Albums Ranked: Arch Enemy

Arch Enemy is one of my all time favorite bands. They are a band that seem to get a lot of hate in the death metal community. The fact is that Arch Enemy are a band based on melody and not brutality. Arch Enemy may not be for everybody but they combine heaviness with melody in an amazing way. Among melodic death metal bands they have their own sound which is an important thing many bands don’t do. Arch Enemy started a bit later than the early pioneers of melodic death metal and this is because back then Michael Amott was busy helping lay the foundation for melodic death metal with Carcass. From there he took what he had started and continued it with Arch Enemy.

How this works; Songs are rated on a 5 star rating with each star having a value that is averaged together for the album rating.  Average album rating will equal the band’s rating

1 star=0, I hate it!  The world would be better off without this.

2 stars=25,  I don’t like it but it could be worse

3 stars= 50, decent song but not special

4 stars=75, good song but is missing something that might make it amazing

5 stars=100,  Amazing!

Live albums, demos, cover albums and EP’s are not included.

Note: Popular doesn’t mean great and importance doesn’t mean it’s good either.  A chart topping song only means it is watered down enough for a mainstream audience.

Why pretend otherwise?

Note:
Arch Enemy uses short guitar intros on many albums. Unless they are stand alone pieces rather than an intro track I won’t add them into the rating.

#10

Black Earth - 77.778%

This was the first album from Arch Enemy. It starts to make the bridge between the Carcass sound into what Arch Enemy would finally get to. It is for sure the most raw sounding album. This is also one of the least melodic albums and has more of a Swedish death sound at times similar to bands like Entombed or Dismember.

The Good - There are some great melodies and grooves through out this album. My favorite tracks are “Bury Me An Angel”, “Cosmic Retribution”, and “Fields of Desolation”.

The Bad - The vocals. Some people actually prefer Arch Enemy’s first vocalist, but for me he’s always sounded more like a hardcore guy than a death metal guy, particularly on this album. Like I mentioned this album is less melodic than later ones and the vocals not being very guttural hurt the more brutal songs on the album.

#7

Stigmata - 81.25%

Their second album is an improvement from the first but for the most part it still toes the line between the Carcass sound and the Arc Enemy sound without being as enjoyable as either carcass or later Arch Enemy.

The Good - In general the riffing and melodies are more interesting on this album. The first two tracks “Beast of Man” and “Stigmata” are my favorites… “Stigmata” is instrumental.

The Bad - This album isn’t as brutal as the first and isn’t as melodic as later albums so it ends up lacking on both fronts. The vocals are still bad.

#8

Khaos Legions - 84.09%

This a a good album but certainly not one of their bests. For me this album’s best parts sounded to much like the previous albums but not quite as good. If a band is going to put out something very similar to their last than it really needs to push the sound to a new level. This one just seems like inspired relative to the previous albums. This albums has some amazing melodies as always but in general the riffing just seem lacking energy.

The Good - The melodies scattered through out this album are great even when generally everything else is kinda bland. Favorite songs on this one tend to be the fast ones, “Bloodstained Cross”, and “Vengeance is Mine”. “Yesterday is Dead and Gone” has one of my favorite melodies on the album.

The Bad - In general the riffing and songs overall seem uninspired and a re-tread of previous ideas used on the few preceding albums.

#7

Will To Power - 87.5%

I think Alissa is a great vocalist but unfortunately the songs she has been given to sing are a downgrade from previous albums. By no means is this a bad album but compared to previous albums it doesn’t stand out as particularly amazing. The sad thing about this album is that it has Jeff Loomis on guitar both him and Michael are two of my favorite guitarists and I was really hoping for something magic.

The Good - Solid album, favorite tracks are “First Day in Hell” and “A Fight I must Win”

The Bad - “Reason To Believe” the only 3 star track on here. It is also happens to feature Alissa doing clean vocals but this is in no way bad. She’s a great singer and I like her clean singing. For me it’s just not that great of a song. It’s one of those songs that has a message and for me is cringey. It’s like “Hear N’ Aid” cringe for me.

#6

Burning Bridges - 90.625%

This is the third album and the last with Johan on vocals. Although I’m not a big fan of him I think he was much better on this album than the first two. This album seems like Arch Enemy really started to hit their stride and figure out their sound.

The Good - This is a shorter album with only 8 tracks and for me the first 5 songs are all fantastic.

The Bad - The last three tracks don’t seem quite as amazing as the other songs but I wouldn’t consider them bad.

#5

War Eternal - 93.18%

We all were probably nervous when we found out Angela had stepped down from vocals, but Alissa did not disappoint. I feel she has a bit of a lower register than Angela. With Burning Bridges Arch Enemy probed you can put out a good album even if you don’t have the best vocalist so what is most important here is that the songs are incredible. The opening track kicks you square in the chest with blasting drums which aren’t typical for the band. The intensity remains consistent with scattered melodies as good as any.

The Good - It would be quicker to name the weak points because so much of this album is complexly awesome.

The Bad - “Stolen Life”, “Down To Nothing” and the instrumental “Not Long For This World” are the only songs that didn’t get five stars. (excluding the intro track and guitar track “Graveyard of Dreams”.

#4

Wages of Sin - 95.45%

The first album featuring Angela on vocals, this one is an album I know a lot of people really love. It is packed with great songs but I find I don’t go back and listen to it as much as many of the others because the production isn’t the best. It’s a shame, and I would love this one to get remastered.

The Good - Fantastic songs on this album and improved vocals

The Bad - Production isn’t very good, there’s to much high end.

#3

Anthems of Rebellion - 97.27%

This album is a must own for Arch Enemy fans. If there is such a thing, this album is the most mainstream with songs that are easy to scream along to. Memorable songs that are easy to sing along to and you get a classic album. It is one of the albums I go back to the most maybe even more so than the two albums ranked higher on this list. If I used “Marching on a Dead End Road” in the rating for this album, it actually would bring it up slightly and push this album to #2.

The Good - Awesome memorable songs and the ones I find myself singing along to the most.

The Bad - “Saints and Sinners” is the only song that didn’t get five stars from me but is close and still a great song.

#2

Doomsday Machine - 97.72%

This one edges out Anthems by less than a percentage and it could go either way for me. With that said this album was my first Arch Enemy album so I’m probably slightly biased toward it. I know for some this album isn’t as good as others. This album just sound incredibly tight and the production is very smooth and warm. That actually has a lot to do with why I like this album so much; it gives it an atmosphere that sucks you in. Although this album might not have vocal lines as memorable as Anthems, I think the riffing is just as memorable if not more so and the guitars are thicker and smoother than ever.

The Good - The production makes even songs that might not otherwise be as good compared to some from other albums but the guitars sound so thick and smooth that it makes this album just incredible to listen to. This is absolute one of my favorite albums when it comes to guitar tone.

The Bad - There are certainly amazing and memorable songs on this album but perhaps to a lesser extent as some others. But, as I said before other qualities of the album make up for it.

#1

Rise of the Tyrant - 100%

This album is flooring, kick you in the teeth intensity with some of the most beautiful and memorable melodies. Harmonized melodies under great vocal lines make this album just overwhelmingly amazing. I don’t know If I should sing to the vocal lines, guitar melodies, sit with my mouth a gape, or just cry from the shear incredible maelstrom that is this album.

The Good - Everything, this is one of the best metal albums every produced.

The Bad - The only thing bad about this album is that it’s impossible for Arch Enemy to every top it. This is a true masterpiece.

Albums Ranked: Shadows Fall

Shadows Fall are special among the metal-core bands because out of all of them they are the most accepted by metalheads who generally dislike metal-core. Their earliest stuff is often considered melodic death and their later stuff would showcase more of their thrash and traditional influences all while still being metal-core. They are a band that manages to walk the line between metal and metal-core in a way that made them one of the most popular bands at the time because they had fans on both sides of the spectrum. A lot of their core sound can even be chalked up as Pantera influence because of the similarities between some types of hardcore and groove metal (although I haven’t done the Shadows Fall family tree at the time of writing this.) The main thing that marks them as metal core is the combination of clean and harsh vocals. When Brian Fair came in as the vocalist on the second album his style pushed this farther in the metal-core direction. It should also be said their sound even when melodic death had heavier sections that sound more like non-melodic death. They are a band that really do mix a lot of elements to create a unique sound. On a more personal note, Shadows Fall was the first band that I embraced that had really harsh vocals. Musically they at the time they were pretty thrashy and had incredible leads and it allowed me to get past the vocals. This allowed me to get into all sorts of extreme metal that I completely love today.

How this works; Songs are rated on a 5 star rating with each star having a value that is averaged together for the album rating.  Average album rating will equal the band’s rating

1 star=0, I hate it!  The world would be better off without this.

2 stars=25,  I don’t like it but it could be worse

3 stars= 50, decent song but not special

4 stars=75, good song but is missing something that might make it amazing

5 stars=100,  Amazing!

Live albums, demos, cover albums and EP’s are not included.

Note: Popular doesn’t mean great and importance doesn’t mean it’s good either.  A chart topping song only means it is watered down enough for a mainstream audience.

#7

Somber Eyes to the Sky - 65%

The first album from shadows fall and the only one with original vocalist Phil Labonte who would go on to join All That Remains. This album is more of an American attempt at melodic death than their later albums would be. It mixes a lot of sounds to create something unique but at the same time this album sounds very unrefined. It sounds more like an experiment in a way. Although this is the least metal-core album there are still many similarities to the metal-core sound.

The Good - This album manages to mix diverse influences to create something unique even if ill defined.

The Bad - As I’ve said it sounds experimental and at this point they hadn’t found the proper blend of the influences they’ve injected.

#6

Fire From the Sky - 72.91%

The last album done by Shadows Fall has some great stuff but at of the album is plagued with boring riffs and poppy vocal lines/harmonies. I’ll use “Blind Faith as an example. It’s full of some amazing even melodic death style riffs but then the chorus is a bland guitar riff with vocals that verge on the whiney. It’s the type of vocals that make metal-heads hate metal-core. It’s the type of vocals that are more reminiscent of 90’s pop punk and emo rather than anything metal. Shadows Fall has always had clean vocals similar to this but something about this album just push them to far for me to enjoy most of the time. Maybe it’s their placement, melodies, or more harmonization but it’s different from earlier albums.

The Good - There are some amazing riffs and some great songs on this album such as the title track “Fire From the Sky” which reminds me of Behemoth. “Save Your Soul” and “The Unknown” are good songs as well but even they aren’t without some of the vocals I have complained about. The vocals aren’t Bullet For My Valentine bad but they are certainly pushing that direction. Thankfully the music has enough redeeming qualities to keep this album from being a complete pile of shit.

The Bad - Again there are a lot of whiney sounding vocals on this album which is a big disappointment. “Divide and Conquer” is just terrible. It’s heavy parts are boring and hardcore sounding, the chorus is displays more weak vocals; at least the bland breakdown is short.

#5

Of One Blood - 77.77%

The second album from shadows fall and first with Brian Fair on vocals. While there are some who consider this one melodic death, the vocals are metal-core. Musically it may be more melodic death sounding than their first but because of the vocals I don’t consider it melodic death.

The Good - Again musically this album is very melodic death at times. A couple of my favorites on here are “Of One Blood” and “To Ashes”.

The Bad - Occasionally there are some more bland sounding parts that are on the groove or hard core side of the spectrum.

#4

Threads of Life - 84.09%

Compared to the to Of One Blood this album is a lot more thrash and this is pretty consistent with the rest of the albums on this list. This album is a mix of really great parts and really bland parts that hold some songs back. If there is one thing Shadows Fall suffers from it’s song writing. They can write some absolutely amazing parts and then mix with bland parts that pull the song’s quality down. This is maybe the best example of this to me. It also followed to extremely great albums so in comparison it is a bit of a let down, although it’s certainly not a bad album.

The Good - Some of my favorites on here are “Redemption” and “Failure of the Devout”. The ladder of which is probably the darkest and most intense song on the album. On the softer side “Another Hero Lost” is more of a ballad but is very well done.

The Bad - A lot of bland parts hold back what could be a better album. “Forevermore” is a great example of this. The song opens with some amazing parts that almost sound like something off of Painkiller but then it they complete kill the flow with some mediocre parts. It’s an example of great riff writing but bad song writing. What should be a 5 star song is crammed full of 3 star parts making it only a 4 star song.

#3

Retribution - 90%

This is a solid album with a lot of good songs. The first half album is especially good. It seems like they put most of the better songs on the front half. This album came out after a lot of the hype around Shadows Fall had died down which is a shame because this album it’s a great album that probably didn’t get the attention it deserved.

The Good - I gave the first five songs 5 stars along with “Embrace Annihilation”. Heavy when it needs to be memorable choruses and a good mix of thrash and melodic death influences.

The Bad - This is a solid album although the second half does seem to fall short of the first half.

#2

The Art of Balance - 95% (this rating doesn’t include the Pink Floyd cover. Although it would lower the rating, it would not change it’s position on the list.)

This album really is the first where shadows fall was able to take all their ideas and actually make some really solid songs. You can say it’s the first one where they found the balance of all the styles they were trying to combine. It is probably the most thrash sounding album but a lot of melodic death has always incorporated thrash into the sound. They have some amazing guitar interlude tracks with “Casting Shade” and “Prelude to Disaster” both of which lead into the best tracks on the album, The thrasher “Stepping Outside The Circle”, and “A Fire in Babylon” which is very melodic death sounding” Both songs are my favorite Shadows Fall songs.

The Good - As the title suggest this album manages to balance their diverse influences into a masterpiece. Incredible riffing and harmonies galore with memorable songs.

The Bad - I have no complaints. The only song I didn’t give 5 stars was “Destroyer of Scenes” which is the more hardcore sounding track. They typically have at least one per album.

#1

The War Within - 100%

This album is fantastic. Great shredding with a mix of thrashy and melodic death style riffing with catchy choruses. The solos area balance of shred and melody all delivered with incredible tone. This album refines the balance they figured out with the previous album. I remember when this album came out it was one of the most talked about albums at the time. All the praise was rightfully given.

The Good: The opening and closing tracks “The Light That Blinds” and “Those Who Cannot Speak” are among my favorite Shadows Fall songs. This album is a masterpiece.

The Bad - The only thing bad about this album is that people don’t talk about it enough. There are always those few albums people praise constantly until everyone is sick of hearing it and this one deserves no less.

Bonus

Fallout From the War - 68.75%

This is technically and EP. 3/11 tracks are covers and if I include the covers in the rating doesn’t change a full percentage. This album is full of all the songs that weren’t good enough to be on The War Within. They were written at the same time and thankfully they saved them for a second release instead cramming in the songs that would have ruined a masterpiece.

The Good - Despite being leftovers this album still has some gems with “Effigy” and the cover of “Mark of the Squealer”.

The Bad - There is a whole lot of bland songs and songs that sound like subpar copies of songs that were done on The War Within.

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