Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges

There are many bands on the metal scene today that have changed genres from album to album or, at times, even within a given release. There are, however, no bands that I can think of off the top of my head that change genres—even their entire sound—several times within individual songs! Except for Arch Enemy, that is. . . By showing a profound respect for their 80s influences while at the same time never straying from their death/thrash roots, these Swedish lads have created a sound that is truly unique.

Their roots in the extreme genres of metal do, indeed, run deep. A run-through of their lineup, in fact, reads like a Who's Who? of the death and thrash world: Michael Amott (ex- Carcass,/Carnage/Candlemass) and his younger brother Chris (Armageddon) on guitars, Johan Liiva (ex-Carnage/Furbowl) on vocals, Sharlee D'Angelo (Mercyful Fate/Witchery/Dismember) on bass, and Daniel Erlandsson (ex-Eucharist/In Flames/The End) on drums. The Brothers Amott formed Arch Enemy in the mid 1990s and released a European debut in 1996, Black Earth, which introduced their unique mix of ferocity and melody to the continent and was highly regarded. Signing with Century Media Records soon thereafter, Arch Enemy attacked again in 1998 with Stigmata, a record that combined maturation in the band's songwriting with raw and heavy production feel courtesy of Fredrik Nordstrom (At The Gates, Hammerfall). Now in 1999, the group has seemed to put all the pieces together with the release of Burning Bridges.

The album begins with the raging thrash maelstrom, "The Immortal," as Enemy warms up their speed chops and sinister stylings. The talents of the Amott brothers are immediately apparent. From the start, we find them locking into harmony on furious riffs, breaking down into hooks full of melody and structure, and dazzling with sweet, inspired leads. Also apparent is their utter lack of inhibition in switching gears radically within the body of a song. "Dead Inside" gives us an early example, with the boys segueing constantly, from death metal bludgeoning out of the Morbid Angel/Bathory catalogue to classy transitional licks more from the Yngwie/Y&T/pomp metal mold to head-cutting riffs clearly inspired by 80s American power metal bands like Megadeth, Malice, Grim Reaper and Savatage (the late Criss Oliva is an obvious idol). And somehow, this not only works, but is immensely refreshing—there is even a nostalgic quality about it. A constant is the ferocity of singer Liiva, whose menacing growls fit nicely in all of these different moods. Crushing power is provided on later tracks such as "Silverwing," "Demonic Science" and "Seed of Hate," which continue to impress with musical diversity. The shred-fest is finally brought to a halt by the slow, grinding guitars and pounding drums of the title track, which eventually fade into a piece of satanic chamber music that concludes the album.

Fresh off a U.S. tour with Nevermore, and still only four years into their existence, Arch Enemy looks like a band fully ready to take a seat at the table with today's top metal acts. In an age of metal that has seen just about everything, these Swedes have somehow managed to combine a host of divergent pieces into an innovative and intriguing whole. If you are excited about the state of modern metal, but still prone to pulling out some of the old classics for a good listen, this is a band you don't want to miss.