Arch Enemy - Rise Of The Tyrant

Excellent songwriting and musicianship coupled with powerful vocals make this a melodic death metal CD to be reckoned with.

2005's Doomsday Machine was Arch Enemy's most successful album so far. Shortly after it was released, guitarist Chris Amott left the band, who relentlessly toured the world promoting the album, further building their fan base.

Chris Amott has now rejoined the band, and they haven't missed a step. Their latest is Rise Of The Tyrant, a fierce yet extremely catchy dose of melodic death metal. The band brought back Fredrik Nordstrom, who produced their first several albums. His presence did not cause the band to revert to a retro sound, but kept the trademark elements of the band's style while their songwriting and musicianship keeps moving forward.

The songs on this album are really melodic, with great guitar work from Chris and Mike Amott. Their chemistry is evident, and even though the songs have great grooves and riffs, there is still plenty of heaviness and brutality. It's a dark and dynamic CD with plenty of diversity in both music and vocals. Angela Gossow gets better with each release, and her angry vocals are powerful and emotional. I have a feeling you'll be seeing Rise Of The Tyrant on some best of 2007 lists.