Arch Enemy // Deceivers // Album Review

To reach 11 albums and still be at the forefront of the Hard Rock and Metal scene after 25 years is quite remarkable, especially in such a fickle age.

Yes, the Arch Enemy that you see now isn’t the one that started a quarter of a century ago, yet, shows me a band that has had no changes in such a period of time.

Fronted by Alissa White-Gluz since 2014, the success has continued to arrive and barriers continue to be smashed down after previous vocalist Angela left the band.

So what does the third album to include White-Gluz bring to us to continue this impressive trajectory?

Deceivers was written in 2020 after 12 months down period and then the dreaded Covid decided to make things a little more complicated. However, the band powered on through, finding ways to tackle the challenges and here we now have an 11-track album that spans 45 minutes of some of the most diverse yet blistering music that I think has ever been under the banner of Arch Enemy.

Opening with ‘Handshake with Hell’ the vocals seamlessly transition from clean and souring to abrasive enough to scratch your eyeballs. Then the contrast between a beautiful vocal and then a truly face-melting guitar solo is unreal. Both are top drawer in their own right but together keeps you on your toes and makes you go ‘ooooh.’

The album isn’t a full-on Heavy Rock or non-stop Metal fest however with tracks including a touch of Power Metal along the way and some massive anthems that sound massive through the speakers but in a festival/arena will be fucking huge.

The flexibility of the vocal lends itself to such a range of sounds and on Deceivers, the band truly use that advantage to its maximum. One minute you will be headbanging and the next you will be fully belting out the anthem like some sort of meme.

Deceivers is such an all-encompassing album that there really isn’t a fan of any subgenre that won’t be hooked. Just give ‘The Watcher’ a spin if you are unsure and enjoy the double kick drum that leads to one of those Power-type choruses and tell me that you don’t enjoy it. I’m such there will be some elitists that won’t admit it as they try and save face, but at home, they’ll be enjoying it as much as anyone else.

Deceivers is out now via Century Media.

Ed Ford

To hear more from Deceivers, plus pre-order the album, please visit https://archenemy.lnk.to/Deceivers – where the record is available in the following formats:

—Digital Album

—Ltd. Deluxe 2LP+CD Artbook
hand-numbered limited edition with noble hot foil stamping
LP1: multi-colored vinyl (each design is unique)
LP2: picture vinyl with two bonus tracks & zoetrope effect
CD: album + two bonus tracks
12″ Artbook with 36-pages booklet incl. liner-notes and art print

—Ltd. Deluxe CD Box Set
DVD-sized clamshell box with noble hot foil stamping
CD in eco-friendly packaging with two bonus tracks
32-page DIN A5 booklet incl. liner-notes
Tote Bag
Metal Pin

—Ltd. Black & colored 180g LP
incl. 8-page booklet + Obi-Strip

—Special Edition CD
eco-friendly packaging incl. 16-page booklet

Album artwork by: Alex Reisfar

Deceivers track-listing
1. Handshake With Hell
2. Deceiver, Deceiver
3. In The Eye Of The Storm
4. The Watcher
5. Poisoned Arrow
6. Sunset Over The Empire
7. House Of Mirrors
8. Spreading Black Wings
9. Mourning Star
10. One Last Time
11. Exiled From Earth

Arch Enemy will appear at select festivals this summer, before kicking off the rescheduled “European Siege 2022” tour with Behemoth, Carcass, Unto Others in the fall. See below for all dates; tickets can be purchased at https://www.archenemy.net/

Arch Enemy 2022 festival dates
Aug. 6, 2022 – Wacken, DE @ Wacken Open Air
Aug. 12, 2022 – Turku, FI @ Knotfest
Aug. 14, 2022 – Kortrijk, BE @ Alcatraz Festival
Aug. 18, 2022 – Dinkelsbuehl, DE @ Summer Breeze Festival
Aug. 20, 2022 – Sulingen, DE @ Reload Festival

“The European Siege 2022” tour dates
w/ Arch Enemy & Behemoth
+ special guests Carcass, Unto Others
Sept. 27, 2022 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia Theatre
Sept. 29, 2022 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy Glasgow
Sept. 30, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
Oct. 1, 2022 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy Birmingham
Oct. 2, 2022 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
Oct. 4, 2022 – Paris, FR @ Le Zénith
Oct. 5, 2022 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Bikini
Oct. 7, 2022 – Lisbon, PT @ Coliseu de Lisboa
Oct. 8, 2022 – Madrid, ES @ Palacio Vistalegre
Oct. 9, 2022 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
Oct. 11, 2022 – Lyon, FR @ Le Radiant
Oct. 12, 2022 – Milano, IT @ Alcatraz
Oct. 14, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
Oct. 15, 2022 – Prague, CZ @ Tipsport Arena
Oct. 16, 2022 – Budapest, HU @ Barba Negra
Oct. 18, 2022 – Vienna, AT @ Gasometer
Oct. 19, 2022 – Katowice, PL @ Spodek
Oct. 21, 2022 – Ludwigsburg, DE @ MHP Arena
Oct. 22, 2022 – Den Bosch, NL @ Mainstage Brabanthallen
Oct. 23, 2022 – Brussels, BE @ Forest National
Oct. 25, 2022 – Zurich, CH @ Samsung Hall
Oct. 26, 2022 – Frankfurt, DE @ Jahrhunderthalle
Oct. 28, 2022 – Munich, DE @ Zenith
Oct. 29, 2022 – Düsseldorf, DE @ Mitsubishi Electric Halle
Oct. 30, 2022 – Hamburg, DE @ edel-optics.de Arena
Oct. 31, 2022 – Gothenburg, SE @ Partille Arena
Nov. 2, 2022 – Helsinki, FI @ Ice Hall
Nov. 4, 2022 – Stockholm, SE @ Annexet
Nov. 5, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK @ Forum
Nov. 6, 2022 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene