Review by Felix on January 25, 2020.

Two bands would have been well advised to omit any further release after their debut. The politically incorrect fun of S.O.D.’s “Speak English or Die” and the extreme whirlwind of World Downfall were not reproducible. This was clear for all to see, at least for all with an intelligence quotient of a limping ferret (or higher). But Sandoval and Pintado (R.I.P.) returned as well as Milano, Ian and Lilker - and the result of this bad idea was Darker Days Ahead. The first question was: where the hell did they lose Oscar Garcia? The new dude behind the mic consequently presented a one-tone-approach, powerful yet monotonous and, honestly speaking, without one iota of charisma. Worse still, his raw yet uniform performance matched the music.

Terrorizer’s second album has no chance to challenge its precursor. Especially the impulsive, punk-influenced energy of World Downfall and its outbreak of total denial are missing. Darker Days Ahead is a sinister death metal album with a tinge of grindcore, no more, no less, and it suffers from the total absence of individuality. Of course, one can listen to the songs without getting chronical diarrhea, but I think this alone does not deserve our attention, our applause or even our money. It is also out of question that Sandoval’s skills are remarkable. This morbid angel thrashes his kit by every trick in the book. The low-tuned guitars and his double bass driven machine gun snare drumming coalesce into a permanent wall of brutal noise and the band spits out ten songs that are vehement and full of negative thoughts, but one-dimensional and somehow soulless at the same time. Of course, “Dead Shall Rise” is still a good song, but it worked much better in the context of the debut. Everything is as always, you cannot beat the original version.

In view of the dense yet flat and lifeless production, the album appears almost banal. The songs come and go, one after another, and they leave… almost nothing. No chorus keeps sticking in the ear, no trail of devastation can be seen, and they do not spread an unmistakable aroma. In other words, this is no Terrorizer album, at least not one that has the right to bear this name. But I admit, one song has a special flavor and ensures a slightly better overall evaluation. The stormy “Ghost Train”, the piano dominated outro, shows the technical skills of multi-talent Sandoval once again and creates a very special atmosphere. The drummer violates the classic instrument with style and the fact the lead vocalist stays quiet is also helpful. However, one can give the full-length a solid percentage, but only if one ignores the band name on the cover. Everybody else must be “bigger than the devil” or (s)he will not enjoy albums like the second outputs of Terrorizer or S.O.D. - and I am sure that Sargent D shares my opinion.

Rating: 5.8 out of 10

Review by Adam on February 28, 2004.

When I first listened to Arch Enemy's fifth album, "Anthems of Rebellion," I had no idea what a challenge of a review I was in for. Part of me still wonders what this music would have sounded like with original singer Johan Liiva at the microphone. There is also the intriguing division in the band's fan base that has occurred as a result of this album. To my ears I hear little evidence of a selling out of any kind. This is Arch Enemy in its most brutal and punishing form.

The new Arch Enemy era began with last year's "Wages of Sin" which introduced new vocalist Angela Gossow to the fold. Musically, they took everything they were about and polished it off with a top of the line production job. Unfortunately, my initial excitement for the album vanished after a month or two. For some reason the album seemed dry and soulless to me. After being absolutely floored by the emotional intensity of vocalist Johan Liiva on the band's third album, "Burning Bridges," I longed for that same power on "Wages of Sin." "Anthems of Rebellion" doesn't feel anymore inspired to me than the previous record. The music is brutal and melodic, everything Arch Enemy always has been, but it feels empty to me.

Sound-wise, Arch Enemy offers another quality performance. Drummer Daniel Erlandsson is one of the most talented players in the metal arena today and puts on an extremely tight performance as always. The Amott brothers haven't changed either for the most part. Undoubtedly, many fans will be angered by some of the solos being fairly shorter than they have been in the past. The thrash number, 'Despicable Heroes,' even goes as far as replacing a solo with a breakdown. The Korn-styled riff in 'Instinct' is bound to raise some eyebrows as well.

On "Anthems of Rebellion" vocalist Angela Gossow turns out another spine-tingling performance. She is obviously more comfortable in her role as front woman. Personally I still prefer Johan's emotionally charged roars over the snarls of Gossow. I also think a great deal of the lyrics could have been revised. Some of them are pretty funny and I am not sure if that was intentional or not, but I will lean more towards the latter.

Musically, it feels like I have heard a lot of this album already but they perform with such conviction that it is hard to fault them. The band can still churn out some excellent melodic moments here and there. What is obvious after listening to this record, at least for me, is that this sounds like a band going through some intense growing pains. This album also introduces clean vocals into the mix. The irony of Chris singing over Angela's morbid screams is a clever one, however, what confuses me is the fact that they appear in two consecutive songs instead of being spread out on the record. This leads to a sense of a lack in direction in the record overall. Is this record trying to tell us something, and if so then what? I ask these questions because I feel that I have to. It will be interesting to see where they take the band from here.

Overall, the record is good, not great, but good. I keep feeling that Arch Enemy are on the verge of true metal greatness but nearly miss the mark every time. Part of me is still reeling from the loss of original singer Johan Liiva, but Arch Enemy is moving on. If you enjoyed "Wages of Sin," then I am almost certain that you will enjoy this one as well. If you thought that the previous record lost its magic over time like I did, then it might be best for you to give the new one a test drive before taking it out on the road.

Bottom Line: This is still Arch Enemy. If you dug the last one, then you will have little to no problem getting into this one too.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 9
Originality: 7
Overall: 7.5

Rating: 7.3 out of 10