Review Summary: Outstanding guitar playing, but not alot else.
When it comes to Arch Enemy fans, we can divide them on the whole into two camps: the Liiva fans and the Angela fans. The switch in vocalists was a turning point for the band, as the front woman’s debut performance ‘Wages Of Sin’ marked a success that propelled Arch Enemy to a beforehand improbable level of popularity. Whether this came as a result of the line up change it is difficult to say, and for me it is immaterial, as it is my view that the standout element of the band that has remained a constant throughout their career is the stunning, and utterly prevailing, guitar work of the Amott Brothers.
It is immediately apparent that this is a guitar players album, with the sibling duo pulling off some of the finest playing of their career. Michael impresses with some wonderfully melodic, wah drenched leads which call to mind the hay day of Michaels Schenkers work with UFO or the pentatonic fury of Zakk Wylde, while Christopher compliments with a more blistering technical approach, soloing with an acute proficiency yet with no less a melodious exertion. Opener ’Taking Back My Soul’ displays an abundance of this furious six string excess, whilst ‘The Skeleton Dance’ contains a soaring, tastefully executed solo which is undoubted an album highlight. The riff writing is also, for the most part, stellar, with some surprising additions such as the clean breakdown during ‘My Apocalypse’, replete with some jazzy chord changes.
Although, apart from the duets obvious talent and the arresting flair they contribute to the release, there are a number of significant problems elsewhere. There is no denying Angela has a monstrously commanding voice, and she roars her way through the songs with an imposing presence, yet her singing does have a tendency to irk with its inability to vary itself, remaining constantly within a rather limited range. Ultimately, she is saved by the dynamic musicianship offered, benefiting from a strong unit of instrumentalists to retain the listeners attraction.
And the lyrics present are just appalling. We need look no further than the cringe worthy lines in ‘I Am Legend/Out For Blood’, where the vocalist screeches ‘I’m after you / A shadow on the hunt / Don’t turn around / I’m right behind you / I will get to you / And bring you down. It could be argued that Arch Enemy were never a band to be enjoyed for their superior lyrical work, yet laughable efforts like this really do bring down any sincerity and endeavour to inject some resonance into the songs.
Drummer Daniel Erlandsson performs well, providing a particularly impressive input to single ‘Nemesis’ with some rapid double bass, and a fantastically dexterous intro solo on ‘Machtkampf’. He is comfortable handling any sedated sections with ease, effortlessly shifting gears from a frenetic pace to settling into a mid-tempo groove or flitting discreetly around his kit during a serene respite.
The problem with ‘Doomsday Machine’ is the guitar playing dominates the record, to a extent where some may grow tired of the sheer surplus on hand. Tracks such as ‘Hybrids Of Steel’, an instrumental Dream Theater meets Steve Vai exercise in overindulgence, disrupts the flow of the album and offers nothing more than to captivate aspiring guitar players and bore the remainder. This is not a criticism of the playing of the Amotts, who as I said consistently make a stirring impact, and there are a handful of great songs with engaging melodies and attractive aggression, yet the song writing quality declines slowly as the disc goes on, until we left just waiting for the customary standout guitar solo. ‘Doomsday Machine’ is a great album for guitar nerds, but others may be hard pushed to find anything to genuinely engage with.
