Arch Enemy are back with an extreme metal album that easily tops their previous brutal exercise: "Wages Of Sin".

Angela Gossow choosing this time to morph her famous growl into something like a true Parsel Tongue. For fans of the Harry Potter book series, you'll know the Parsel Tongue is snake language. Angela sounds like a mother Pit Viper hissing at a predator trying to snatch her freshly hatched brood of eggs! While the Amott brothers rhythm machine with Sharlee D'Angelo on Bass and drummer Daniel Erlandsson form what can be no less described as the deadly fangs of this reptilian metal monster, poison and all!

So taking that description into account, be warned! This album will strike and sink it's teeth into you with a relentless force.
Like a Cobra they spit the venom of rebellion at all who have stood in their way.

There are some short mellow moments on the album but there are no would be power ballads or calm seas to float on here. Much like Dew Scented, they never relax or take it too easy. No Sir, they grab the metallic beast by the balls and bend him to their will! What is that will you may ask yourself?

To shred, devastate, annihilate, castigate, and castrate the targets of their rebellion. Namely politics and societal expectations of normality and conformation.

Not since Metallica's " Master Of Puppets" and Megadeths' " Peace Sells...." have I heard these kind of songs! They are well built, flawless in playing and production, full of hooks and power. They have the classic metal band name, and a classic metal album name. Add to that this collection of songs and we have an instant classic metal album.

Make no mistake, Wages Of Sin was awesome. They have taken it to it's next logical level. A level I am proud to announce metal as officially back in a big way. Arch Enemy now find themselves occupying the long vacant Metal throne!

Musically speaking the album harkens back to a time when metal went beyond riffing and actually became songs that were easy to remember, while retaining their power and skill. These are songs, much beyond mere exercises in ferocity or blistering riffage. The music is extreme and fast and powerful, the vocals are mean and vicious but they are constructed in such a way as to become metal anthems that I'm sure fans will get to know and sing word for word at their upcoming shows. They really have crossed all metal boundaries and styles to make an album that I would wager all fans of every type of metal would enjoy. They have succeeded in making it universal in it's metallic appeal much like the aforementioned Metallica and Megadeth did. Even the album art is as classic as "Master Of Puppets" and "Peace Sells..." were.

Are there any standout tracks? Yes....tracks 1-13 Hee Hee...they all rock and could all easily be picked as singles to release. That's what makes it a classic from top to bottom....not a dud in the bunch!
This is everything Metallica was, should have been and could have been!

Now if they can just avoid the pitfall of Metallica's decline into boring alterna-metal, then metal will again take it's place as a force to be reckoned with in the mainstream and never ignored as a phase or fad by those who scowl at us metal heads and think we went away at the front of the 1990's. Flagship to the Metal resurgence? Yes, thy name is: ARCH ENEMY

Now quit reading my inane babbling about it and go get yourself a copy because school is back in session and Arch Enemy are the curriculum by which we shall re-educate the world to the power that lies in OUR art form.......Heavy METAL!

An easy 10/10

Written by David
Thursday, September 25, 2003
Show all reviews by David

Ratings

David: 10/10

Members: 8.5/10 - Average of 3 ratings.

Your rating: Rate this album now



Member ratings

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Steen (Staff) Rating: 9/10 I have never been a huge fan of these kind of vocals, but I'm changing... and Arch Enemy i... · Read more ·

Stuart (Staff) Rating: 6.5/10 Way to patchy to be considered a classic. Some great songs but too many unispired tracks b... · Read more ·

Modulator Rating: 10/10 Arch Enemy is one of my favorite bands... Just listen ANY of their albums and you will se... · Read more ·

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Comments and member reviews

Comment by David The Fat Friar (Anonymous) - Friday, September 26, 2003

Steen is right....David IS right....was there ever a doubt? :) hee hee Yeah, when do i get the real album too.....you mean i got to go buy it? Well ok....it is worth it! Thanks Steen for backing me up man! You are the best! Now for the interview! Stay tuned fans!

Comment by Rafael Lobotomy (Anonymous) - Sunday, September 28, 2003

Hey there metallers from north! Just one question after this rebellion in my stereo: Carcass who?!? Horns Up!

Comment by T|-|? |)?|\/|ø|\| \/\/Ît|-|Ìñ (Anonymous) - Friday, December 26, 2003

arch enemy ownz

Review by Steen (Staff) - Monday, January 05, 2004

View Profile Comments: 473 I have never been a huge fan of these kind of vocals, but I'm changing... and Arch Enemy is one of the bands that have brought about this change, Opeth is another. The music is completely brilliant and filled with energy, fast, technical, and melodic all the way. The guitar playing is some of the best I have heard in a long time, heavy, melodic, shredding, tight, it has everything. The excellent production gives the guitars just the right volume so they don't overshadow the other instruments, which are as well played as they could be. There is a certain powerful older Slayer sound to the guitars at times which I like. My absolute favorite song is the spine tingling Dead eyes see no future, a fantastic blend of majestic riffs, virtous guitar melodies, and the all powerful force of Angela's brutal vocals. What an incredible song. Other favorites include the heavy Leader of the rats with its catchy chorus, the immensely powerful We will rise, the opening anthem Silent war and the great atmospheric End of the line. But there is not a bad one among them all and the album flows very well, suddenly being over before you know it. Immediately I was surprised to find the vocals to be quite intriguing and David's comparison hits the nail on the head. I am in awe that this woman is able to shape her voice like this. She crushes most male vocalists right into the ground in terms of sheer power. While I can't rate the album as a 10 (not yet anyway), I haven't been able to find any flaws at all. But the album hasn't finished growing on me yet, so who knows what may happen. This is an album that has a timeless feel and a lot to offer, at this point I know it will stay on my playlist for a long time to come. Now I'm just looking forward to getting the real album instead of this promo thing... David is right, this one has the ability to appeal to all fans of Metal! Rating: 9/10 Posted by Steen (Staff) Monday, January 05, 2004

Comment by i like metal (Anonymous) - Monday, April 05, 2004

I thought that the albumn was chock full of heavy melodic riffs, but I don't know that its on the level of Master of Puppets. Compared to bands like Opeth or Cradle of Filth, Arch enemy is a lot more straightforward if not accessible; but I wouldn't call it a classic yet. Still, if you like metal and don't mind death metal singing pick this one up.

Comment by Abhay (Anonymous) - Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Do you even know what the hell you are talking about?... not since metallica's master of puppets mave you heard these kind of songs.... dude go listen to some real metal before you write stupid reviews like this...

Comment by The Fat Friar (Anonymous) - Thursday, June 24, 2004

Why yes! I do know what i am talking about...obviously! Because you're reading my review instead of me reading yours! HAHA And please tell us Oh listener of Real metal what we should all be listening to in order to have any kinda credibility in the real metal world!

Comment by The Fat Friar (Anonymous) - Thursday, June 24, 2004

I'm afraid i can't go on anymore....i quit! I don't know what "real" metal is and no one will tell me! Please oh please somebody tell me what "real" metal is!!!! For if i don't know oh how oh how then can i write another review ever in this life! ahhhhh i must know now!

Comment by Pat (Anonymous) - Wednesday, August 25, 2004

This album sure has some awesome riffs. Granted, they're pretty much looped through every song. Whenever I stumble across an anti-arch enemy thread, the opinion never changes: "these guys suck, they've got no hooks whatsoever, why are they so popular?". I really couldn't care less whether that bit about the hooks is true or not, since those riffs are good enough on their own. Face it, these songs are catchy... very simple, but catchy, and that's not a bad thing. As much as I love 13 minute epics from Opeth, sometimes it's nice to have short and sweet monster music... it's the kind of stuff you blast in the dressing room before a hockey game to pump you up, there's no better description than that. Anyone can get into it, since it's just like radio music (minus the one-hit wonders), made for people with short attention spans.

Comment by Pat (Anonymous) - Wednesday, August 25, 2004

They may never create a masterpiece... but they've never created one bad song either, and that's more than you can say for plenty of other bands.

Comment by The Fat Friat (Anonymous) - Wednesday, August 25, 2004

@ PAt Here Here! I couldn't agree more man! Well put! Arch Enemy are a damn good all around heavy metal monster band!

Comment by Pat (Anonymous) - Saturday, October 23, 2004

Minor change of opinion: I considered this their best album for the longest time... but after just recently listening to Burning Bridges, I've had a change of heart. Every damn song is amazing, and alot less repetitive and monotone than the ones in Anthems (though still a good album)

Comment by SlayerGoesToChurch (Anonymous) - Sunday, August 27, 2006

is it wrong to masterbate to metal?

Review by Modulator (Member) - Friday, January 09, 2009

View Profile Comments: 15 Ratings: 19 Arch Enemy is one of my favorite bands... Just listen ANY of their albums and you will see why! Rating: 10/10 Posted by Modulator Friday, January 09, 2009

Review by Stuart (Staff) - Tuesday, January 13, 2009

View Profile Comments: 95 Way to patchy to be considered a classic. Some great songs but too many unispired tracks bog it down. I've heard the album a fair few times and I'm seriously struggling to remember how some of the songs go. Now Wages Of Sin, thats an album right there. Rating: 6.5/10 Posted by Stuart (Staff) Tuesday, January 13, 2009