Album Review: Arch Enemy - Deceivers

Some things are rather curious. Arch Enemy is, by their own admission, bigger than ever. And yet, I would say they are less notable right now than they had been in the past. I don't hear their name come up nearly as often, and when I do it's because lots of people are saying their best days are behind them, and yet they are doing huge business right now. I'm not sure how the disconnect happens, whether it really is that unrepresentative to listen to the online crowd, but it makes for a bit of cognitive dissonance. I'm starting out the journey with this record almost asking if the band can recapture their former glory, but that isn't at all the case. They're riding the wave.

The opening "Handshake With Hell" might be the most controversial song the band has ever done, as it finds Alissa throwing out clean vocals in the chorus. The band has always been melodic death metal, but the emphasis has always stayed on the death metal, and this song is the first time I can really recall them fully embracing the duality many other heavy bands have long utilized. And with both the tone of her voice, and the soft distortion on the guitars, it sounds quite a lot like the old Luna Mortis album that sort of got me interested in this sort of music. That was something I wasn't expecting to hear.

"In The Eye Of The Storm" is more of what I expected, that brand of death metal that is darn near triumphant sounding. I believe I have previously described them at their best as being 'arena death metal', and songs like this are why. It's still completely heavy and aggressive, but the chorus is so resolute and enthralling it's no wonder a crowd of thousands will be shouting along with it. Death metal is never 'fun', per se, but when it's this engaging we do get to have more of a communal experience with it. That makes a world of difference.

The double-edged sword of this record is that it might be the closest they've ever come to being 'mainstream'. These songs aren't pop by any means, but the band has upped the hook factor. This album is their most consistently accessible and memorable yet, and I can see how some of the death metal hardcore will be rubbed the wrong way by it. The other side of that coin is how many more fans the band can generate with songs like this that speak to people outside of the traditional death metal fanbase. I would be a prime example of that. I've all but given up on ever giving a damn about extreme metal again, in large part because almost no one can do what Arch Enemy is doing with this record. I am a melody fan, and they are able to soak their songs in enough of it even I can say I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this album.

Part of me wonders if "Handshake With Hell" is the band testing the waters to see how far they can go before they turn off too many of their fans. If that's the case, I'm excited to hear what Arch Enemy could come up with next. As good as this record is, I'm intrigued by the possibility of the band blending more clean vocals into the mix, and taking up the mantle of "The End Of Heartache". If anyone can resurrect the reputation of crushing heaviness with arena-worthy choruses, I think it might be this incarnation of Arch Enemy.

It's a no-brainer for me to say this is the best death metal album I've heard in a long time. Arch Enemy has cured me of my doubts, and they have proven why they are still climbing ever higher. Good for them.