Swedish melodic death metal act ARCH ENEMY throws it all on the line with Khaos Legions, certainly destined to be crowned one of the year’s best in 2011, as it gives the metal music lover everything under the sun, the ultimate playing intensity and vicious songwriting, including the perfectly shredding guitar work of brothers Christopher and Michael Amott. I mainly loved the hard hitting tracks “Yesterday Is Dead And Gone”, “Cruelty Without Beauty”, and “Vengeance Is Mine”, but the listener will be treated to a ton of other killer material all throughout. Having been produced by the band themselves, along with Rickard Bengtsson, who worked previously with the group on their 2005 album Doomsday Machine,it’s obvious they’re trying to make a major statement with this new collection of heavy tunes. Did they achieve it? I would be a liar if I said they didn’t. How do you like them apples?
Drummer Daniel Erlandsson sounds like a drum pummeling freak and the growling, raspy-throat singing from Angela Gossow, while a wee bit over the top at times, is definitely dialed in to a form of angry vocals that would make even Satan himself proud. This chick sounds like she’d bypass a nice dinner date to instead go shatter glass somewhere with her hellish howling. You can’t go wrong with keyboardist guest, Per Wiberg of fellow Swedish metal band OPETH. He uniquely helps adds a ‘special depth’ to the music, and coming from a dude that is not the biggest fan of keyboards in metal, that’s a damn good accomplishment. Khaos Legions has set the bar even higher for this band now. I can’t wait to see how they possibly outdo it with their next one.
ROCKET REVIEW:
[starreview tpl=16]
ARCH ENEMY – “Khaos Legions” (CD)
(Century Media/2011)
1. Khaos Overture
2. Yesterday Is Dead And Gone
3. Bloodstained Cross
4. Under Black Flags We March
5. No Gods, No Masters
6. City Of The Dead
7. Through The Eyes Of A Raven
8. Cruelty Without Beauty
9. We Are A Godless Entity
10. Cult Of Chaos
11. Thorns In My Flesh
12. Turn To Dust
13. Vengeance Is Mine
14. Secrets
15. The Zoo
16. Snowbound
http://archenemy.net/2011/
More Stories
ROCKET REVIEW: MICK MARS – “The Other Side Of Mars” (CD)
ROCKET REVIEW: NinémiA – “Weapons Of Math Destruction” (CD)
ROCKET REVIEW: METALLICA – “72 Seasons” (CD)