Disco de Arch Enemy: “Stigmata [Bonus Tracks]”

This band features ex-Carcass guitarist Mike Amott, and it basically follows the style of Carcass' Heartwork, state-of-the-art thrash with excellent lead guitar work (from Mike and his brother Chris Amott). Riffs and drumming are good, but the guitar solos really stand out, technical yet showing enough melodic restraint to avoid wankiness. If you're a guitar player, listening to this will either inspire you to new heights or frustrate you forever cuz you'll never be this good. This is squarely in the thrash/death metal realm (particularly due to the death growling vocals), but so catchy it could conceivably appeal to a much wider audience.

After reading rave review after rave review on this album, I finally broke down and bought it. So far, it hasn't quite lived up to my expectation level. Don't get me wrong: this is a good disc, but not nearly great enough to stand the test of time. A more accurate rating from me would be three-and-a-half stars. The guitar work and drumming definately can hold its own, but the vocals leave a little to be desired. It will probably grow on me a little more with each listen, but it will ultimately end up on my shelf collecting dust in a couple weeks.

This is the latest AE album for me after buying Wages of Sin, Anthems of Rebellion, and Black Earth. I'm saving their apparent masterpiece Burning Bridges for last. The style is fairly similar to Black Earth although each album still has its own distinct feel. The Ammot's guitar work is even more impressive this time around, especially the leads which I consider the best I've heard from them so far.

Stigmata starts with 'Beast of Man', the first highlight of the album. Heavy riffing and even blastbeats show up, which I believe is the only time you'll hear them on any AE album. Another standout track for me is 'Black Earth', which kicks in with a signature AE riff attack following the chaotic intro. It always gets my blood pumping when that riff kicks in.

Since I love insturmentals, I love the tracks 'Stigmata' and 'Vox Stellarum'. 'Stigmata' has some heavenly & melodic guitar soloing courtesy of the Ammots, played with all the emotion you could want. Speaking of emotion, the last standout track 'Bridge of Destiny' is an epic of an album closer, featuring more outstanding guitar work and one of the best outro guitar leads that I've ever heard. Again, the lead is played with tons of feeling and emotion, giving off a truly triumphant vibe as well.

Worth buying for the guitar solos alone.

Arch Enemy's third release is truly near-masterpiece material. The band have finally come into their own and blossomed with true maturity. Killer riffs, sweeping melodies, crushing heaviness and razor-sharp leads will have you bouncing off the walls. The band have outdone themselves. If you at all liked Arch Enemy's previous efforts you are going to go off the deep end with this one. AWESOME!

Having been founded by ex-Carcass guitar hero Mike Ammott and his brother Christopher, Arch Enemy promises to be an aggressive, guitar-heavy band. And they don't disappoint. Contiuing in the melodic death metal tradition established by Carcass, the Ammott brothers deliver an endless stream of both aggression and melody. Their riffs rip, their harmonies are crisp, and their solos are catchier and more melodic than the typical extreme metal fare.

In addition, this is one pretty damn heavy album that is sure to please just about any death-metal fan. The since-replaced Johan Livva delivers some thunderously growled vocals that nicely match the intensity of the music. Vicious tunes like "Beast of Man" and "Sinister Mephisto" are about as heavy as they come, with tons of crushing riffs and hard-driving rhythms. However, the songs are also impressively melodic, even catchy, and the frequent solos give the Ammott brothers ample opportunity to demonstrate their virtuosity.

If there's one song on this album that really sticks with me, it's "Tears of the Dead." I'm not completely sure about this, but it seems to be from the point of view of a former Nazi soldier who killed innocent people because he was ordered to, and now as an old man is haunted by the memory of what he did. The narrator says in the chorus, "I was but a pawn in their game/why should I feel any guilt/still when I close, close my eyes/the words unfold, it all comes back." It's like this guy was conditioned by his training to ignore his conscience, and he wants to pretend that what he did wasn't wrong, but in the end he can't help but feel guilty about what his actions. I'm aware this may not be the best description, but suffice to say the song is very moving and thought-provoking. It's definitely nice to see a death metal band putting some thought into their lyrics. Combined with the great music and strong vocals, it's more than enough reason to give "Stigmata" a listen.