Anthems of Rebellion (CD - 2003)

Arch Enemy: Angela Gossow (vocals); Michael Amott, Christopher Amott (guitar); Sharlee D'Angelo (bass); Daniel Erlandsson (drums).

Anthems of Rebellion continues in the same vein as Wages of Sin. Arch Enemy doesn't come up with the most original ideas or riffs, but the twin guitar attack of Christopher Amott and his brother, Michael, is appetizing, tuneful, and rocks out without getting bogged down too much in self-indulgent displays of virtuosity. Vocalist Angela Gossow sounds ferocious, but her singing also sounds too samey at times and may be a too harsh to perfectly fit the band, even though she sounds a bit more polished than the group's previous vocalist, Johan Liiva. Meanwhile,Gossow and Michael Amott provide lyrics that address oppression, alienation, and dehumanization (including a song titled "Dehumanization" and featuring words such as "Sowing a seed of suffering/Upon their fertile hearts/Damned misled children/You never stood a chance"). In general, the lyrics aren't particularly impressive and the band has only mixed success at musically evoking the pervasive sense of menace they seem to be going after. Still, this is a reasonably solid album that should appeal to the band's fans. ~ Todd Kristel minimize