Tracklist:                     
01 - Tear Down The Walls
02 - Silent Wars
03 - We Will Rise
04 - Dead Eyes See No Future
05 - Instinct
06 - Leader Of The Rats
07 - Exist To Exit
08 - Marching On A Dead End Road
09 - Despicable Heroes
10 - End Of The Line
11 - Dehumanization
12 - Anthem
13 - Saints And Sinners


Bandmembers:          
Angela Gossow - Vocals
Michael Arnott - Guitars
Christopher Arnott - Guitars
Sharlee DiAngelo - Bass
Daniel Erlandsson - Drums


Websites:                    
www.archenemy.net
www.centurymedia.com

[more]

Swedish death metallers Arch Enemy return with a savage new album. Since their very strong debut in 1996, this band has done nothing but get better with each release. This is their fifth album, their second with Angela Gossow on vocals, and she certainly isn't suffering a sophomore slump. I feel she has really come into her own now. No longer just a replacement for original vocalist Johan Liiva. This is truly her band to lead now, and lead she does. With a voice that sounds like it's coming straight from the lungs of a demon at times, backed by music that's melodic, complex and just fucking fast, Arch Enemy have fashioned yet another fine album.

It all kicks off with a short intro "Tear Down The Walls" then speeds straight into "Silent Wars" and the fun begins. Machine gun guitars and drums hit with the force of a sack of bricks, now they've got you where they want you. You shake it off and try to figure out where that came from, and just then, the lovely Angela dropkicks you into submission with her delightfully intense vocals.. By now you're loving this sonic attack on your senses, and praying it continues. And the best thing is... it does. There isn't a letdown in this album. It keeps on with the same furious pace, (with the exception of 2 short melodic tracks "Marching On A Dead End Road" and "Anthem") but they change things up enough to keep it highly interesting. On track 5 "Instinct" they even play around a bit with down-tuned guitars... And for some reason, I can't get enough of it. I find myself replaying it over and over. Further proof of how good Arch Enemy is at what they do.  They take a generally overused technique (down-tuning) and turn it into a really interesting departure from their norm. I enjoy the afore mentioned melodic songs too. They fit well. Acting as sort of a breather, but not bogging things down and causing you to lose interest.

Quite the opposite in fact, they make you sit up and take notice. So not only is it giving you a little time to recover, it's also re-focusing you at the same time. Cheers once again to Arch Enemy for being so damn good.

There's not a weak point to be found in this album. Definitely one of the best releases of 2003. In my opinion "Anthems of Rebellion" is quite a bit better than their previous album "Wages of Sin" which was by no means a weak effort. This one is just so well thought out and complete. The guitar work is top-notch, as are the drums, and Angela's voice is just bone crunching. There are Make death metal singers who don't have nearly the ability she has. She gives me the chills, and I fucking love it.

And now boys and girls, Justin will give his honest summary of the album: IT KICKS ASS!!! I can't stop listening to it, and if you appreciate good music, you won't be able to either. Now Justin will give you some knowledgeable advice: BUY THIS ALBUM! If you don't have money... tell a friend it's your Birthday and you would really appreciate it if they bought you this album.. Whatever it takes to get your hands on it, get it. This is no run-of-the-mill "yeah it's not too bad, I'll pick it up sometime" release. This is Metal at it's finest. Let's hope Arch Enemy keeps on reaching for new heights and scaling them with the ease that they have so far.

95/100
 Justin