Arch Enemy explodes with their latest album Anthems of Rebellion. The CD has entered Billboard's Heatseekers Chart at No. 26, making it the most purchased album only one week after release in the history of Century Media Records. But that’s not all. Pictures of Arch Enemy are appearing in numerous places, such as the cover of Terrorizer and Metal Maniacs, and their music is being played everywhere. I even heard it blaring out the speakers during the intermission at the Motorhead/Dio/Iron Maiden tour I recently attended (which was fantastic by the way). Kerrang! gave the new album 5 out of 5 Ks. It has also been the #1 album on the CMJ Loud Rock charts for two weeks in a row. Japan has become a great place for Metal heads, and they have shown dedicated and very moving support for the Sweden-based band. In Greece, the album Charted #1 and they’re blowing away bands everywhere as they continue to push forward their particular expression of aggressive melodic death metal. A European tour with Nevermore is off in mid-September, and following that they hit the road with Slayer and Hatebreed in the U.S., showing once again that they are far removed from sub-par bands whose musical integrity is in question.

Anthems of Rebellion is a very interesting album to say the least, especially for those of us who have been ravenously in support of Arch Enemy from their previous album Wages of Sin (the band’s fourth album which also heralded the appearance of their new singer, Angela Gossow). Though overall, the Anthems album has been given very vocal support by the majority of fans, there have been some criticisms, and perhaps some confusion.

For those who were following very closely the development of the new album, its strong, clear direction came as no surprise. In the early stages of its creation process, the band had informed fans that the new album was not going to be as elaborate as Wages of Sin, but instead was going to be more straight-forward and heavy.

The album itself is indeed very heavy. The definition of “heavy” however is what people need to consider very carefully. Both Wages and Anthems are very heavy melodic death metal albums in the finest sense. However, both records approach heaviness with a somewhat different take on the subject. Whereas Wages came across as an elaborate album with a lot of hooks, catchiness and complex structures, it seems this new CD has more drive, more speed, and more of a simpler take on heaviness. Yet, there are also a few modern experiments here and there that support Arch Enemy’s strive for fresh relevancy; some of which may not be to everyone’s tastes. So where some people find heaviness residing primarily in the thundering hooks and rhythms of the last album, others may find heaviness lurking in the more pulsating, driving, modern sounds of Anthems. Such differences, though all within the particularly definitive style that Arch Enemy has worked so hard to develop, may be a factor in why even some die-hard fans don’t see eye to eye in certain instances regarding Anthems.

Honestly, the two albums really do compliment each other nicely and make for an incredible mix when seeing the band live. Hard work, dedicated musicianship, and seasoned experience constantly shine through Arch Enemy’s crushing performance: both live and on record. The band’s trademark practice of using twin leads and guitar solos within a death metal context remains stunning. They continue to redefine the limits of extreme with their own particular take on dark melodic death metal. Anthems is aggressive, tight, and exceptional and Angela can growl with the best of any death metal frontman, and better than most in my opinion.

As for some inventible criticisms, a few of the recent remarks thrown at the band are not intelligent at all, but are merely emotional and prejudiced based, often centering on some twisted contempt for a female vocalist. More than just musical criticism, Arch Enemy occasionally deals with the oddball idiot who launches an ignorant spewing of insults at Angela’s private life, her private relationship with her fiancée (guitarist Michael Amott), her private life on tour, life on the bus, etc. But guess what people? It’s PRIVATE. Arch Enemy does not make a big deal out of private matters and neither should these few classless losers. Some people have reasonably questioned the reasons for Angela being brought on board, but then proceeded to launch accusations. If they would just shut up and do a little research online they would find out that there is nothing real abnormal about her presence in the band. Actually Mike Amott was even against the idea of having Angela in the band at first; he thought it would be way too weird and awkward. But I guess some people don't see the difference between a band that has an attractive woman taking the lead in a professional manner and one that just has no skills and no sense of self-being. What I said in a previous review of the first appearance of Arch Enemy on the west coast held at the World Famous Troubadour in Hollywood, CA. still applies -

“…never once did I see her rely on her looks or even do anything sexual. Her concentration poured into the music and she worked her strength and power through it. Anyone who thinks the show, or Angela, was about anything else other than extreme music doesn’t have the slightest clue. Honestly, the whole band could be considered rather good-looking. But I don’t think that comes into play much, if any, here. The only thing I think is worth notice is expressed in a joke I saw online somewhere about Arch Enemy’s new singer. A picture of Angela’s face was accompanied by a headline that exclaimed “Michael Amott Leaves Studio Toilet Seat Up For Last Time”! ”

These are defining times for Arch Enemy. It’s my hope that in the future they will take the best of both worlds, elements of both Wages and of Anthems, and fuse them together elaborately throughout the rest of their career. Long may they kick ass.