ARCH ENEMY "Deceivers"

 

(c) 2022 Century Media

1. Handshake With Hell
2. Deceiver, Deceiver
3. In The Eye Of The Storm
4. The Watcher
5. Poisoned Arrow
6. Sunset Over The Empire
7. House Of Mirrors
8. Spreading Black Wings
9. Mourning Star
10. One Last Time
11. Exiled From Earth

Alissa White-Gluz--Lead Vocals

Michael Amott--Guitars, Backing Vocals

Jeff Loomis--Guitars, Backing Vocals

Sharlee D'Angelo--Bass, Backing Vocals

Daniel Erlandsson--Drums, Percussion

Additional Musician

Raphael Liebermann--Cello on "Poisoned Arrow"

Arch Enemy has long been one of those guilty pleasure bands for me, going clear back to their 2001 album, Wages Of Sin.  Sure, I had heard of the band prior to that album, and while I will admit to being a thrasher that was drawn to the melodic death metal sound as a heavier, angrier progression from thrash, the vocals at the time were simply not to my liking.  I've never been a fan of "true" death metal, and to me, Arch Enemy's original singer was too much in the "Cookie Monster puking on the microphone" style that I have always abhorred.  However, on a chance, I pikced up Wages Of Sin, and was immediately taken by Angela Gossow, who took over lead vocals on that album.  All of a sudden, the band really clicked with me, and I felt myself drawn to the raging snarl of the She-Beast that absolutely tore through my speakers on those early albums and tracks like "Rats", "Enemy Within", and one of my favorites, "We Will Rise".  From that point on, I was hooked, and have snatched up pretty much everything the band has released from that point forward.

Without delving uber-deeply into the band's history, I will admit to being like pretty much everyone else who is a fan of the band in stating that I was very concerned when Gossow stepped aside as the vocal tormentor of the band, and Alissa White-Gluz was brought aboard.  If the goal was simply to replace one stunningly-beautiful woman with a new supermodel snarler, then the band did absolutely the right thing for their image.  But White-Gluz was going to have to prove herself vocally to truly be accepted by fans of the band, and while she definitely had her moments on her first record with the band, War Eternal, I felt there was more in there.  Then, with the addition of Jeff Loomis of Nevermore fame, I was hopeful the band would take that next significant step to fully realize their overall musical potential, and with 2017's Will To Power, it seemed they were getting closer, but weren't quite there.  I love that record...it was easily one of my most-played "gym albums" of 2018...but it still felt like something was being held back, although I couldn't put my finger on exactly what.

However, after a five year stretch between albums, trust me...with Deceivers, they are DEFINITELY there now!

From the moment White-Gluz tears into "Handshake With Hell", there is a brutal-yet-melodic ferocity that I feel has finally captured what I thought Loomis and White-Gluz bring to the band!  On this opening track, White-Gluz is afforded the perfect opportunity to showcase everything she has, from the darkest death snarls to a raspy, not-quite-clean-almost-spoken word vocals, to nearly operatic, soaring singing.  To me, this song encompasses everything that I had hoped White-Gluz would bring to the band, and perhaps it was Loomis finally feeling comfortable with his creative role as the lead soloist in the band that helped to step up the melodic sensibility of the music without forsaking the fierceness that Arch Enemy has always brought to the table.  The guitar work is fierce, but accessible, and the rhythm section is in 100% lock-step right from the start on this album,, and "Handshake With Hell" sets the table for this album perfectly!  Check it out below...

From this point forward, the album charges headlong from track to track, tearing through thrashy anthems like "Deceiver, Deceiver" and "Sunset Over The Empire".  Speaking specifically about "Deceiver, Deceiver", this song is so brutally aggressive...dare I say "punkish"...that it almost doesn't sound like an Arch Enemy song!  

Seriously, I don't recall an AE song in the Gossow era, and definitely not in the White-Gluz era, sounding that completely chaotic, heavy, and aggressive, without becoming so brutal that the melodic part of "melo-death" was lost!  No, the melodic part is still there, it's just that the aggression of the track is trying to choke the life out of it!  And while it should stand as an outlier on the album, a disruptor of sorts, it really doesn't, which I think is due in large part to the overall heft of the rest of the album, even on the somewhat slower, more muscular tracks like "One Last Time", and personal favorite "In The Eye Of The Storm", which to me is the pinnacle of the White-Gluz era.  

Never have I felt like White-Gluz was more in control of a song that on "In The Eye Of The Storm", and I would rank this track not only as her most dominating performance as a singer, but as one of the top handful of songs the band has assembled over the past decade!  I have yet to make it through this album with out "In The Eye Of The Storm" being played at least three or four times.  Everything about it, from the opening warning effects, to the huge guitar solo, to the massive drum sound, just screams to me when I put this track on.  Excellent stuff!

"Spreading Black Wings", is a thunderous mid-paced metalfest that alternately finds White-Gluz skirting the edges of black metal in places with her vocals, while the band mixes in huge power metal chants of "Hey! Hey! Hey!", and they collectively charge through heavy, thrash-inspired rhythm riffs that would make Megadeth proud!  Definitely one of the top three or four songs on an album that not a single track leaves me distracted, bored, or reaching for the skip button.

Equally as attention-grabbing is "Poisoned Arrow", an achingly beautiful track with classical elements (including some gorgeous cello work!), a mid-tempo, power metal-ish track not overly removed from what Loomis did with Nevermore, complete with stunning guitar solo work, some of the biggest-sounding drums on the record, all supporting both clean and deathy vocals from White-Gluz.  Probably my second favorite here, although it does have to fight with "House Of Mirrors" for that title.

Other standouts for me would have to be "The Watcher", with its speed/thrash metal rhythm guitars and a highly melodic, lyrically simple chorus that openly invites the listener to snarl along; the somewhat surprising instrumental cut, "Mourning Star"; and the angsty "House Of Mirrors", which as I mentioned before may be my second or third favorite on an album of great tracks.  Fans of heavy rhythm riffs and chunky, aggressive drum work will love "House Of Mirrors" to be sure!    

To me, the completeness of this record is something that the band has been missing for some time now.  While every album from the Gossow-era forward features multiple cuts of greatness, the band could be heard to slip into stretches of sameness from time to time, and occasionally a track or two would sneak in that left me scratching my head as to why it was included.  Not here, not now.  Nothing here sounds the same, yet everything slots together in a amalgamation of melo-death styles and approaches that is unquestionably the pinnacle of Arch Enemy for me!  It is everything I have loved about several of the band's previous efforts, and everything I thought this band could be, all rolled into 11 brutally beautiful tracks!  

There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the absolute best metal albums of the year, and perhaps my favorite, most-listened to album of this style of the last decade.  Somehow, it never manages to leave my vehicle's disc changer!  I can also say without question that Arch Enemy is one band whose live show I would absolutely not miss if given the chance to see them!  

Rating:  Exceptionally crankable, turn this one up to an absolute 9.5!

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KEVIN PIKE "Guitar Graffiti"

 

(c)2022 Roxx Records

1. Note Shaker
2. Guitar Graffiti
3. Ode To The King
4. Gracias Ken
5. Opus

Kevin Pike--Lead, Rhythm Guitars

Timothy Gaines--Bass

Arnaud Krakowa--Drums

Instrumental music, especially in hard rock and metal, is an interesting beast.  Sometimes, with guys like Malmsteen, Vai, Satriani, etc., the music says everything.  Really, what words could you possibly put to "Surfing With The Alien"?  But other times, the music may be fast and aggressive, but it is definitely missing something.  And that something can be so hard to pin down, but you know that it isn't there when you hear it.  For me, without lyrics, most music...well, it fails to really grab me, to be honest.  Oh, sure, there are records that grabbed me instantly.  Marty Friedman's Dragon's Kiss did that the very first time I heard it, followed by what he and Jason Becker did with Speed Metal Symphony.  Mark Wood and his speed metal electric violin completely captures my attention and imagination on Voodoo Violince.  And, in the 80s. shred metal was everywhere, especially on labels like Shrapnel Records, which pretty much cornered the market on this highly technical, typically blazing fast style of guitar playing, and I owned just about everything Shrapnel released.  Eventually, Christian metal adopted the shred metal style, with Jeff Scheetz's Woodpecker Stomp probably the most famous example of a Christian artist releasing a lyric-less album that left me slack-jawed (and the man is an incredibly nice guy to meet, as well!).  But, like so many other trends, shred fell out of favor when grunge, and later extreme metal and metalcore, moved away from the highly technical style of playing, and in many cases, moved away from any time of soloing in favor of aggressive breakdowns or short, violent guitar bursts.  So, when I first learned that Roxx Records was releasing a new shred album I have to admit I was intrigued, and a bit leery, about what would come of the project.

Kevin Pike is the long-time guitar player for 80s/90s Christian metal band, Arsenal.  While that band is noted for playing the melodic hard rock and hair metal style of the time, Guitar Graffiti is definitely not of the same ilk.  Yes, it is still high energy, hard rocking music, but this EP features a style that allows Pike to really flash his stylistic flair in a genre that really has little in the way of musical constraints.  If your heart and mind can feel it, and your fingers can do it, go for it!

The EP kicks off with "Note Shaker", a short introduction to the project complete with the sound effects of a can of spray paint being shaken at various points throughout the minute-long track, adding to the album's title of Guitar Graffiti.  No other instruments are present as Pike makes a few sweeping runs up and down the fretboard here in what amounts to a warm-up for Kevin as he sets himself up to unleash far more on the following four cuts.

The EP's title track is up next, and this time Timothy Gaines (ex-Stryper) joins the adventure on bass, with his instrument being given a full voice as it helps to lay the musical foundation for Pike to scream across.  Definitely keeping a melodic sensibility throughout the track, Pike alternates between a smooth, melodic flow, and a more frantic, aggressive playing style that features some excellent tapping work and high-speed runs.  Rather than take my word for the insane amount of talent on display here, check out this teaser video for the track.

 

"Ode To The King" is my favorite of the songs here, as it is an exquisite piece of mid-tempo melodic metal that Pike is really able to pour his emotion into.  I particularly like the section at about the 2:30 mark, where Pike's guitar takes on the role of the vocalist, seemingly "singing" to the listener in a haunting voice that begs to be heard, with Gaines' bass propping him up.  For those who want flashes of staccato playing, the section at the 3:10 mark, or thereabouts, should definitely be of interest to you, as Pike's fingers are flying by this point, only to gather themselves back in and return to the plaintive, emotional call from earlier in the song, before coming to a powerful close.  Love this song, and I have hit repeat on this track multiple times.

"Gracias, Ken" is, as you may imagine, a Spanish-styled guitar song that is expertly played on a nylon-stringed guitar.  Just Kevin and his guitar again, this is a great addition to the EP.  The acoustic Spanish guitar is one of my favorite instruments to hear outside of the metal world, yet it is an instrument that is pretty easy to sound "amateurish" on, as a lot of players lack the fluidity and nimbleness to move from note to note in rapid succession on such an unforgiveable instrument.  Pike's playing here is amazingly clean, with no string squeaks or missed notes, which is always amazing to my ear, as I have watched incredibly talented players struggle with this type of high-speed playing on this beautiful instrument.  I have always been a sucker for playing such as this, and I find myself repeating the introduction to the movie Desperado numerous times, just to hear the music!  Pike's performance here is top-notch, and I would love to hear him do more of this type of music.

The EP closes with "Opus", three and a half minutes of high speed shred metal of the first degree.  Pike's guitar kicks things off with a furious scale run, spitting out notes in rapid-fire fashion.  Not to be outdone, Krakowa's drums come sprinting in at a frantic pace, challenging Pike to keep up with them as they thunder along.  For the first stretch of the song, the drums seem to be winning the race as Pike merely layers a series of stretched notes across the rhythmic pattern, effortlessly establishing the melody line of the song as it goes.  Soon enough, his guitar starts to flutter and flurry at a speed that the drums seemingly can't even keep up with, scorching their way at a break-neck pace atop Gaines' bounding bass line, swerving this way and that, sinking, climbing, twisting, and turning.  With mere seconds to go in the race, the drums stop, a single bass note from Gaines is struck, and Pike's guitar emerges the winner, bringing the song...and the EP...to a screaming halt!   

Now, THAT was a lot of fun!

Limited to just 300 units being pressed, if you are a fan of instrumental rock and metal, do not miss out on your chance to snag this!  Order your own copy from Roxx Records today (I already did!)

Rating:  Crankable, if you can keep up!  Crank this to an all-too-short 8!

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