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The problems between Arch Enemy and Century Media (whatever they were) seem to be solved since the fans in the good ol' USA finally have a date for the domestic release of the new disc "Wages of Sin" (April 2nd to be precise). The domestic release will be a double CD with eight bonus tracks, two videos and a 20-page color booklet with extensive liner notes by Michael Amott so the wait may not have been so bad. The promo I received only had one bonus track (Lament of a Mortal Soul) and one video (Ravenous) but the album itself is good enough until I can get my greedy hands on the double disc.

This is the first album with new vocalist Angela Gassow and for those of you who might think Arch Enemy may have lost some of their aggressiveness hiring a female vocalist to front the band you better think again. The vocals provided by Angela are not only furious feral growls that would put most of her contemporaries in their place but the ease and the comfort in which she delivers them in is even more noteworthy. You definitely get the impression that she is very comfortable in her role as vocalist to one of the premier metal acts on the planet. The music is a bit more varied then on other releases with more hooks and of course killer guitar work from the Amott brothers. Simply awesome riffs and melody lines abound with all the complexity you have come to expect from the band. The sound is still melodic death metal but there seems to be more thrash influences thrown in which really adds another dimension to the sound as well as a little more depth.

To say that Arch Enemy is just another Gothenburg melodic death metal band would certainly be ill advised since in my opinion with their last effort and especially this new one they have reached the elite ranks within the scene along with Dark Tranquility and In Flames. Any fan of melodic death metal will love this album and with all the extras thrown in for the domestic release even you poor bastards like me that spent the money for the import will be interested enough to shell out the dough for it as well…:). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Additional Information

- North American edition on Century Media reviewed