Arch Enemy – Khaos Legions

The good thing with the 8th full-length release of this blistering melodic death metal band is that it has music diversity. It is nice to have influences from various artists which makes an album enjoyable to listen and above all not at all boring. The album, indeed has the trademarks of slick, polished melodic death that we are accustomed to experience in Arch Enemy’s albums. Overall, the pounding attack , and guitaristic virtuosity brought to us by the Amott brothers is breathtaking. Khaos Legions was put together at Sweet Spot studio in Sweden, and produced by the band together with Richard Bengtsson, who also contributed to the “Doomsday Machine”.

Khaos Legions moves to almost the same motif of the band’s previous studio albums but also “heads off” a step further, fulfilled with preponderance of flashy leads, melodeth elements, and Angela Gossow’s dark, evilish growls. She is unquestionably evilish and vicious in this one as in other band’s previous releases, with a more mature vocalistic appearance. As already mentioned while we experience a few “heavy” songs, the monotony ceases and we end up listening power metal with death vocals – this can be clearly noticed in “No Gods, No Masters”.

Opening with “Khaos Overture”, you are bombarded with the melodic guitar work of the Amott brothers, followed by a vicious voice introducing you the Khaos Legions. The album’s first official single, “Yesterday is Dead and Gone” proves the valuableness of the band, the intense catchy melodic hooks and the definitely memorable guitar solos. In this album the Swedish “Melodeaths” do experiment without renouncing death metal. They have become more atmospheric, produce melodic diversity, Amott brothers flirt with their solos and with their guitars that deliver to the crowd razor sharp tunes. They also borrow power metal elements combining all the above together, with an outstanding result….and, indeed, they not only kick serious ass but make us believe that they need to progress even more, and they are not afraid to test their ability and challenge us to “follow” them.
Moving on, “Bloodstained Cross” has a Slayer feel to the riffs and has a somewhat slow, melodic chorus. “Through the Eyes of a Raven” has a catchy riff and reminds us of the Viking style of Amon Amarth.
A pure melodic death “headbanger” song of the album, unquestionably is “Vengeance is Mine”, trash beats, fiery guitars and great drum thrusting, making it one of the best tracks that stand out from Khaos Legions.
Khaos Legions also includes 3 instrumentals to enforce the acoustic work of the band.

If someone, though, asks me about the album’s artwork, I would definitely refuse to even gaze at it again, it is lame, in my point of view, compared to that of their previous release, “Rise of the Tyrant”. I do not know why, but is seems that is a last minute work.

Overall, closing this melodeth journey, guys, I can say no more than to check it out, I am sure you will be delighted and it is worth listening. Khaos Legions thrilled me, and it is a fact that we are dealing with a band that is not afraid to break the boundaries and discover another dimension, experiment and endorse to musical diversity. The album has hypnotic melodies, memorable songs that will keep you going all day long and it has definitely the sense of aggression and rebel-ism that the band pushes out to its crowd!
Hell yeah, that was refreshing!

Standout tracks: ” City of the Dead “, ” Thorns In My Flesh “, “Bloodstained Cross”, ” Cruelty Without Beauty “,”Vengeance is Mine “.