![]() ![]() Sunset Over The Empire shows promise, with a pulsating beat, Erlandson’s punishing double bass kick propelling the band forward but it’s on House Of Mirrors that we finally reach the track that grabs the throat and rips it out. Another song that’s instantly identifiable as Arch Enemy, it offers little, and for me is one of the weakest songs on the album.Īt the halfway mark and I’m still looking for something to inspire. The segue into Poisoned Arrows provides a lovely cinematic interlude before the track begins properly. It slows somewhat to a more traditional Heavy Metal feel which provides space for the initial solo before the accelerator hits the floor once more. There’s an explosive drive on The Watcher which really let’s rip, White-Gluz’s rapid fire vocals spewing forth the words. Track four brings a bit more of what I was looking for. This is Arch Enemy by numbers rather than throwing fire in your face. It’s suitably huge sounding, but there is something missing to fire the spark. This is a song that is destined to be an arena favourite, with the customary melody in the breakdown instantly recognisable. In The Eye Of The Storm is next, an anthemic yet melodic stomper, which sits in the same style as countrymen Amon Amarth. Ultimately, it’s a bit of a throwaway track, with little to genuinely excite. Recent single Deceivers Deceivers is delivered with a high pace and some crunching riffs, although the chorus is rather predictable. And maybe it’s the comfort zone feel that fires an early warning shot. It’s a powerful song to start the album with Loomis and Amott trading solos and the engine room blasting along with ease. The complete change in tempo two-thirds of the way through is another deviation from the blueprint and sees the band stray into semi-symphonic territory, albeit only briefly. Opener Handshake With Hell sees White-Gluz bringing her devilish roars but interspersing them with some clean vocals, bringing a new dimension to the song. Although the band faced the same challenges that any band with an international line-up did during the pandemic, the fact that Amott and Erlandsson were in Sweden at least allowed them to continue meeting and writing, thanks to the Swedish government’s different approach to restrictions.ĭeceivers brings 11 cuts of prime Arch Enemy with a couple of twists. Deceivers was written in 2020 and is as big and bold as you’d expect from one of the Metal world’s biggest hitters. The line-up remains constant, with White-Gluz once more joined by founder member Michael Amott, bassist Sharlee D’Angelo, guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Daniel Erlandsson. ![]()
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