Arch Enemy - London Review

As I hinted at during my previous entry here, which covered the Graham Bonnet Band's recent show in Plymouth, this past weekend saw my last trip to London of the year. Whilst I am happy to travel to different UK cities when it comes to gigs, I probably end up in London the most by default. So many of the bands I like are the sort that only tend to do one UK show as part of a wider European tour - and when that happens London is the destination for such 95% of the time. Even where there are other options to choose from, London often ends up being the best option. The range of venues and hotels means that there are often affordable plans to be made - and bands generally want to route their tours so that they hit key cities on and around weekends. London are much more likely to get shows on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, then, which works well when considering work commitments. There is always something to do in London, too, so I never mind travelling to the capital city - as there is plenty I can fill my day with before heading to a show. Late-running trains have made that less easy in recent times, though, and, sadly, I seem to be in the midst of a period of habitually late trains. My trains both up to and back from London this past weekend were delayed somewhat, meaning that partial refunds will be heading my way, but I still got to London at about 1pm on Saturday - which meant that I had a bit of time to wander around before I needed to head to my hotel. The reason for the trip to London was another visit to the excellent Eventim Apollo, my third in just over a month, this time to catch Arch Enemy on their latest, lengthy European tour. It was only just over a year ago that I last saw Arch Enemy live, which was also at the Apollo. Last year's tour, though, was a co-headline affair with In Flames, with Soilwork in support, whereas this tour, despite a great undercard, was very much Arch Enemy's. In a way I am surprised that the band have undertaken two rather lengthy European tours in consecutive years, as that could be seen as diluting the market, but the bills have perhaps been different enough for this not to matter - and Arch Enemy are one of those reliable live acts that I will try and see whenever they make it over to the UK. Since last year's show, too, they have released their latest album Blood Dynasty (which I reviewed here). The album was already on the cards last year, and two songs from it were played on the previous tour, but this current tour has allowed the band to showcase more of the new album - which, for my money, is their best for a few years. The Apollo is perhaps too big for Arch Enemy on their own - but given that the touring party included big-hitters in their own right Amorphis and Eluveitie, booking the venue was a good move. Whilst the Apollo was certainly not as packed as it sometimes can be, it was pretty full - similar to the show last year. At least there was a little bit of room to move around towards the back, unlike for Helloween's show there a couple of weeks ago, and I tended to stay near the back throughout. I remember that the sound mix for last year's show was quite muddy - but that was not the case this time. Thankfully, the sound was pretty clear throughout - which helped the evening to be a memorable one. Given that there were four bands on the bill, including some very tight changeovers, the sound being so clear throughout was an achievement - particularly given the intricacies of a band like Eluveitie. As there were four bands to get through, too, the doors opened at 5:30pm - with the music kicking off at 6pm. With many of the changeovers being around 20 minutes long, too, there was not much hanging around at all.

Opening the show, and playing for just over half an hour, where the US death metal rising stars Gatecreeper. Clearly the smallest band on the bill, Gatecreeper are fresh compared to the other long-standing acts on the tour - but they did not let this get in the way of them putting on a strong show. Easily the heaviest band on the bill, too, Gatecreeper play a largely mid-paced brand of very traditional death metal. Unlike other newer acts, Gatecreeper stick to a tried and true formula. They are not trying to fuse their death metal with other trends - instead they just turn up their guitars and churn out groovy riffs, whilst frontman Chase Mason delivers some ferocious growls. Whilst I am not Gatecreeper expert, I am somewhat familiar with their recent work. I covered last year's Dark Superstition (which can be read here) and enjoyed it at the time - plus I have had a couple of listens to 2019's Deserted. I certainly have not listened to the band enough to be properly familiar with the songs in a live setting, though, but I still enjoyed their gritty set. There were some thrashy moments which saw the band speed up, but generally Gatecreeper are about big riffs and grooves. As such, there is something of a traditional heavy metal strut to much of what the band do - and all throughout the set a sea of headbanging was bobbing away in front of me. Gatecreeper are very much that kind of band - and the clear sound mix allowed the dual guitar riffing, occasional solo, and Mason's throat-shredding vocals to shine. The vocals were high in the mix, too, and the slower pace of the band's songs allowed for many drawn out growls - meaning that Mason impressed. The occasional faster moments hinted at allowed for brief changes of pace, but these sections were fleeting - largely focused around short songs that acted as bursts of speed in between the main numbers. Gatecreeper have made something of a name for themselves so I imagine that some in attendance were familiar with them - but nevertheless there was a strong atmosphere from the off. Everyone was getting involved with the headbanging, which Mason often insisted on, and there were even some mosh pits despite the band's mid-paced grooves. They had a short set compared to what was to follow - but they made their time on stage count, impressing as they did.

Both Amorphis and Eluveitie are acting as joint special guests on this tour - rotating their position each night. In London at least, Eluveitie were next - and the Swiss folk metal act put on a 10-song set that was packed with class from the off. I last saw the band in 2019, when they somewhat blew Lacuna Coil off the stage, so I was looking forward to seeing them again - and they did not disappoint. With a new album to promote themselves, Ànv (which I reviewed here), the band played a crowd-pleasing set with a good mix of material from their recent releases. It was actually two songs from their previous album which kicked off the set, though, with the heavy Ategnatos and the more melodic Deathwalker getting things underway. Given how complex the band's sound is, the mix was crystal clear - with both Lea-Sophie Fischer (violin/hurdy gurdy) and Nils Fischer (whistles/bagpipes) high in the mix. The traditional folky melodies cut through the metal weight nicely, then, whilst the snarling vocals of frontman Chrigel Glanzmann sounded as raw and as powerful as ever. His growls are some of the most venomous in metal I have always thought, but his ragged edge works well in the context of the band's folky sound. He added whistles and what I think was a mandola when needed, too, but generally he prowled the stage and added his guttural growls to the music - whilst Fabienne Erni (vocals/harp) added harmonies and vocal counters early on. Erni's harp was the only instrument that really could not be heard at all, but, in truth, she is in the band more as a harmony vocalist and occasional secondary lead singer - and later on she got to shine quite a bit during some somewhat more mellow pieces like A Rose for Epona and The Call of the Mountains. The dual vocal approach has always worked well for Eluveitie - and at times Erni also used her voice more like an additional instrument, adding wordless melodies in a folky manner. A handful of tracks from the new album were played, too, including the epic The Prodigal Ones and the more melodic Premonition. Some more traditional 'metal' elements have crept into the band's songwriting in recent years, too, and these newer tracks often included some shredded soloing from Jonas Wolf (guitar). Lea-Sophie often soloed, too, and her violin melodies were often the focal point of the set - although she switched to hurdy gurdy for a couple of numbers in the absence of a full-time player of the instrument in the current line-up. Even with this slightly shrunken line-up, there did not seem to be that much reliance on backing tracks, at least as far as lead melodies and instrumentation were concerned. Eluveitie have generally looked to be authentic when it comes to their folk instruments - and both Fischers (I am not sure if they are related or not) are new to the band since I last saw them and impressed. Glanzmann still manages to keep the band going and sounding true to his vision despite all the changes - and the folky Ambiramus allowed the traditional melodies to really shine. Sadly the set was over almost as quickly as it started, though, but two heavier pieces rounded things out - with the riffy King and the ever-present Inis Mona prompting a bit of a sing-a-long. I would love to see the band headline one day - but until then this latest taster of the band live will have to do. The setlist was:

Ategnatos

Deathwalker

The Prodigal Ones

Exile of the Gods

A Rose for Epona

Premonition

Ambiramus

The Call of the Mountains

King

Inis Mona

Following another quick changeover it was time for Finland's Amorphis. Despite being big fans of both Arch Enemy and Eluveitie, Amorphis are probably the band on the bill that I like the most. It was also in 2019 that I last saw them live, too, so I was very much ready to see them for a fourth time - and a nine-song set presented the best of the band's recent albums to large crowd. Amorphis also have a new album out, with Borderland (which I reviewed here) having dropped recently, and they kicked off with one of the new tracks Bones. The heavy track has already become one of my favourites from the band. The new album is somewhat mellower on the whole than is perhaps typical for the band, but Bones is on the heavy side - with frontman Tomi Joutsen delivering some devilish growls throughout. In terms of vocal diversity, there are few better than Joutsen - and the set showcased his range with much of Bones featuring his powerful growls, whilst the older Silver Bride was largely sung clean. Like the other bands on the bill, Amorphis' live sound mix was clear - but they were a little on the quiet side. All of the other bands were loud, but Amorphis felt a little more quiet for some reason - and I also feel that they did not garner as much of a strong reaction from the crowd as Eluveitie had done. In fairness, Eluveitie's folky music can feel fun and upbeat at times, despite the heaviness, whereas there is a murk and a gloom to Amorphis - even acknowledging the size of some of their choruses. There were still plenty of fans in attendance, though, but of the three bigger bands on the bill they struggled the most to get the crowd going - even if I was singing along to everything near the back. It was generally a pretty forward-looking set, too, with six of the nine songs coming from the last four albums - and only one from the pre-Joutsen years. It was very much a set of favourites and hooky tunes, though, with sing-a-long numbers like Wrong Direction and The Moon setting an early tone. Esa Holopainen (guitar) was easily the most melodic guitarist of the night, with every song packed full of slow-burning and hooky leads, whilst Santeri Kallio (keyboards) made use of a lot of retro sounds to add that prog edge which Amorphis has become known for in recent years. The whole set was just full of melody, then, and Joutsen did his best to get the crowd going. Another new number in the slightly funky Dancing Shadow did see some movement in the crowd - whilst the more percussive and heavy Death of a King showcase plenty more big growls and some potent riffing from Tomi Koivusaari (guitar/vocals). Given that only nine songs were played, the set really flew by. By the time Joutsen was announcing the only true oldie in the set, Black Winter Day, there was not much time left, but the warm synth melodies filled the room as a few casuals recognised the classic - before House of Sleep, a relative oldie at this point, did somewhat encourage a bit of a sing-a-long. It contains one of the band's best choruses so it was unsurprising that there was some singing - but it was left to the newer classic The Bee to round everything out. This one also garnered a bit more of a reaction, but it was a shame that Amorphis struggled a little more to get the crowd onside - although, in truth, their overall vibe is generally more downbeat. That being said, it was great to catch up with the band again, and I hope they will return as a headliner next year to fully present the new material. The setlist was:

Bones

Silver Bride

Wrong Direction

The Moon

Dancing Shadow

Death of a King

Black Winter Day

House of Sleep

The Bee

A curtain came down to cover the stage following Amorphis' set, and it was soon time for the evening's headliner. Arch Enemy's setlist felt like an expanded version of last year's effort - with a couple more new songs thrown in and a couple of other favourites added back in. Despite riding high on the new album, though, they opened with Deceiver, Deceiver from the previous album - but the fairly mid-paced piece worked well as an opener. Given the muddy sound at last year's show, it was nice to hear the band more clearly this time. The Michael Schenker-esque leads from Michael Amott (guitar/vocals) often cut through the mix with melodic power - whilst frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz could be heard loud and proud. At times, she sounded more demonic than usual, with her early set vocals sounding especially guttural, but as the set moved on she sounded more typical - and she was also able to showcase her clean singing at times. Despite the four new songs played, there were still plenty of favourites included. The oldie Ravenous was up second, with plenty in the crowd singing the chorus hook back at the band, before the excellent Dream Stealer and Blood Dynasty from the new album kept the vibe going. The former has become a real favourite of mine, despite finding it a bit of a jarring song transition-wise at first - whilst the title track proved to be a killer live addition. I like the song on the album, but live it felt like a whole different beast. White-Gluz really spat out the chorus vocals with real power - and it become an overall set highlight as a result of this and its strong grooves. A couple of older songs in War Eternal and My Apocalypse then gave the more casual fans something to sing along, too, but in truth I am a bit tired of the latter. My only real criticism of Arch Enemy live these days is that they tend to rely on the same handful of pre-White-Gluz songs. I like the fact they focus on the current era, but there are so many old favourites that do not get a look in now. Only Nemesis is essential in my opinion - so My Apocalypse should really be given a rest. Hearing the barrelling Illuminate the Path, with its almost power metal-esque chorus, was actually more interesting as a result - and the thrashy Liars & Thieves is another of the new numbers which shines more on stage. Both of these songs allowed White-Gluz to sing clean, too, and this shook things up somewhat briefly. As the set moved on, though, it was generally newer favourites that where wheeled out. The mid-paced, classic rock-esque The Eagles Flies Alone is pretty much ever-present in the set by now - whilst Sunset Over the Empire is becoming such due to its wordless hooks which can be sung along with. White-Gluz conducted a big sing-a-long during the piece - and generally she interacted with the crowd a lot. She is a great singer and performer but I have never felt that she comes across as that natural when talking with the crowd - but she did this time which was nice to see. It was also nice to see No Gods, No Masters return to the set, as this is an Angela Gossow-era tune which is not always played, and there was plenty of singing and jumping during it before the more symphonic Avalanche brought the main set to a close. Following a brief break, Amott returned to the stage to play the aching instrumental piece Snow Bound - which acted as a lengthy intro to the epic, fast-paced Nemesis. The evergreen classic featured plenty of singing as it always does - and it came to an end with the Fields of Desolation coda as it always does. It was a powerful end to a hard-hitting set, with plenty of balloons in the air, and Arch Enemy once again proved why they are as big as they are. The setlist was:

Set Flame to the Night

Deceiver, Deceiver

Ravenous

Dream Stealer

Blood Dynasty

War Eternal

My Apocalypse

Illuminate the Path

Liars & Thieves

The Eagle Flies Alone

First Day in Hell

Saturnine

Sunset Over the Empire

No Gods, No Masters

Avalanche

-

Snow Bound

Nemesis

Fields of Desolation

Enter the Machine

Despite the night being a long one, the evening never dragged. All four bands, even Gatecreeper, never outstayed their welcome - and the format allowed sets to be punchy and for timewasting and silliness to be kept to a minimum. The strength of the bill likely allowed the tour to hit some bigger venues - and it certainly prompted me to part with my money as soon as it was announced. The sets were all powerful and the song choices were generally spot on - and I cannot imagine that anyone went home disappointed with the range of melodic, heavy music that was on display.