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Arch Enemy: Khaos legions
29/07/11 || The Duff
I haven’t listened to an Arch Enemy record in some time, although I consider myself a huge fan of their early works. “Doomsday Machine” I remember was an album I thought was incredible when stoned and not wanting to study for re-sit examinations, a touch over average on a clear-headed day; honestly, I think the band’s truest faux-pas was “Anthems of Rebellion”, and even that wasn’t so tough – they definitely have one of the most complementary and dare I say exciting guitar-combos when the chemistry is there, the Amott brothers both well-schooled musicians with a good ear and great feel/passion for their work.
Top this off with a drummer who is underplayed but very much respected as a class musician in the same way as ex-Nevermore drummer Van Williams, a likewise admired bass player Sharlee D’Angelo, and a vocalist who worships Chuck Schuldiner and very well at that (we all got over the fact she has breasts some years ago, but Metal Hammer will push that cookie until she’s eighty-five), we have an outfit that on paper is the beeze-kneeze. Unfortunately for the band, they appear to have been, like say Megadeth, recoiling for some time from fan backlashes to their more mainstream tailorings; the last record didn’t seem too hot to my ears from cursory listens despite the “return to form” preached, so with “Khaos Legions” we have an album of mixed assortments according to Gossow – the band doing its own thing, hoorah!
My years away have proven I haven’t missed much this album number two and seven years since “Doomsday Machine”. We’re at a very similar melodic thrash meets anthem rock approach as witnessed on recent outings. The intro is goddamn disgusting, haha, well unnecessary would be a more appropriate description but I can’t believe there are bands still kicking off albums in such a manner – guitar leads that aren’t nearly as epic as intended followed by an ominous voice that sounds like Patrick Stewart battling a tongue around his own testicles. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, and in a way I don’t give a shit – so track two here we go…
“Yesterday is Dead and Gone” suggests the band is running out of ideas a touch, but the riffs are traditional, anthemic heavy metal, a mixture of melody and thrash and of course fantastic solo-work. While it appears Arch Enemy are treading water, and some riffs do pale terribly in comparison to the Golden years (the solo bridge riff for example), there’s no doubt having been in the game so long they are a seasoned act that has a good instinct for what works and what doesn’t.
Next up is “Bloodstained Cross”, again a thrashy opening riff that segues into the band’s far more melodic side; this for me is where the band might be accused of being drab, unable to deliver the punch to the balls that was found on absolutely every single track off their earliest stages – epic leads and single-note picked chords don’t come across as intended unless you know what you’re getting into, how cheesy the band can be, a prime example being “No Gods, No Masters”; one of the brothers if not both are Scorpions fans or summink, I haven’t a clue what this track is supposed to be.
Elsewhere, chug-riffs, meaty, trawling riffs, interesting lead-melodies, thrash, touches of Carcass death, regular death, straight-up heavy metal as well as symphonic elements (that’s synthesizers in Duffspeak) here and abouts to add gloomy hinting at black metal atmospheres; few surprises, few disappointments. The production isn’t one of their best, I’m not too fond of the polished, thick tones that adorn albums such as this and “Doomsday Machine”, but rather lighter varieties as from “Wages of Sin” – endorsements have clearly been good to these guys though, no doubt; they seem confident with the tones proffered them.
There are highlights all over this record, but some will accuse that Arch Enemy have lost their placing when “Wages of Sin” promised a bright future. I think this will appeal to honest Arch Enemy fans, not much else; a pleasing record that is a mixture of mainly hit and some miss equally distributed, fantastic musicianship and, despite stylistically a range of ideas (just look at the number of tracks, strangely not to the album’s detriment) quite the safe-step. Arch Enemy seem steady in keeping trademarks from “Wages of Sin” onwards intact while writing whatever comes to mind, and in the end, you’re either a fan of the last three records before “Khaos Legions” or you’re not.
- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: Century Media
- Website: www.archenemy.net
- Band
- Angela Gossow: vocals
- Michael Amott: guitars
- Christopher Amott: guitars
- Sharlee D’Angelo: bass
- Daniel Erlandsson: drums
- Tracklist
- 01.Khaos Overture
- 02. Yesterday Is Dead and Gone
- 03. Bloodstained Cross
- 04. Under Black Flags We March
- 05. No Gods, No Masters
- 06. City of the Dead
- 07. Through the Eyes of a Raven
- 08. Cruelty Without Beauty
- 09. We Are a Godless Entity
- 10. Cult of Chaos
- 11. Thorns in My Flesh
- 12. Turn to Dust
- 13. Vengeance Is Mine
- 14. Secrets
