Arch Enemy
Rise Of the Tyrant ()
Wydane przez Century Media RecordsRok wydania Kraj SwedenNapisał Wouter6
Despite their more than respectable earlier offerings with original frontman Johan Liiva and their 2002 breakthrough album "Wages Of Sin" with new vocalist Angela Gossow, this Swedish melodic death metal powerhouse wasn't able to build upon the promise set with that album. 2003's "Anthems Of Rebellion" and 2005's "Doomsday Machine" were solid, if not bland and pedestrian, records in their own right, that never lived up to the hype that surrounded this band. "Rise Of the Tyrant" - the band's fourth record with Gossow and seventh album overall - sees main composer/ex-Carcass guitarist Michael Amott together with his brother Christopher Amott throwing around generic "Heartwork" - and typical Swedish melodic riffs while taking influences from Iron Maiden and the general NWOBHM and ‘80s thrash movement. Gossow's (often processed) vocals are at once recognizable and tedious as dynamics or interplay with the other instruments is nonexistent. Both the Amott brothers write some excellent leads, which form a highlight on this record - it's too bad the riffs aren't of the same level. The production is modern, clean and impeccable. Sharlee D'Angelo (bass) and Adrian Erlandsson (drums) are workmanlike in their departments. "Rise Of the Tyrant" sports handdrawn artwork by Dark Tranquillity's Niklas Sundin, which is refreshing after the digital renderings of Joachim Luetke (Dimmu Borgir, Divine Heresy, Kreator). While the obvious talent and musical mastery is here I'm dumbfounded as to why "Rise Of the Tyrant" sounds as plain ordinary as it does.
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