“Khaos Legions” is the much anticipated eighth album from Melodic Death Metal giants Arch Enemy. From the band member’s interview burblings, the “Khaos” referred to is not the Michael Moorcock / Games Workshop version (Arch Enemy don’t do “concept”). Instead it refers to the fact that they have mixed things up musically compared to 2008’s more straightforward “Rise of the Tyrant”. They also promise “plenty of surprises along the way”.
It all starts promisingly enough. Rippling twin lead from the Amott brothers, along with some pronouncements about the notorious “Khaos” legions builds tension and gets the pulse racing. It is all surprisingly Judas Priest. However, unlike ”Nostradamus” which proved a conceptual overload, “Khaos Legions” frustrates for the opposite reason, as Arch Enemy choose not to continue a promising direction. The same sense of missed opportunity pervades much of the album.
There is plenty of “Khaos” going on, but it is all in the guitar department. The twin lead attack shreds, shrieks, shrills and shimmies, with clever darting runs, cunning time changes and unexpected sallies. The songwriting has sharpened considerably since “Rise of the Tyrant” and the best moments are tantalizing, masterful forays into the world of traditional Metal. Unfortunately, while the Amott brothers have little difficulty transcending these boundaries, nothing in Hell will take Angela Gossow with them.
This might seem on harsh on La Gossow. The world’s leading female exponent of the death grunt’s flowing locks and rippling abs have long been worth the column inches (hem hem) devoted to her, and she is the worthy catalyst of Arch Enemy’s success. On “Khaos Legions” when a really good death grunt is needed, up stands Gossow like Hecate incarnate. However, in other places the guitars build and build to produce airy Metal sky palaces; riffs of ephemeral, ethereal beauty. Then clumsy goes and grunts all over it. It may be time to abandon the myth that she is a mezzo-soprano.
There is still plenty to get excited about. After the exhilarating introduction, Arch Enemy bash through not one, but three superb Metal anthems. “Blood-Stained Cross” is a pseudo-power ballad featuring sumptuous playing from the Amott brothers, and a pleasantly silly classical guitar break. “Under Black Flags We March” sounds like ‘Priest’s “Metal Gods” stitched on to an excellent Iron Maiden-ish chorus. “No Gods, No Masters” maintains that insistent 1980s feel and boasts the third catchy chorus in a row. Before being derailed by a spurious heavy bit, it comes across like a Death Metal Skid Row. It is perfect sing-along stuff –if you can grunt like a good ‘un.
After “No Gods No Masters” things slide noticeably. “City of the Dead” starts with a haunting muezzin but blows it with predictable super-fast riffing. “Through the Eyes of a Raven” is badged Arch Enemy’s most “progressive” song in years. Inevitably it blunders around like Mastodon at their most tiresome, switching through an approximation of Cradle of Filth to a preposterous classical guitar bit - not their finest hour. “Cruelty Without Beauty” sounds uncomfortably Dethklok-ish (Arch Enemy voice characters in “Metalocalypse”), before being saved by the Amott brothers.
The rest of the album heads into the safer, heavier territory where Gossow is comfortable. She spits venom on the slow anarchic grind of “Cult of Chaos”, and breathes fire on “Thorns in my Flesh”, shrieking across rippling twin guitars, held taut by finely wrought drum and bass. When the vocals lose their way in the chorus, all is again saved by thrilling guitar work. “Vengeance is Mine” races along like In Flames, producing another fine chorus and even more fabulous guitar. Final track “Secrets” starts with a big introduction creepily reminiscent of Europe, follows up with some out of place classical meanderings and then heads back into Dethklok territory. It somehow ends up with what sounds like the riff from Ozzy’s “Zombie Stomp”.
On “Khaos Legions” Arch Enemy sound frustrated and in search of a direction. As promised, the album produces surprises, and fans of the Amott brothers have so much to enjoy that picking stand-out moments would take all day. “Blood-Stained Cross”, “Under Black Flags We March” and “No Gods No Masters” will be live favourites for years to come.
Yet it seems unlikely that the band is satisfied. Andy Sneap mastered this album, which may be an indication what Arch Enemy hoped to achieve. Sneap produced Megadeth’s “Endgame”, and “Khaos Legions” is similarly frantic, similarly brimming with energy and ideas and occasionally reminiscent of Dave Mustaine’s latest effort - but ultimately to less effect. Angela Gossow’s vocals, awe-inspiring in their element, probably aren’t versatile enough for this kind of adventure. Expect a crushingly heavy “return to their roots” for the next one.
http://www.archenemy.net
Graham Cushway
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