This is the new Arch Enemy EP, taken from the band's latest tour. Ironically, the live tracks were taken from a show in Paris, not Japan. I want you to remember that the EP doesn't have any new Arch Enemy tracks. So, the album mainly has a collector's value, for those fans who want to have everything. The new studio recordings are three great covers from Megadeth, Manowar and Carcass. This EP looks like a CD, I mean with the booklet (some live photos), the cover, the CD artwork, the presentation, etc...
1. "Dead Eyes see no future": Taken from their latest record "Anthems of rebellion" (2003). Basically, I don't see the greatness of the song. Personally, I think the album has more interesting songs to consider for making an EP: I'd prefered "Leader of the rats" or "Silent wars".
2. "Burning angel": A "hit" taken from "Wages of Sin". This is the first of the live recordings. Nothing much to say, a great sound, a better performance, but too strict, I mean, no place for improvisation, respecting every riff, every drum beat from beginning to end. At the end of the song you could listen to Angela interacting with the crowd. Man, that girl talks dirty! =). Seriously, too dirty and too "masculine" for a woman (what I think about her singing is a different issue). I know that "Burning angel" is the hit, but in its place, why not "The first deadly sin" to speed it up a little? =)
3. "We will rise": The second live track. Again, the band sticking to what they did in the album, and respecting entirely the song, without improvising. Angela didn't have a good performance. Maybe it's because it was the end of the show, or she did it on purpose, but she seems to run out of voice, and you could "notice" that...she's a woman!
These three songs were taken from the band's two previous releases, "Wages...", and "Anthems...", the first two albums with Angela Gossow in the band. So it's pretty obvious why we don't have songs from the "Liiva" (the former singer) era, considering that the live album "Burning Japan Live" was the ending of Liiva's career in Arch Enemy (and, maybe the closure of a more extreme era?)...
4. "Symphony of destruction": A MEGADETH song, taken from "Countdown to extinction" (1992). Very well done! The guitars sound extremely well, tuned up a little lower, maybe, but giving the song the AE touch of style. The three covers were produced by Rickard Bengtsson (who produced Chris Amott's ARMAGEDDON's "Embrace the mystery" album), instead of Andy Sneap, that's why the covers sound a little (just a little!) different from "Anthems..." sound...
5. "Kill with power": Of MANOWAR, taken from the record "Hail to England" (1984). A great song, with an intrincate and repetitive rhythm, but very powerful (similar to "Ravenous" drums' rhythm).
6. "Incarnated solvent abuse": taken from CARCASS' "Necroticism, descanting the insalubrious" (1991). Finally, one of my all time favourite bands covered (thank god!) with a superb production. What can I say about it? One of the best bands covered by today's best. When this song was originally recorded and the album released, Michael Amott was still a member of Carcass...
Three great bands, unique in their styles (clearly differenced in the songs), but also influential. Time passes, but they are not forgotten. Luckily, is not the same old "Judas Priest or Iron Maiden covers" that all the bands do (bands for which AE also has covers). Megadeth, Manowar, and Carcass, rarely covered, and, in this case, with Arch Enemy's excellence (a covers album is a crazy idea).
The covers alone make the album worth buying! (the rest is a bonus!). Something to entertain ourselves while we wait for their next release. I strongly recommend this to all Arch Enemy fans out there.
If you're not one...buy it anyway!
