Arch Enemy
Burning Bridges

By Matt Tulini
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CD: Century Media 7976-2

  Oh YES!! This is what heavy metal is all about! Burning Bridges is the Swedish death-metalers their third slab of wax, and their second on the Century Media label. Arch Enemy's first album, Black Earth, was on the now-defunct WAR label. That label has since gone out of business, and Black Earth is one of the rarest (and most sought after) death metal releases.

Arch Enemy is a death metal band, yes, but they show us that there can be much more to death metal than mach ten blast beats and deep, growling vocals. Burning Bridges is simply one of the best albums of 1999. It is one of the most powerful and melodic (!!) records I have ever heard. I must assure the purists reading this review that the album still has its share of speed and brutality, but in a time where the death metal sound is in danger of becoming stagnant and one-dimensional, Arch Enemy continue to reinvent and redefine the genre.

On Burning Bridges, Arch Enemy continues to blur the distinctions between the many genres of metal. The song Angelclaw, for example, sounds right out of a mid-80's thrash album. The melodic leads are reminiscent of power metal, but are played with much more fury. This is not really a pure death-metal album, but it is a pure metal album. I have never listened to an Arch Enemy album before this one, but after hearing this one I will definitely seek out their first two (Black Earth and Stigmata). My favorite cuts were "Dead Inside," "Seed of Hate," and… dammit they're all good!!!


Enjoyment: 80

Sound Quality: 65