Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty Album Review
Hi Guys, Leo here
In today’s album review we have one of my personal favourite bands Arch Enemy with there new album ‘Blood Dynasty’. I haven’t heard a single track off this record yet I’ve avoided it like the plague so i can listen to the whole thing for the first time now. I’ve been buzzing to listen to it so let’s get into it!
Track 1 – Dream Stealer
Powerful and dramatic (in a good way) intro
Quick paced through the verses
Awesome guitar solos and enjoyed the bridge
Its exactly what I’d expect out of Arch Enemy
Track 2 – Illuminate The Path
Really cool riff
Like to harsh sang verse into the clean chorus
Certified headbanger
Another awesome guitar solo/ bridge
I enjoyed how the song changed in and out throughout but the tempo stayed the same
The way it faded out was unique
Track 3 – March Of The Miscreants
Something about the tempo especially with the drums seemed off to me
A bit of low harsh vocals was good
It was fine, not the biggest fan of that one compared to the first 2 songs
Track 4 – A Million Suns
I like the riff and guitars are good
It kind of stays the same throughout, verse into chorus back into verse
It’s the song i enjoyed the least so far
Track 5 – Don’t Look Down
Like how the drums and riff compliment each other.
Vocals are really good
The changed of music is cool during the chorus
I do like when Alissa just shouts out but it works well within the song
Track 6 – Presage
Violin and acoustic guitar filler track
Track 7 – Blood Dynasty
The filler track played well into the intro of the song
Really like the riff
Chorus is a absolute headbanger
Arch Enemy just do bridges and guitar solos so well one of my favourite things about them
Loved the second solo to end
Track 8 – Paper Tiger
The riff is similar to ‘The Watcher’ from the last album
This has a kind of different vibe to it
It’s like a heavy as f**k 80s song it’s weird but i don’t hate it, just very different
Track 9 – Vivre Libre
Clean vocals from Alissa and singing in a different language very unexpected
Definitely the softest song on the record so far
Alissa shows off her vocals her which i will never complain about
Lovely guitar solo
Nice song
Track 10 – The Pendulum
Awesome riff
My first thought was back to regular proceedings for the Arch Enemy style
Nice guitar solo
Liked the drums in this one and how it slowed right down for a split second then back into the heavy chorus
Track 11 – Liars and Thieves
The start reminds me of ‘The World Is Yours’
Enjoyed the cleaned and harsh vocals in the chorus it switches so well
I liked the short clean vocal part before the guitar solo
Really nice extended outro to finish the record
Overall Thoughts
So I’ll be honest not the best Arch Enemy album, it had the experimental vibe to it at times which is fine. I’m not the kind of fan who hates it when bands experiment. Some of it wasn’t for me but i enjoyed the majority of the record. Even with some different styles it kept the Arch Enemy feel which i feel is important. I found myself headbanging throughout which i always do listening to this band. For me Alissa has one of the best vocals in metal and she showed that multiple times which as i said before i will never complain about. But yeah overall a good record would definitely recommend checking it out.
Top 3 Tracks:
Blood Dynasty, Illuminate The Path, Dream Stealer
