in my opinion that stands up in their whole discography. I’m surprised as anyone at this exhibition of modern guitar based melodeath.
The last third of the album has a great combination of varied songs with the rousing “Spreading Black Wings” followed by the mournful “Mourning Star” interlude. The two speed pace of “One Last Time” and the moody closer “Exiled from Earth” ensure there’s no filler on this album.
A return to form is an understatement. This should be enjoyed by fans of the band and anyone interested in melodic guitar based metal.
Standouts:
The Watcher
Sunset over the Empire
House of Mirrors
