Arch Enemy

Metal titans ARCH ENEMY – whose dynamic mixture of melody and aggression has earned them massive critical acclaim, a rabid worldwide fanbase and a slot on last year’s Ozzfest – return with Live Apocalypse, their stunning first DVD release.

The Live Apocalypse DVD is a must have for any ARCH ENEMY fan as it’s chock-full of phenomenal live footage featuring guitarist Chris Amott’s last performance with the band, in-depth interviews and promotional video clips. Mike Amott (guitars) describes his thoughts on the upcoming DVD release: “The Live Apocalypse DVD is now finally complete. This shaped up to be an ultra cool 2-disc affair, and I honestly couldn’t be happier with it. The main show is from The Forum in London, UK (December ’04), and we also have footage from Manchester, UK in December ’05 (there’ll be 3 songs included from that). There are tons of extras and special features, as there should be. The artwork was done by Niklas Sundin of Cabin Fever Media, and Andy Sneap’s audio mix (5.1 and stereo) is so heavy, it almost blew my speakers out! He really captured the live feel and power of the show; it's like you are right there in the audience. Brilliant! This DVD crushes some of my favourite metal DVDs from my own collection – and I have a sick collection.”

In the summer of 2005, the highly anticipated Doomsday Machine, also mixed by Sneap (Killswitch Engage, Nevermore, Opeth), debuted at #87 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and recently surpassed the 75,000 U.S. SoundScan plateau. This is ARCH ENEMY’s highest-charting effort yet and most acclaimed after being hailed by such mainstream publications as Billboard and Revolver as their best record yet. The Doomsday Machine U.S. touring campaign kicked off with a high profile slot on Ozzfest 2005, where the band stunned thousands of people daily with their proficient musicianship and live intensity. The group quickly became one of the most talked about artists of the tour, as they continually outsold all of their peers each week. The buzz on ARCH ENEMY grew stronger after Ozzfest wrapped up, and the group made their much-anticipated return to the U.S. on a headlining tour with All That Remains that fall with new guitarist Fredrik Akesson in tow. In the spring of 2006, ARCH ENEMY embarked on a massive Jagermeister sponsored co-headlining bill with Chimaira, God Forbid and Hate Eternal, which was also their third U.S. run for the Doomsday Machine campaign.

Featuring the all-star lineup of Mike Amott (guitars), Chris Amott (guitars), Sharlee D’Angelo (bass) and Daniel Erlandsson (drums), the group first garnered praise with the metal milestones Black Earth (1997), Stigmata (1998) and Burning Bridges (1999). These albums were fueled by flawless dual guitar technical execution and a previously unheard of mixture of melody and aggression, which helped them quickly solidify their reputation as one of the genre’s elite.

However, ARCH ENEMY really began to develop their true potential once vocalist Angela Gossow joined the fold on 2001’s critically acclaimed Wages of Sin album (produced by Fredrik Nordström and mixed by Andy Sneap), marking the first time a band of this caliber and ferocity was fronted by a woman. The album was bathed in unending universal praise – from worldwide front-cover press in national magazines to daily newspapers – with Wages Of Sin proudly claiming stake in end-of-the-year “Best Of...” lists. The metal underground also demonstrated a faithful display of allegiance to the new line-up, as Metal Maniacs hailed the album as “a relentless, eclectic and wholly charged album to keep even those with the shortest musical attention spans entertained.” Further accolades soon followed as North America’s Alternative Press quickly identified ARCH ENEMY as one of the five bands who exemplify “the sound of things to come” in 2002. This claim would soon prove itself prophetic during the band’s performances at Japan’s Beast Feast, the Milwaukee Metalfest, the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, a North American tour supporting Nile, their own headlining North American tour and six sold-out dates in Japan.

The band’s 2003 effort, Anthems of Rebellion, was immediately hailed as a metal masterpiece. It was their second offering with Angela, touted by Metal Edge as “one of the most promising talents in years.” The record proved to be a landmark release for Century Media, as it delivered the label its then-highest first-week U.S. SoundScan sales ever on the way to becoming one of its 10 best-selling albums of all time. Press raves continued to pour in, as Anthems scored an unprecedented 5/5 in both Alternative Press and Kerrang! while going on to land the #1 album of 2003 in Metal Maniacs Readers’ Poll, earning them staunch recognition and high-profile U.S. tours with such acts as Slayer, Hatebreed, Cradle Of Filth and the legendary Iron Maiden.

ARCH ENEMY will make their return to the U.S. in the fall of 2006 to keep the Doomsday Machine moving strong after delivering the album of their career that will ultimately redefine the genre they helped to create.