adg211288 Arch Enemy, in my opinion, were lacking something in their two previous full-length efforts, Anthems of Rebellion and Doomsday Machine, more so on the latter which was decidedly average. They were lacking that something special that makes an album a classic, despite their near flawless performance on both a vocal and musical ability front. No, it was the song writing that was letting them down on Doomsday Machine in particular. But that is all in the past because this time their exceptional playing skills has been coupled with some of the best songs that they have ever produced.

After Doomsday Machine I was wary about Rise of the Tyrant but I really needn’t have been, I was hooked as soon as I heard opener Blood on Your Hands, a song that is both a highlight of Rise of the Tyrant, and of Arch Enemy’s entire career. It’s easily better than anything that appeared on Doomsday Machine, and the majority of Anthems of Rebellion. The same may also be said of The Last Enemy, I Will Live Again, In This Shallow Grave, Revolution Begins, Rise of the Tyrant, The Great Darkness and Vultures. Well in my opinion every track on here at least beats those heard on Doomsday Machine. The best songs from Anthems of Rebellion are the equal of the weakest of those from Rise of the Tyrant (Silent Wars, Dead Eyes See No Future, Dehumanization). The weakest song from this album I’d say is Night Falls Fast, but with an album of this sort of quality the word ‘weak’ isn’t appropriate, but for want of a better word...

There is a significant change in Arch Enemy’s sound since Doomsday Machine. They still play melodic death metal but they are altogether sounding much more brutal while keeping the technical parts of their sound intact. Like previous offerings Rise of the Tyrant would work as an instrumental metal record because of the great guitar work from Mike and Chris Amott. They don’t just play amazingly fast lead guitar solos but they also know how to thrash out a good riff and to play some beautiful acoustics. Even if they hadn’t already proved themselves to be guitar gods, Rise of the Tyrant has enough strengths to do it for them, and fans of technical playing should also find something to really enjoy here.

Vocal wise Angela Gossow puts on an outstanding performance as always. I actually think that she has improved on Rise of the Tyrant, as have the rest of the band, not just with their playing skills, but with their writing too. This is a cracking album, and more than that, I firmly believe this to be their effort best to date.

(Review originally written for Heavy Metal Haven)