A new branch for Arch Enemy’s legacy.
Two and a half years after their last opus, Michael Amott (guitar, Black Earth, Spiritual Beggars, ex-Carcass, ex-Candlemass), Daniel Erlandsson (drums, Black Earth, ex-Brujeria, ex-Carcass, ex-Eucharist), Sharlee D’Angelo (bass, Black Earth, Spiritual Beggars, The Night Flight Orchestra, ex-Mercyful Fate, ex-Witchery), Alissa White-Gluz (vocals, ex-The Agonist) and new recruit Joey Concepcion (guitar, ex-Armageddon, ex-Sanctuary, ex-The Absence) unveil their thirteenth album, Blood Dynasty.
The band kicks off with the majestic intro to Dream Stealer, which quickly turns into a fury, as much for the frantic riffs as for Alissa‘s roars, which are as aggressive during the verses as they are unifying during the choruses. The solo barely calms the atmosphere, which becomes heavier on Illuminate the Path, returning to Metalcore influences and intense clean vocals at selected moments, offsetting the track’s rage and darkness. Eventually, the sound fades before March of the Miscreants returns to jerky vindictive martial tones borrowed from the band’s Old School roots, but the break calms things down before the solo and final explosion that leads into A Million Suns. This track is more diverse and accessible, followed by the wild Don’t Look Down, which kicks off at full speed and struggles to slow down, offering direct violence and cutting harmonics, as well as extremely effective choruses. The band takes a short break with Presage, a gentle interlude where we catch our breath, followed by Blood Dynasty, the eponymous composition where dissonant melodies and motivating rhythms mingle under the singer’s vociferations. Paper Tiger comes next with its obvious Heavy Metal touches, on which the musicians play to give it almost joyful tones to contrast with the growls, then we can breathe again with the introduction of Vivre Libre, a cover of Blasphème sung in French over an airy instrumental. I’ll be honest, I’d probably expected anything but this from Arch Enemy, but the band clearly find their feet here, daring the ballad and only returning to violence with The Pendulum, where the riffs become sharper and the leads more piercing. The happy touch persists, however, before becoming melancholy again at the start of Liars & Thieves, then more chaotic with Thrash influences, more brutal with the break, and finally more melodic in the closing moments.
While the first half of Blood Dynasty remains in Arch Enemy‘s logical sound evolution, die-hard fans will be just as surprised as I was by the Swedes’ assertive Heavy Metal turn! But the album remains masterful from start to finish.
70/100