If you want to hear the true Arch Enemy, buy the first 3 albums. Johan is so much better than Angela ever was. It seems like now all they care about is making money off they’re putrid re-recording of songs from the first 3 albums. The vibe is just not them, Angela totally ruins the melodic riffs. I can’t see why people envy her so much with her putrid vocals. The music lacks the energy it did of the first 3 albums.

The solos are not as good, the overall playing of the re-recording is just average. The melodic riffs are still there, but when Johan was with them, he seemed to make the music flow more. Maybe I’m just biased about them having a female vocalist. I don’t think so though. But the music and energy just isn’t there. The vocal effects from Angela are an example of how too much technology went into the playing of this compilation.

What I want to know is what ever happened to Christopher shining on his leads? The band as a whole just put on a sub-par release to eat away at your bank account. The riffs still have the feel of the old, just too much use of the technology into the recordings. Back in the day when technology was sub-par, it showed the bands having talent or not. This one seems to fade in the dust as the music is overusing the technological effects which makes it stale to me.

I’m really saddened by this decline in their ability to perform to where they were on the first 3 albums. Like I said before, maybe they’re just after your money and the music is secondary. I think that the reason Christopher left was because of this happening to the band and no longer wanting to play extreme metal anymore. It could be the decline on the whole efforts by the band themselves.

There really isn’t anything good to say about this release. Buy the first 3 albums and compare them to where they are now as a band. A lot of people dislike Johan and think that he’s just an average vocalist but hell, he made his voice fit the music the most. I’ll always feel this way about his time with the band. They made a mistake of kicking him out of the band. If he stayed with them, I’m sure that fans would be able to appreciate them more.

Alright, well this album is a great follow up from "Stigmata" (1998), but it lacks the heaviness of that their predecessor dishes out. Yes, it does this, but that doesn't make it a not so phenomenal release. Too many people, after they heard "Burning Bridges", gave it a lot of negative press and I heard a lot complaints. That would be such as the production not being thick enough, the leads were half-assed, and some guitar parts are just merely monotonous. The hell with that because there are some riffs on this release, especially the chorus of the song "Pilgrim", which makes my arm hair standup just to hear it.

I agree that there will be no more "Stigmata" for the band. But like releases because that one is almost impossible for them to ever duplicate. But they didn't give up like At The Gates did after "Slaughter of the Soul" (1995). Sit down and listen, Arch Enemy has tons of material on here I think you'll learn to respect over time. To those metal guitarists, they are in B-tuning on here. That makes the music sound heavier and more brutal. However, this album remains to pull off melodic riffs with Johan not drowing out the riffs. Michael Amott coached Johan through the release to this album. His vocals go hand in hand with the songs quite well.

Check out the songs "The Immortal", "Pilgrim", "Dead Inside" and "Silverwing." These, to me, are my personal favorite tracks. The later version of this release contains live songs, both new and old. The bonus CD features 17 tacks in all and runs for about 75 minutes in-length altogether. They are still able to pull off great the melodic riffs captured on their live songs. Definitely a good thing. 

A lot of the lyrics and sounds of it reveal dark depression some of us humans go throughout every day of our lives. To connect with that type of melancholy is great when you're really in that type of mood or maybe not? Nevertheless, "Burning Bridges" offers variety in songwriting style with no blast beating, but just great overall melodic death all the way through. They have a bonus track on here by Iron Maiden entitled "Aces High."

Johan Liiva, their previous vocalist, puts for I think his best vocal effort ever for Arch Enemy, making it that much easier to get into. Plus, it fits the music much better than say on the first Arch Enemy release entitled "Black Earth" (1996). The regular release of "Burning Bridges" isn't that track lengthy, but cherish every song because it will not let you down with just mediocre melodic death metal. Come on, this is Arch Enemy we are speaking of, they are giants within their own genre. Own it, now.

This melodic death metal quartet was formed in Sweden back in 1996. It features Jim Kjell on guitars/vocals, Niclas Engelin on guitars, Thim Blom on drums, and Hakan Skoger on bass. Additional guest musicians were done by Erik Hawk on clean vocals, female vocals by Sabrina Khilstrand and keyboards by Thomas Fredriksson. A strong release by the band and a good follow-up from their debut entitled "Two Feet Stand."

Gardenian's distorted guitar tuning was in C, which made the sound really heavy and thick. However, they do utilize clean riffs on "If Tomorrow's Gone" and some acoustic melodies on "Tell the World I'm Sorry." These are just a few examples of songs that were played in this fashion. There were more songs on this release that utilized variations like the tracks that I just mentioned.

The bass guitar was prominent on the song entitled "Powertool", but was just for the introductory riff. The rest of that song was accompanied by those heavy guitars. For most of the tracks on here, they were very catchy and original. The song "Small Electric Space" has clean vocals throughout the entire composition. It begins with keyboards, which segues into heavy guitars, then also has some clean tone measures.

The overall production was really well mixed and engineered. All of the vocal outputs, guitar riffs and drums were totally in sync. The guitars were the most appealing here, as well as the clean vocals by the guest musicians. In terms of the vocal arrangements, these were done by Patrik Jerksten. I would have to say he did a great job utilizing the heavy throat and mixing it with clean one. Both styles were well done and orchestrated. Lyrical themes deal with life, humanity and personal thoughts. 

In conclusion, I would have to say that this album was very unique and intriguing to listen to. It's a release that you can play repeatedly and never get sick of. It would be because there's so much variation here. Every instrument and vocal output was in order with one another. The arrangements by the band et al were also very well thought out. An album that every person who values melodic death metal should own. If you're not convinced, then check out the songs that I mentioned already first and foremost.

This legendary Swedish melodic death metal act needn't an introduction, especially since they're well established and have been for over 16 years. The lineup on this release features Johan Liiva on vocals, Michael Amott on guitars, Christopher Amott on guitars, Martin Bengtsson on bass, and Daniel Erlandsson on drums.

There is no intro just tremolo picked guitar riffs that give you the overall dark feel of the release. This album is filled with melodic overtures, B-tuned thick guitars, and Johan's distinctive low throat. The guitar riffs are entirely unique, imaginative, creative, melodic and quite memorable. This I believe to be the band's best output in their entire discography. It's too bad Johan isn't still on vocals.

The music is what's the most enduring. There's a combination of sweet distinct songs on this original sounding overall release. It features the band's unbelievably awesome writing capabilities. Songs such as "Beast of Man", "Dark of the Sun" and "Bridge of Destiny" feature such great catchy guitar bits. Christopher dominates on lead, while Michael overuses that wah-pedal. It would be ideal if Michael was solely on rhythm guitar.

Christopher is way more technical than his brother on lead, but Michael still has some good melodic solos that compliment the album. That chunky guitar is what is most admirable. The bass guitar was hard to hear. It was barely audible during the entire album. That is where I think is the weakest point is on the album. Everything else blends well in it's entirety. Nothing else lagging behind except the bass.

This is an album where you can't really get sick of because it's simply intoxicating, especially if you're a melodic death freak like me. The leads, rhythms, vocals, and drums are perfectly executed without much discretion. There is nothing not to like here since the melodies shine so well here. Without a doubt, "Stigmata" reigns in its' entirety and remains to be the most ideal melodic death metal release that Arch Enemy has ever put out!

Soilwork's overall melodic death outputs have been solid. Their last release that I heard before this one was "A Predator's Portrait." That remarkable album I think for me will remain their best. When I first listened to "The Panic Broadcast", I wasn't very impressed. However, on repeated listens, I've been able to appreciate it a lot more. It just took many spins to get into it. 

The guitars are tuned down a few steps and are mostly chunky mixed with melodic parts. "Speed", their vocalist, sings hoarse throat alongside the heavy rhythms, but meshes it with well the melodic parts. There are clean bits with the guitars and some keyboard action. The melodies were hard at first to get into. All of the rhythm guitar sections were solid and thick. They are catchier the more you listen to this. 

I was hoping that the riffs would be intriguing for me like they were on "A Predator's Portrait ". It did happen on here after about 5-6 listens to. The songs are about 4-5 minutes in length. All of the tracks were filled with constant wages of superiority. Again, rhythms were very well thought out, they didn't sound very bland. The chords feature that heavy/chunky guitar with melodic pieces that were quite memorable.

There were only a few leads by Sylvain throughout this album. They were pretty well orchestrated, but just not enough of them. The rhythms overpowered everything. As much as I tried to enjoy the music on here, it simply did take quite time as I previously mentioned. "Speed" got on my nerves at first and the guitars overall were filled with great melodic death superiority. I really got what I hoped for which was like their older more classic outputs. 

Another good thing that occurred here was the mixing. The guitars were well heard throughout, that is, the rhythms to be precise. However, I did have trouble hearing the bass guitar, it could've been louder. The drum bits were well orchestrated and the vocals were a little over the top, but not that bad. They kind of drowned out the guitar riffs but were dominating.

A long album featuring 10 tracks calculating at about 47 minutes long, these melodic death metalers really filled me vigilance. I'm urging that everyone into melodic death should purchase this. I've noted that throughout this release, the vocals were overpowering, the rhythm guitar blatantly worthy of praise and the overall worth did hit home with me. Best to purchase this ASAP if you want to hear dominating melodic death!

By far, Arch Enemy's first 3 releases in my opinion are their best. This is the only album by the band where I can tolerate Angela Gossow's vocal outputs. Johan Liiva, their previous vocalist, was for the most part, the most well suited for the band. His voice didn't drown out the melodic guitar riffs. He was supposedly kicked out of the band for failing to perform well during Arch Enemy's live performances. Damn shame.

The opening features soft piano bits which then segues into the band's march of awesome melodic death metal. There are so many riffs that really stand out here, but some clean guitar that I didn't think too highly of. The music throughout the album is filled with bits of melodies which are stunning and captivating. What caught me the most was track 2 entitled "Burning Angel."

Angela's hoarse throat on here is still annoying, but less so then more recent releases. On here, she doesn't use many vocal effects to block out the Amott's keen guitar. Her voice is hoarse, but not so hoarse that you can't hear the music. It's very difficult to have the band relying on her as the lead vocalist. As I've previously mentioned, her voice bothers the hell out of me.

There are many segments of music on here that is quite original and sticks to you, as "Burning Angel" does for me. A good follow up from "Burning Bridges", but not as worthy as that album is for me. I'd say for most of the album with exceptions didn't impact me very much mainly because of the vocals and a lot of the guitars are just aren't as good.

A lot of the wah-pedal was used by Michael Amott and was good on some songs, but I think that he used it a little bit too much. Christopher Amott's leads aren't as striking as on previous albums. I think that most of the riffs are good, however, they could've been better than they actually were on here. The guitars could've meshed better with Angela's throat. I don't think that they put in enough time to weave in the guitars with the voice.

As far as the production goes, I'd say that all of the instruments were well mixed in together to the point to where you can hear everything. The bass guitar could've been a bit louder, but you still can hear it some. Angela's vocals aren't as loud on here, so you can still hear the guitars. I'd say that the guitars could've been a bit chunkier like on "Stigmata."

This release is a good output and worth getting. I've waived out some things that needed to be discussed discreetly so you know what to expect. To me, the last good Arch Enemy release definitely legitimately investing in. The guitars are the highlights as always, but Angela really doesn't fit the band's melodic twists. Johan is deeply missed and the band isn't the same without him.

When melodic death is played right, it comes in the form that Dark Tranquillity plays here on this "Projector" release. A big Depeche Mode influence that Mikael Stanne portrays in his vocal efforts. Of course there's variety, he mixes clean vocals with raspy ones according to the music. When you hear the clean guitar bits, he's singing in a very melodic tone. I can say that he actually sings with such passion. He does mix clean vocals also with the distorted guitars by Fredrik Johansson and Niklas Sundin. There's a female vocalist that contributes some to this release as well by the name of Johanna Andersson. What an outstanding voice!

The songs are true melodic death to the core. There's a mixture of clean tone guitars like I previously mentioned mixed with heavier melodic riffs. The songs themselves are so well played to perfection. There are not really many guitar solos, just an array of melodies that are so amazing it's captivating to hear. Mikael's vocals augments the guitars and piano as well. Talk about an amazing vocalist! Well he has so much variety it's unbelievable.

Every single song on here deserves mention. None of them were half-assed or unskilled. This band really hit a gemstone which "Projector" is. The metal really flows and the clean vocals almost outweighs the hoarse tone. Don't expect anything too fast on here because it's just not here. Each track is slow paced and even one song called "Day To End" features a heavy synthesizer that dominates the track along with the clean vocals.

Dark Tranquillity copies no one on "Projector", it stands alone in sheer dynamite. Especially with melodic death freaks like me, it never grows old. An album that was so well mixed, nothing is left out. All of the instruments are heard and heard with vigor. The crunch tone distortion from the guitars features riffs that are original and innovative. No weak points on any of the songs.

This band really was creative in this offering and probably in my opinion their best work, surely surpassing "The Minds I" for sure. I'd have to say that it surpassed both older and newer releases by far. Amazing work by all musicians in terms of the songwriting. A true Gothenburg band that surpasses all of what I've heard from this band. If you want true melodic death metal the way that it should be played, pick up "Projector" because there aren't any albums that feature this highest standard of musicianship whatsoever.=

This is a prime example of how melodic/power metal should be played. Out of their entire discography, nothing can beat "Hatebreeder". Sure there are some Mozart rip off melodies, but overall an entirely original album. The synthesizers didn't drown out the music. The riffs are awesome! The solos too, Alexi really dominates here. It's a shame that this band has gone downhill instead of progressing as musicians. Nothing beats this old school release.

The music is filled with chord progressions, tremolo picked riffing, and leads that are mind blowing! A lot of tempo changes but nothing played too fast. I think that what stuck with me the most were the melodic overtures. Heavy Classical music oriented release. A lot of the melodies like I said were Mozart rip offs. Most of the songs here remind me a lot of the Amadeus soundtrack. Other than that, the album for the most part are original sounding melodic/power metal.

What annoyed me the most though were the synthesizers. Even though they weren't used as much as other COB albums, I still think that they would be a better band not to have synthesizers in the music. The main reason would be because it drowns out the main rhythm guitars. That's the only beef that I have for "Hatebreeder" besides the Mozart rip offs. I tell you, Alexi is amazing on lead guitar. So fast and furious outputs. Scales, arpeggios, etc. It's a shame that he's gone to hell now.

All of the songs are noteworthy and definitely worth praise. I can't seem to find another metal album which shines so well as this one does. Their best album forever! Alexi's vocals are like they always are, screaming with some help from another vocalist as well as other backup vocals. But his screaming/talking fits the music perfectly. I would say that there's nothing at all wrong with the vocal outputs. They are awesome and like I said perfectly fits the music.

The production is decent. Nothing is left out here. Recording perfection! All of the vocals, synthesizers, lead/rhythm guitars, and quality were just right in sync here. Nothing is left without being heard. Maybe the bass guitar could've been a little bit louder, but nevertheless it still can be heard if you listen very closely. Other than that, sheer perfection! Again, definitely the best Children of Bodom release forever!

If you're into melodic death/power metal, then this album is a must have! It truly is a classic with musicians that show off their talent to the many listeners to these genres! Nothing went wrong here at all. Not the vocals, guitar, synthesizers, and music that is so well played out. I definite gem of a release, I don't know that many albums that this one can top. It totally rips in every aspect. Pick it up now if you haven't already! Worth the money, you won't be disappointed!

6 members creating this album, and my God, what a follow-up from their previous release entitled Character. They use a lot of electronics on here, but it doesn't drown out the melodic riffs. The vocals are not really varied, they're mostly just screaming, which was different than their epic release back in 1999 with Projector. I got used to that album and deem it higher than Fiction. I like the variety on the vocal aspect of that release.

Every song on here deserves praise. They're totally original sounding. Guitar wise it's varied with chord progressions, somewhat fast tempos, some tremolo picked riffing but not much, mostly just purely melodies. They didn't abandon their roots on this release and it's a little more aggressive and anger stricken than what I wasn't used to on Projector. I don't own Character, so I can't really make any comparisons to that one compared to this.

Long songs clocking in 4-5 minutes in length for a total of about 45+ minutes in length. Well played out melodic death metal. The only beef I have with the album are the solos. I don't think that they were very good. But there weren't many on here. Mostly rhythm guitar which is very good. The quality in the riffs are what stands out the most. Even some blast beating is featured here on the drums. They were very angry on this album. It's not really mellow at all.

I think that the electronics created more of a darker atmosphere for the music which was the band's aim was on this album. Their lyrical concepts consist of death, memories, despair and chaos theory. Quite a lot of topics there and creative to the core. If they took out the lead guitar on this album and made it all rhythms, then I would give the album a higher rating. But the reality is that their guitarists play great guitar, just not leads.

The production was impeccable. All of the instruments are well heard on here. The guitars, electronics, bass, drums, and vocals are well mixed into this release. Nothing is left out here. Total quality from all aspects. No complaints at all on here in terms of the mixing and production. Just a great melodic death album overall. Great atmosphere they have on here. Dark, melodic, aggressive and quality in musicianship.

If you're a melodic death freak like I am, this is a must have for your collection. It's only lacking on the lead department, but the melodies, the electronics, piano, riffs, and vocals are all good. They didn't lose their aggressiveness in their songwriting at all. They progressed on here and what stands out the most to me is how well they're able to incorporate piano/electronics in together and not drown out the vocals or drums. As I previously stated, the mixing is phenomenal. Pick this one up!

Finally, a 2012 release that isn't the pits. Testament belts out some intrinsically amazing melodic guitar here with a solid production sound, awesome leads/rhythms, deep vocals, and overall a must have to all thrash metal followers. Clocking in at a little over 51 minutes in length, this album is filled with so much diversity. I was appalled when I heard it. I'm glad that I invested my money in this release and you should too!

The rhythms are filled with so much variety. A lot of melodic riffs to the core, bar chord frenzies, tremolo picked overtures, and overall a very diverse album. Every musician on here exhibits enormous talent and deserves praise. Chuck Billy is going on strong on the vocal department and his voice suits the music just perfectly. Even on songs that have clean tone/acoustic guitar he still meshes his voice in to suit it just right.

Eric Peterson used to play just rhythm guitar way back when Testament just started years ago. Now he's among the ranks with Alex Skolnick on leads too. It's difficult to tell the difference between the 2 because both of them have enormous talent. It's good to hear an album that's a progression from the last one Formation of Damnation. I think that this one tops that one by far! Not enough good to say about Dark Roots of Earth!

Greg Christian is still in the lineup also after all of these years and I was surprised that Gene Hoglan filled in the drum department. Amazing musicians, all of them. Dark Roots of Earth's music is the most notorious that I've heard from Testament in a long time. Just so much melodies and I can't stress that enough. I'm a melodic death freak and it's weird to hear Testament amassing so many melodies on here.

Again, the production/mixing was just perfect. Everything meshed in well. The vocals didn't overpower the music by any means. The rhythm/lead guitars are well heard. The bass is audible too! The drums fit the music perfectly too. I think a lot of work went into recording this album. Not too much technology to make the album sound too "perfect". Just enough to get everything in sync as I've stated.

Thrash metal listeners had better hear me well about this Testament album. It is sheer notorious back to old school roots with original riffs, aggressive vocals, lead guitar frenzies, and overall a superb recording. You can check out a sound sample on Testament's website. Native Blood is the song to listen to. If you aren't convinced, then that's your loss because Testament does everything right in this whole album! Pick it up ASAP!