Disco de Arch Enemy: “Anthems of Rebellion [Bonus Tracks]”

Whoa, this is a million times better than wages of sin. Don't get me wrong, WOS is a great album but it was very hard to listen to because it was so long. I could not put that cd in and listen to it from track one to finish, it got old. Plus, there were a few duds on that one.

This album? There isn't as many songs on here this time and they are all shorter in length (there is 13 tracks but only 10 of them are actualy full songs). The riffs are SUPER solid and the solos are excellent. this is a extremely solid album, balls out heavy metal. They have also started using more noises and keyboards and they add a whole new dimension to their heavy metal assault.

It's CATCHY! Super super catchy, one of the most catchiest album i've ever heard. Angela's voice has improved greatly, it's gotten much lower and more death metal like, waaaaay more brutal. Even though it's so easy to listen to it, it doens't get boring like mainstream music. Each song has a hook that just pulls you in.

Other than the iron maiden's dance of death, this is the frickin cd of the year. Thanks Arch Enemy, for making great music.

Arch Enemy's album "Anthems of Rebellion" shows us how powerful melodic death metal can be. With the demonic voice of German vocalist Angela Gossow, this band has proved itself once again to be a force against the likes of In Flames, COB, Dark Tranquillity and Soilwork. Their last release, Wages of Sin, was their defining moment. I give this CD five stars because their songs have evolved with more brutality. Their is not one bad song on this CD. "Exist to Exit" is my favorite track, followed by "Dead Eyes See no Future". By the end of the CD, you know what most of the songs will sound like, but the album isn't repetitive. Unlike In Flames' "Reroute to Remain", Arch Enemy does not sacrifice brutality for technicality. It looks as if Arch Enemy may indeed be the future of death metal.

I have already written a review, but I just have to do this because I found this review on here that would make any metal fan sick. Here goes...

Some joker, who calls himself Fred Durst's number one fan, who probably hasn't even listened to this CD decides he/she wants to tear this CD with one of the dumbest reviews I have ever read. He refers to so many things that, if he knew the true nature of Gothenburg metal and other metal bands, make no sense whatsoever. Many have already stated these, but I want to rant because I am very upset.

This person calls Korn, Limp Bizkit, Staind, and bands like Good Charlotte metal, then refers to country and pop all in the same review. Folks, someone didn't do their homework. Staind never has been "metal" and has never been that great, the only good album they had was their first one, Korn has fallen off of the wagon recently, some of the new stuff that I have heard just doesn't sound like them at all and they are American NU-METAL, Limp Bizkit never was good and they are a disgrace to the music industry, and don't even get me started on Good Charlotte and Blink-182. We'll just leave that at I don't like them, in fact...I hate them. Obviously, this person has no concept of what metal truly is. Arch Enemy is, by far, at the top of the game when it comes to the melodic death/extreme metal genre and, on "Anthems", have become extremely technique savvy. This only amplifies their greatness. I want to hear Limp Bizkit do this kind of work, when they do I might consider respecting them a little more. Until then, don't dare try to tell me that they are metal. This is in no way true and should never be assumed.

Yes, Arch Enemy does have a female lead singer now. I knew this before I bought "Wages of Sin" and they have gotten much better since she joined. Don't get me wrong, Johann Lliva was an excellent frontman, but I seriously believe that Angela Gossow fits the role much better for Arch Enemy. Plus, she is a hell of a lot more aggressive than Fred Durst or Jonathan Davis. She does the gothic thing well to. As for the brothers Arnott (Chris and Michael), Sharlee, and Daniel...they are the masterminds behind one of the greatest metal acts in the country. NO, THEY DO NOT HAVE MULLETS!!! I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MULLET AND LONG HAIR!!! THIS PERSON IS STUCK IN A COMMERCIALLY CREATED WORLD THAT HOLDS NO APPEAL TO ME OR ANYONE ELSE!!! YOU ARE SHELTERED, GET A CLUE AND MOVE ON TO BETTER THINGS!!! Trust me, Arch Enemy is not your older brother's idea of metal.

That's it, I'm done. It might not get posted, but I don't care, I do recommend that you all read this review though. Later...

Well here we are another Arch enemy album another success? NO. To be quite honest i was expecting fireworks and all with the hype this album got. Instead when i bought it and rammed it in my cd player all I got was different band. i could not believe how disappointed i was with this album, with the pure excellence of wages of sin( even though it included gossow) and the immaculate foundations set by burning bridges, stigmata and black earth (with the greatest metal vocalist ever Johan livva)this album held the utmost expectations. i don't believe this is selling out or indeed a bad album, but i think anthems of rebellion is one step on the way to that taboo.

it seems a combination of factors that have derailed this album:

1. experimentation - don't get me wrong I don't see this as a bad thing, quite the opposite but it seems they have lost their "rawness/originality" in search of a new formula, in some songs even flirting with the likes of new metal with dodgy style riffs and and syntheisised vocals

2. no real idea of what to create - did they really know what they wanted? Because they got a mismatch of styles some good some awful.

3. selling out - maybe to a degree, it seems they have broadened their horizons in terms of genre to suit other music listeners, i would certainly go to far as say this album is not original death metal.

Arch enemy are and always will be an awesome band with incredible talent, however i feel they are slipping further and further away (ever since the sacking of Livva, to bring new approach to the band) from their musical destiny's.

Decent songs on album: leader of the rats, end of the line, exist to exist, dead eyes see no future

The rubbish: instinct, dehumilzation,

marching on a dead end road(wtf inflames melody or what!), despicable heroes

Evaluation: not a bad album, but then again not what i was expecting. in all previous albums i have not disliked 1 song. This goes to show how much atmosphere, originality and depth they have lost with this album. im glad they have kept, at least in some songs, their melodic trademark but without the orignal rawness (heavy style riffs/and vocals) the album suffers greatly.

my advice: buy all their previous albums - Burning bridgers(9/10), stigmata (9.5/10) black Earth (10/10), wages of sin (9.5/10)- then listen to anthems of rebellion, youll see what i mean...

"Anthems of Rebellion" doesn't quite match "Wages of Sin". However it is a very good album in it's own right. In terms of originality it is not so sparkling.

Guitar work from Mike and Chris Amott is as devastating as always, if a little sparse in places. The soloing does not sound quite as imaginative as on previous albums. Angela's voice is excellent, deeper than before. Certainly an extraordinary vocalist. Daniel's drumming is superb, his bass pedal work is in places like nothing I've ever heard before. Sharlee's bass takes on it's usual onminous subtlety, which sounds very impressive on this album.

This album is littered with gems. The only problem I have is that they are all surrounded by songs with what seems to be a slight lack of effort put into them. I'm referring to "Instinct", the slightly pointless intro "Tear down the walls" and various other tracks that seems to be there to fill a gap. "Silent Wars" is an example of what I mean here. This song has in my opinion an unimaginative opening, and an unoriginal riff during the verses. However, it possesses an excellent bridge section and solo breaks. So songs on their own are very varied.

Those "gems" I mentioned are in the form of "We Will Rise", "Dead eyes see no future" and "Dehumanization". "Marching on a dead end road" is also a very nice short instrumental. "We will Rise" is definately the strongest song on the album for me. It is a relatively slow song, with nice subtle keyboard touches and excellent verses.

Overall, a very good album, musically excellent with some uninspired stretches, which flaw the album in places.