Living Amicably with Eternity

Arch Enemy started when Michael Amott left Carcass in 1996. Since then, Arch Enemy has put out album after album to wide fan acclaim. Their newest album, War Eternal, marks their tenth studio release and their sixteenth year as a band. You would think that with all that time it would make sense to phone it in — release the same record they release every two years, and call it a day. Not Arch Enemy.

The first track on the album “Never Forgive, Never Forget” is what defines Arch Enemy. Lead guitarist Michael Arnott is a riff machine on this album. It’s all about how heavy he can make it. He holds a clinic on how to solo as well. The man does no wrong on this record. The vocals are just as crushing.  Lead singer Alissa White-Gluz screams her lungs out. She has been great on all the other releases and this is no different. Track after crushing track, she proves that she’s one of the best front women in metal today. The next track,  “War Eternal,” sounds like it was pulled straight off of a Slayer record with its pounding drums.  This whole record, it should be noted, is a double kick-drum show. Drummer Daniel Erlandsson proves how great of a drummer he is with each passing track.

“As The Pages Burn,” the third track on the record, shows off how technically solid this band is. Keyboard melodies fill the background while the drums keep the riffs going. The chorus is almost catchy, which in this style of music is very difficult to do. Overall, Arch Enemy has put out another record that captures their sound. They’ve always been a band that’s about progressing in small steps and War Eternal is no different. You can hear them start to play around with melodies that they were not doing in their previous work. If you are a big fan of European heavy metal, you will enjoy this album thoroughly.