Band:	Arch Enemy
Album:	War Eternal
Style:	Gothenburg metal
Release date:	June 09, 2014
A review by:	Ag Fox

Disc I
01. Tempore Nihil Sanat (Prelude In F Minor)
02. Never Forgive, Never Forget
03. War Eternal
04. As The Pages Burn
05. No More Regrets
06. You Will Know My Name
07. Graveyard Of Dreams
08. Stolen Life
09. Time Is Black
10. On And On
11. Avalanche
12. Down To Nothing
13. Not Long For This World
14. Shadow On The Wall [Mike Oldfield cover] [bonus]
15. Breaking The Law [Judas Priest cover] [Japanese bonus]

Disc II [Seeds Of War - The Demos]
01. Never Forgive, Never Forget [demo]
02. No More Regrets [demo]
03. You Will Know My Name [demo]
04. On And On [demo]
05. As The Pages Turn [demo]

Disc III [Instrumental]
01. Never Forgive, Never Forget [instrumental version]
02. War Eternal [instrumental version]
03. As The Pages Burn [instrumental version]
04. No More Regrets [instrumental version]
05. You Will Know My Name [instrumental version]
06. Stolen Life [instrumental version]
07. Time Is Black [instrumental version]
08. On And On [instrumental version]
09. Avalanche [instrumental version]
10. Down To Nothing [instrumental version]

Ah? Arch Enemy - the love-it or hate-it band since having a female vocalist who growls. Regardless, most casual listeners of the band would agree that Khaos Legions was one of those forgettable releases that they won't mind putting behind.

Now that Angela Gossow has retreated to the side lines, the band has a chance to start afresh with Alissa White-Gluz. Personally, I usually had no problem with the vocals of Angela, and Alissa sounds like the perfect replacement. Instead, what matters is that the overall aggression and energy is back, so either the band has listened to its critics or Alissa has reinvigorated the sound of the band. The melodies and riffs sound less stale, the cascading solos are quite impressive and the music in general is definitely more head-bangable.

Here's the problem though. Khaos Legions was such a low point for the band that it's not hard to top it, so it's only natural for War Eternal to be relatively superior in almost every category. Furthermore, one should take into account that expectations had been lowered so much, so meeting or even exceeding them is not such a difficult task. Despite the album on the whole is inoffensive and even pretty good at some points, it's not something I would recommend to those who want to get into Arch Enemy, or just those wanting some great Gothenburg / melodic death / extreme power metal.

The light at the end of the tunnel is that it really does seem that the band has gotten out of that tunnel that they've dug themselves into, and it's nice to see them foray into some previously unexplored territory with some symphonic sprinkles here and there. Is it time for Arch Enemy to change their sound? I'd imagine the fan-base would be rather divided if the band continues to expand into that direction. Ultimately, I'm fine with either option, and it's just a matter of how well they are executed that matters. In the case of War Eternal, the song-writing still leaves the listener wanting more, specifically in terms of being memorable. As mentioned earlier, the band feels energised again, but in most cases, raw energy and conviction is not enough. While one can compose brutal songs and come up with the most blistering riffs, the defining factor here is not being able to be vicious with a lasting impression.