Review of Arch Enemy - Wages of Sin

When I first heard that Arch Enemy was replacing Johan Liiva with a female vocalist, my first reaction was "career suicide". I mean lets face it how many chick singers are there in metal that can deliver the death growls and gargles that a top notch metal band deserves? Upon my first listening of Wages of Sin that theory was completely thrown out the window. Angela Gossow delivers a vocal tirade that rivals any male vocalist out there. This was definitely an enjoyable case of being proven wrong. All right, onto the infamous Amott brothers. Once again their lead performance is absolutely flawless. Proven schooled guitar players indeed. I do however have a few qualms about some of their rhythm arrangements. Most notably the ones that go from a bone crushing riff to an almost happy sounding one. Now I am not saying they sound like fucking Partridge Family kind of happy but a definite change of atmosphere does occur. I do not in any way want to give you the impression that this album is weak, because the overall of Wages of Sin is crushing, at times untouchable even. It is unarguably their best performance to date. Daniel Erlandsson's brutal attack on the drums is some of the best I have heard, only to be complemented by Sharlee D' Angelo's bass playing. There are just elements that seem lacking in a few places. Bottom Line: Your collection does deserve this one!

"Did you see the news on the net today?" "What was that?" "Arch Enemy is going to have a chick singing on the new one." "You've got to be kidding me." No, I'm not kidding you and let me tell you Angela Gossow rules that microphone. One of the best vocal performances of 2001. Was I surprised? Hell yeah! Had I been doubtful? You're damn right. And then I was put in my place and you know what? I felt relieved and now I'm here to express my deepest apologies. Now on with the rest of my review. It's hard to believe that this is the same band that put out the album Black Earth back in 1996; they have come a long, long way. The songwriting on this album starts where Burning Bridges left off. With, in my opinion, a much stronger effort to write more complete songs. And with Daniel Erlandsson on drums there are some explosive sections on Wages Of Sin that will make any drummer in the business applaud. I just threw in that first album not too long ago and I had forgotten all about the fact that Johan Liiva had played bass and produced his highly respected growls. Three albums later, with Sharlee D'Angelo on bass forcing his second effort with the band down our throats, he has definitely shown his talent here and at the same time become a strong force in the rhythm section of Arch Enemy. As far as the guitar playing goes, it is without a doubt the best I've heard coming from Michael and Christopher. The rhythm playing is powerful and comes across very effectively thanks to this masterfully produced effort. Going from an all out rip your heart from your chest riff one moment to catchy chorus sections the next to keep the listener highly entertained. Some have thought the "catchy parts" as being soft. I strongly disagree and will leave it at that. In a time in metal when not all bands find it necessary to play leads, look no further than the Amott brothers to deal you your much needed fix. Their all around playing gets better with each release; the proof lies on this album. Wages Of Sin is a true masterpiece and deserves to be in your listening rotation. Favorite Track: The First Deadly Sin

Release Details

Arch Enemy

Wages of Sin

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