ARCH ENEMY
“WILL TO POWER”
Album Review By Barry Vest Sr
9/10
Three years and we finally have a follow-up to the amazing War Eternal. Accessible by the way of cleaner lyrics and well balanced with enough growls from Gluz to get that signature sound. Lest we forget Amott and Erlandsson whom are the longest running and the producers as well; unto which, completes that signature sound. I must say that if you are a fan you won’t be disappointed; however, it should be said that this is not for everyone. If you’re a death metal fan for instance then move on. Nevertheless, the album is powerful and a reflection of the book by the same name by Nietzsche who says, “My idea is that every specific body strives to become master over all space and to extend its force (–its will to power:) and to thrust back all that resists its extension. But it continually encounters similar efforts on the part of other bodies and ends by coming to an arrangement (“union”) with those of them that are sufficiently related to it: thus, they then conspire together for power. And the process goes on–.” What better a way to sum up metal as a whole and so we begin our journey into Will To Power, the 10th studio album by Arch Enemy.
Out of the Gates we have a short instrumental in which you hear the police rolling in and the band winding up and getting you prepared for the onslaught. Then we are off to The Race and it starts out up in your face with ferocity. Gluz opens with her guttural grit and the melodies along with the brutal drums that are reminiscent of Arch back in the day. The bassist Sharlee D’ Angelo just rips the shit out of this opener and pares with drummer Erlandsson like a sonic powerhouse of drive and determination.
Next up is Blood in the Water and it takes its time ramping up and bringing in the instruments along with Alissa into a sonic offering of great guitar work and cleaner growls than I’ve heard before. The solos in this song are amazing and lend themselves well to the overall melody and balance out the dirty grit of Alissa.
Has the world ever made you feel like a slave? Arch Enemy thinks it’s a load of shit and in The World Is Yours they enter their take on the situation at hand in every civilization. Powers that be pushing down on the less fortunate and the animosity contrived from it. The true power of a rising nation, much like that of the Metal Army I feed into and to which we can stand behind is highlighted within. The riffs and sonic fury are met with double bass in your face and Alissa giving it her all. Sick solo in the front of this song and an anthem we can all get behind as powerful lyrics send the message hard. During the lyrics, “There was only so much- You could tolerate- When the bough breaks, the empire will fall” the power in the instrumental section just consumes you despite the fact it’s just before a piano section that gives your neck a moment of respite. Although a short respite it leads you into a musically poetic ending, as if all is suddenly right with the world.
A slow starting song with the sounds of water filling my ears with a lone guitar cresting the waves and then silence… However, only for a moment as Arch Enemy swoops in with The Eagle Flies Alone, an immediate power chord and killer groove gives way to the signature growl. Gritty and definitive, Alissa throws in some serious lyrics that speak to millions of people tired of the systems that be. A power metal anthem in the vein of Alissa and company. The guitar solo is reminiscent of the hair metal days when the solo stood out in the spotlight and ripped us all a new one. Alissa proves that a metal growl can be a harmony as well in the chorus. A single piano note rolls us out of the song.
Now halfway through this album we find a strange oddity. A ballad amidst the chaos? WTF? Well this is new and I’m not sure what to think. Edgy and in rare form Alissa lets down her guard and we hear her clean as never before. I must say it’s a twist and I need to know more back story here. Upon my research, I stumbled across a sample of Alissa’s range that defies gravity (Swan Lake a Capella) that lends a sense of why there is a ballad here. Even in a setting as critical as Metal can be, sometimes you just need to stretch your reach to improve. Not that Alissa needs to prove anything to us, as Angela Gossow herself picked Alissa as her successor. As the father of a Choral Major in high school I must admit that it’s never just the music I want to hear. Sometimes it’s all about the instrument someone is born with, their voice. The voice can be haunting and more memorable than any blast beat or riff given the chance to do so. Moreover, this song takes another stab at getting a point across. As many of us metalheads can attest, the reason we gravitated to the genre in the first place is because metalheads are a family. A family of outcasts and downtrodden that need an outlet for their anger and betrayal from the world. Many have shitty home lives with many reasons to want to kill themselves. Here Arch puts out a hand and says, “Hey! There’s a reason to believe again.” So, to the haters of this power ballad I implore you to take a different approach to how you listen to this song and take it at face value instead of deeming it an outcast and that it doesn’t belong here.
Now we come across a Murder Scene and this is where Arch Enemy puts the Metal back in face. With concise lyrics and blistering solos this tempo is infectious and makes the song feel shorter than it really is. Although it’s not my favorite it is still a solid entry and checks a lot of boxes. First Day in Hell starts as ominous as you would expect with an industrial feel of foreboding and despair. Guitars start to assault your ears with killer sounds and soon the growls start like a banshee cruising hell. Crushing riffs and powerful double bass with awesome runs and a serious backbone. Melodic at times and always returning to the power with a perfectly timed caesura followed by the bellows of Gluz make for a powerful mental picture and pretense. Saturnine gives us a 1 minute or so break of simple melancholy tones before the back half of the album starts.
Dreams of Retribution starts with a piece of music played by Loomis, I think, overlaid by a tempered choir and in no way, sets the stage for what’s coming. At :32 seconds things switch to blazing guitar work a barrage of Arch Enemy sound mixed with a little symphonic metal elements mixed in. A powerful piece of musical showmanship in the solos and intricate guitarwork from all. I thoroughly enjoy this track and celebrate its diversity. Bringing back the choir at the end ties up the song in a nice neat package of torture, vengeance, and the haunting idea that she’s coming for you…
My Shadow and I is gritty and has a fast tempo out of the gate. Like a bull breaking the gate, you are thrown straight in. Taking you straight to hell Alissa shows you the way. An angry intensity is felt the entire way through. As the album winds down we have one last track and it starts as an epic of over six minutes would. A slow roll into a heavy piece that begs for the volume to get cranked. Time changes and monster riffs give this last track a punch in the gut. A large presence to the music is heard as though the sound stage opens up on my headphones magically. Oh, the bass work on this song is just buttery smooth and infects my soul. The back half of this song just utterly kicks ass and takes names. I’m loving this layering of juxtaposition and the falloff to the cello laden symphonic ending.
Arch Enemy has always stood out to me by way of the unearthly growls coming from the front women ever since founding vocalist Johan Liiva was fired. Gossow really pushed Arch Enemy forward in my opinion and her decision to replace herself came as a shock in the beginning. Then I heard War Eternal and realized why it was done. Alissa has pushed the band forward again and has brought with her years of experience that has paid off in droves. Keeping with Arch Enemy’s theme this album makes you feel empowered and lets you pump your fist at the world. A big finger in the air to “The Man” and a curb stomp to those who oppose you.
TRACKLIST
Set Flame To The Night
The Race
Blood In The Water
The World Is Yours
The Eagle Flies Alone
Reason To Believe
Murder Scene
First Day In Hell
Saturnine
Dreams Of Retribution
My Shadow And I
A Fight I Must Win
ARCH ENEMY
Alissa White-Gluz – Vocals
Michael Amott – Lead Guitar
Jeff Loomis – Lead Guitar
Sharlee D’Angelo – Bass
Daniel Erlandsson – Drums
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