Arch Enemy
Khaos Legions ()
Wydane przez Century Media RecordsRok wydania Kraj SwedenNapisał Wouter5
This Swedish melodic death metal powerhouse forms an interesting case study in how overnight success can transform a genuinely promising and talented musical unit into a parody of itself and its musical legacy. Arch Enemy released a trio of interesting genre albums in the late 1990's (1996's "Black Earth", 1998's "Stigmata" and 1999's "Burning Bridges") when they were still fronted by original frontman John Liiva. In 2001 they were joined by German vocalist Angela Gossow and the resultant 2001 album "Wages Of Sin" catapulted the band into the upper echelons of the melodic death metal genre. A string of painfully mediocre albums followed ("Anthems Of Rebellion", "Doomsday Machine", "Rise Of the Tyrant") after which Arch Enemy took a break and a number of compilations followed, broken up only by the unneeded (but apparently deemed necessary) re-recording of classic material in the form of the aptly named "The Root Of All Evil". Now, four years after their latest true studio recording, the Swedes return for another dose of their typical melodic death metal. "Khaos Legions" is slightly more progressive than past albums, but overall it doesn't deviate too much from the band's established pattern of mixing traditional Gothenburg death metal with elements of NWOBHM and thrash metal, along with the Amott brothers expected guitar wankery. Singer Angela Gossow is, just like Dimmu Borgir's Shagrath, far too reliant on studio magic and effects, this makes her vocal abilities seem less organic and not nearly as venomous or biting as they need to be. The bass is inaudible in the mix and drummer Adrian Erlandsson is a disappointment. The material is typical of latter-day Arch Enemy in the sense that it is calculated, accessible and just heavy enough to warrant its death metal genre classification. By and large this album is a mediocre and uninteresting as any of the Gossow-era records, once the novelty wore off. Those who look beyond the surface will soon acknowledge that these are thinly veiled rocks songs for the masses and that's there nothing remotely rebellious about this band's music. "Khaos Legions" is another expertly produced record, but as an artistic and creative statement it is inert, lifeless and solely produced with the potential profit in mind and to extent this band's existence long enough to warrant another global touring cycle. Once upon a time this was a revolutionary and mind-altering experience to see a melodic death metal act fronted by a fierce grunting female. But that time was 15 years ago and a gimmick should be recognized for what it is. Arch Enemy are indeed their own worst enemy.
www.centurymedia.de
