Doomsday Machine

Doomsday Machine is a record on which ARCH ENEMY layered thick-chiseled guitars, flowing leads and Angela Gossow’s fierce roar, greatly raising the craft of modern melodic death metal. Even in aggressive songs the melody stays clear, and the guitar phrases create strong memory. Machine-precise rhythm and hot solos intersect, generating coldness and elation at once. On “Nemesis,” “My Apocalypse,” “Taking Back My Soul” and “Enter The Machine,” a steel-like control and weeping melody coexist at a high level. The Amott brothers’ twin guitars combine technique and lyricism, adding vivid color to each song. A song like “I AM Legend/Out For Blood” includes dramatic development. Stamping ARCH ENEMY’s modern craft, it is a robust record representative of the Gossow era and an important work that further solidified the band’s international standing.