Arch Enemy – "Blood Dynasty"

During the review of which, we discuss the phenomenon of opportune catchiness level

Yeah, Arch Enemy is also a group that exists, so it was a matter of time before I'd have to say something about a new album of theirs.

The reason I'm sounding cynical is that AE is another out of many metal bands that, while kicking more than a fair amount of ass as they damn well should, just don't have a very high killer-to-filler rate. In other words: Single tracks will stick – "My Apocalypse" and "We Will Rise" come to mind – but most others escape the long-term memory once their runtime lapses.

And of course, as iconic vocalist Angela Gossow quit, the band lost my attention. A shame, perhaps. Because after seeing them at Jailbreak in 2023, it seemed like current barker Alissa White-Gluz did a solid job as a frontwoman. However, of the newer material I heard at that show, I remember nothing. Shit, I couldn't even always tell whether something was from before or after Gossow's departure.

So I didn't exactly have expectations for "Blood Dynasty". In fact, had I not owned a metal website, I woulda never known about its existence. But I'm glad I do.

Although I will say up front that a lot of aforementioned forgettability pervades throughout, "Dream Stealer" may be opener of the year. Holy shit, what an energy. We're talking dragon-jagged death thrash with the nihilistic attitude of a wildfire. The vocals, while perhaps anonymous, are demonically savage. Most people will overlook the tempo changes here, but check out how perfect they are. Check out how perfect that little Major-to-Minor-third move in the chorus is. And check out how fucking catchy that fulcrum of "DREEEEEEAM! STEALEEEEER!" genuinely is in all its glorious Judas Priest callback quality.

I'll be staying with the element of catchiness for a bit here. Because follow-up "Illuminate the Path", while solidly rocking out with a pounding, machine-like mid-tempo drive, suddenly turns into pure pop. Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, but this just sounds too much like the most saccharine sides of polished entry-level metal for grade school kids, like Trivium or As August Withers or whatever the fuck those plastic metal bands are called. I coulda sworn this was the single, but apparently not, so at least that's a redeeming factor. White-Gluz' sudden shifts from growls to clean vocals are impressive, but if that club chorus'd had any way of growing, it woulda happened during these 4-5 spins.

Anyway: That's an example of catchy in a bad way, because it compromises the metal attitude beyond redemption. However, "March of the Miscreants" brings it all back on track, the melody being carried by the cadence and even within the very growls, which is another cool little feature. The deep, syncopated chugging isn't exactly original, but it forms a badass groove with the sharp ride cymbal bell – not unlike that in this little 1995 ditty called "Sacrifice" – and there are some unmistakable Maiden echoes in the subsequent uptempo riff.

Also "A Million Suns" echoes Maiden and hits that sweet spot of opportune catchiness level. The chorus sounds like In Flames back before they went elevator metal, and the solo accentuates another sublime feature of the band: Lead guitarist Michael Amott. His tone – especially the reverb in the melodic part – is superb. The way he suddenly transitions from gigantic, heroic fanfare melodies into chaotic, dissonant howls, squeals, and arpeggios is an encyclopedia example of versatility.

There is so much flawlessly performed, thoroughly hard-hitting, uncompromising, kerosene-burning, skin-slashing metal going on here that in spite of anything to be desired, "Blood Dynasty" easily holds up to the band's best outputs.

As mentioned earlier, however, that whole forgettability factor is still pervasive, and – as with too many another otherwise fine record – especially on side 2. While also the title track is catchy without being compromising, it's just as catchy without being memorable. Same thing goes for closer "Liars & Thieves" (sic): I will recall that lead theme whenever I hear it again (if ever), but as soon as the song ends, the impression ends with it.

In fact, the only thing that's solidly stuck in my cache upon this final spin is power ballad "Vivre Libre". This one lingers, not only in spite of the fact that it's in French (White-Gluz is from that part of Canada), but because its majestic expression stands out so drastically, and because the melody is, at the same time, big, solemn, and well-sung. Although perhaps no future classic among AE fans worldwide, it might become so in those three French-speaking countries where the population is allowed to listen to metal.

Fierce thrasher "Don't Look Down", then, is representative of the reason why I can't rate this album anything less than a 4.5 out of 6: There is so much thoroughly hard-hitting, uncompromising, and flawlessly performed kerosene-burning, skin-slashing metal going on here that in spite of anything to be desired, "Blood Dynasty" easily holds up to "Anthems of Rebellion" (2003) and "Doomsday Machine" (2005) – the band's best outputs in my humble opinion.

According to said opinion, I do also think that the group's fans have either simply decided to love AE in spite of the whole in-one-ear-and-out-the-other factor, or they're simply able to pick up some memorable elements that I'm not. Or maybe memorability just isn't that important to them.

Whatever the case, with the possible exception of that sophomore track chorus, you will not get tired of this album any time soon. If you can't get enough melodic death metal, it's one of 2025's essentials.

Rating: 4.5 out of 6

Genre: Melodic death metal
Release date: 28/3/2025
Label: Century Media
Producer: Jens Bogren