CoC : Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges : Review

Arch Enemy - _Burning Bridges_
(Century Media, 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (9.5 out of 10)

With this latest offering, Arch Enemy have at last succeeded in creating the album I'd always hoped they would. _Black Earth_ stated the band's commitment to brutality while also displaying their ability and desire to add melodic, emotional, and ultimately "softer" elements to their visibly-but-not-derivatively Carcass-influenced, head-down-riffing style. On _Burning Bridges_ the potential of this dynamic combination has finally been realised. Where last effort _Stigmata_ was a little too ponderous and got lost in its own technicality at times, _BB_ finds the perfect balance between these two opposing forces. What lets down even albums by great melodic death bands like In Flames is that they sound a little too happy to top my list of favourites. Arch Enemy, though, have leads and guitar harmony parts which could put many of these bands to shame, but they retain that spark of sheer brutality which is a part of all my favourite death metal albums: the crushing riffs, the lethal drum assault and thundering bass and the brutal vocals. _BB_ is dark like a death metal album should be, but the use of melody in the guitar work push it limitlessly far above the level of a standard death metal release like _Gallery of Suicide_ or _Serpents of the Light_. Incredible blazing leads blister out of songs like "Dead Inside", while "Demonic Science" showcases an almost prog-rock sounding breakdown and "Silverwing"'s chorus section is in major chords. What I love most, though, is the way Arch Enemy slip between the two different feels. "Pilgrim" begins with a hugely melodic, very heavy metal, lead/harmony part, but when Johan Liiva's crushing vocals enter, so does a heavy, percussive, death metal sounding verse riff, then, when the chorus comes in, the two opposites are expertly combined together. "Angelclaw" follows a similarly brilliant dynamic pattern. It took me a while to get into _BB_ and realise how damn brilliant it is, so give it a chance, because Arch Enemy have gone out on a limb here and managed to pool their considerable talents and emerge with one of the year's best albums.

(article published 7/7/1999)

CHATS
3/30/2009	P Williams	Arch Enemy: Die Walküre
11/23/2003	J Smit	Arch Enemy: The Rebellion Is Rising
9/1/2002	P Schwarz	Arch Enemy: Receiving Payment For Crimes Against God
7/7/1999	P Schwarz	Arch Enemy: Arched Bridges Beware
9/1/1998	A Bromley	Arch Enemy: Unearthing the Demons Within

ALBUMS
11/21/2007	J Ulrey	7.5	Arch Enemy - Rise of the Tyrant
10/17/2005	J Smit	8	Arch Enemy - Doomsday Machine
11/29/2004	J Smit	5	Arch Enemy - Dead Eyes See No Future
8/22/2003	J Smit	8.5	Arch Enemy - Anthems of Rebellion
10/19/2001	C Flaaten	8.5	Arch Enemy - Wages of Sin
1/10/2001	P Schwarz	8.5	Arch Enemy - Burning Japan Live
7/8/1998	P Schwarz	8.5	Arch Enemy - Stigmata

GIGS
5/8/2009	P Williams	Motorhead / Arch Enemy / Opeth / Chimaira / August Burns Red / Nervecell / Hatred / Scarab	Dubai Desert Rock Festival 2009
6/11/2008	A Lineker	Opeth / Arch Enemy / Devildriver / 3 Inches of Blood	Before the Watershed
2/16/2004	A Lineker	Arch Enemy / Akercocke	Sad Eyes Question Future.
10/13/2003	P Schwarz	Arch Enemy / Nevermore	I'm Dreaming of a Neon Black Earth...
3/16/2003	A Lineker	Arch Enemy / Corporation 187 / Without Face	King Tut's Burning Angel Hut
3/5/2000	P Schwarz	Arch Enemy	London's Bridges Are Burning