Wednesday, November 3: Arch Enemy, “Macthkampf”
Arch Enemy had been steadily growing their global fanbase in the years since Angela Gossow took over on vocals, and Doomsday Machine was a logical refinement of Anthems of Rebellion’s sonic approach. “Machtkampf” could’ve appeared on that record, though its appearance as the penultimate track on the follow-up made similar sense. The Arch Enemy sound hadn’t totally become formula yet, so the combination of the Amott brothers’ crunchy and melodic riffing and soloing with Daniel Erlandsson’s precise and relentless drumming and Gossow’s shrieking still felt like a force to be reckoned with. And while Michael Amott’s lyrics still sounded like a bunch of random phrases strung together, there was a certain charm to their attempts to sound “rebellious” and “metal”. For all of the nonsense she had to endure, Gossow fit this iteration of Arch Enemy perfectly and her style seamlessly blended in with the band’s melodeath. And many others felt the same way, since Doomsday Machine continued the group’s ascent around the world.
