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September 3, 2010 |
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ARCH ENEMY - Dead Eyes See No Future EP
Century Media (2004) |
9.5/10 |
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01. Dead Eyes See No Future
02. Burning Angel (Live)
03. We Will Rise (Live)
04. Heart Of Darkness (Live)
05. Symphony Of Destruction (MEGADETH Cover)
06. Kill With Power (MANOWAR Cover)
07. Incarnated Solvent Abuse (CARCASS Cover)
- We Will Rise (Enhanced Video Clip)
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ARCH ENEMY are standing tight at the helm of metal's elite. In the last three years, they have earned heightened recognition in the international scene, and for good reason. Jaws dropped to the ground when the band unleashed their colossal "Wages Of Sin" (an album I personally proclaim to be one of the highest-ranking metal releases in history), the first to feature new German vocalist, Angela Gossow. Heads turned again upon the release of their critically acclaimed follow-up, "Anthems Of Rebellion", in 2003. Not surprisingly, both albums still continue to do well long after their original release dates. Fortunately, Century Media did not make us wait too long to deliver the band's new EP, "Dead Eyes See No Future". I certainly hope the label have produced a mass amount of copies for distribution though because they're going to need them, trust me!
The "Dead Eyes See No Future" EP is as essential to the avid ARCH ENEMY fan as water is to life. It's jam-packed with lots of goodies to tide you over until the band offer up their next metal masterpiece. It includes the title track, three exclusive high-quality recorded live tracks, three cover versions of some classic metal songs, the enhanced video for "We Will Rise", PLUS a full-color 12-page booklet featuring live photos. The title track, "Dead Eyes See No Future" (taken from "Anthems Of Rebellion") kicks it off like a loaded gun, followed by three non-stop live tracks that were recorded in Paris during the band's 2004 tour. "Burning Angel" (from "Wages Of Sin") has a great double-axe intro by the Amott brothers and some fierce vocals by growler Angela Gossow.
The band then march forward with "We Will Rise" (from "Anthems Of Rebellion") and "Heart Of Darkness" (from "Wages Of Sin") in perfect form. I am pleasantly surprised at how excellent these tracks sound - very crisp output and none of those annoying echoes you sometimes hear on other live material.
ARCH ENEMY also do a tremendous job of reproducing three classic metal songs. I like to call this the new school paying homage to the old school, as it were, and believe me, the results are so good it's frightening! First up is a KILLER version of MEGADETH's "Symphony Of Destruction" from "Countdown To Extinction". The dark, raw-sounding guitar distortion gives the song an immediate two horns up, but it gets even better when Angela starts growling. The vocals are enhanced with an almost "water gargling" effect, producing an extremely infectious sound that will send shivers down your spine. This is a definite standout on the EP. Next is a very speedy version of MANOWAR's "Kill With Power", taken from that band's classic "Hail To England" album. Again, the band rips through the song like a locomotive and man does Angela do a superb job of executing the vocals in this one.
She screams out the chorus line "Kill With Power - Die! Die!" with so much rage and authority, it would scare the hell out of the Grim Reaper! I should also mention the blistering guitar solo here - vintage Amott-style at its very best. Cover track #3 is CARCASS' "Incarnated Solvent Abuse", and seeing as guitarist Michael Amott was once a part of that band back in the early '90s, it was only appropriate that ARCH ENEMY do some good. Like the original, speed drives this song from start to finish - scorching fast riffs, double-kick, and bass, courtesy of Amott x 2, D'Angelo, and Erlandsson. Once again, Gossow's fiendish growling literally makes the hair stand on the back of your neck. Last but not least, we have the enhanced video for "We Will Rise", so if you have not seen it yet, here is your grand opportunity to watch it as many times as you want.
ARCH ENEMY's contributions to metal must not be overlooked, and this EP is yet another prime example of why they are at the head of the class. The band have not strayed from their extreme brand of melodic death metal that made them a household name, and if this trend continues, they will be riding the waves of success for a very long time to come. Dead eyes may see no visible future, but MY eyes see ARCH ENEMY's future, and it looks pretty damn good from where I'm standing.
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