Customer Reviews

Stigmata

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Arch Enemy - Stigmata (1998) - Second album - Century Media Records.

The Arch Enemy of today is known for their skilled guitarists, and one of the only female Melo-Death Metal vocalists out there. Little know or have even heard the old Arch Enemy, pre-Angela Gossow. I have listened to the newer Arch Enemy, and I see a huge difference in not just the vocals, but also the song-writing as a whole. Now, for me, I much rather prefer the old Arch Enemy, however, I must note that Arch Enemy has never been a band I hated, and they are an extremely talented group.

This was Arch Enemy's second album, and featured Michael Amott on guitar, who is widely considered one of the most skilled guitarists of the genre, Martin Bengtsson on bass, Peter Wildoer on drums, and Johan Liiva on vocals/rhythm guitar. Each member here is in their prime and fullest form. Each musician is notable, and all have their moments to shine. You've got Mike going crazy on guitar, and well-sounding and addictive riffs courtesy of both Mike Amott and Johan Liiva, you've got Peter on drums, who, while might not be as technically proficient as other drummers in this vast genre, can be most noted for his creative use of his cymbals, and the sounds he's able to produce out of them. You've also got Martin Bengtsson on bass who, sadly, doesn't stand out very much, but he does have his moments if you are willing to listen carefully (the drums, vox, and guitars are much louder than the bass in the mix), and you've also got, once again of course, now former vocalist Johan Liiva, who most die-hard Arch Enemy fans seem to prefer. Now, I could very easily go into this long criticism comparing the two vocalists, but for now, I'll spare you all, not only because I don't want to take up too much space, but also because it's unfair to compare the two. They have 2 different styles of singing; it would ultimately be comparable to apples vs. oranges. Johan Liiva does give a good raspy voice, and what I consider to be one of the most decipherable "growls/grunts" in the entire genre of Metal.

Now, that being said, the song-writing here, like mentioned above, is very different from later albums with Angela Gossow in the mix. It seems rawer, less produced, and has a certain dark atmosphere. The riffs are surprisingly addictive, the solo's are amazing to say the least, the drums are clean, not sloppy, and don't conform to the typical double bass stomping, but rather, leaves the double bass to a minimum and does what's needed to help out with the atmosphere of the dark, down-tuned, heavy guitars. The vocals fit in with this music also surprisingly well, and as mentioned, the bass is very muddy and blends in with the guitars most of the time. Each song goes through many time-changes, which doesn't leave you bored with either song (depending on your tastes), and there is a healthy mix of variety as well. Some songs are slow-paced and pick up later; other songs are mid-paced, and stay that way; and the rest are either instrumental pieces once again meant to keep the mood of the album going, or they are fast paced, thrash induced songs with blistering guitar-work. Either way, this album won't fail to please you regardless of what forms of Metal you like most. Also worth noting, the songs here are more epic-length, as opposed to the typical 3-4 minute songs on later albums like Doomsday Machine and Wages Of Sin.

Songs:
1. Beast Of Man: This is the album opener, and is absolutely relentless. Its one of the more Thrashy, fast-paced songs with minor slow parts in the middle. Contains some of the best riffs on the album. Also, the solo's are very well done and absolutely infectious.

2. Stigmata: The title track, Stigmata, is an instrumental, mid-paced song. A decent song overall, but sort of on the verge of filler material.

3. Sinister Mephisto: This track is very groove-oriented, and contains a very catchy main riff. One of the better songs of the album. Also definately worth noting, is the drums, and the use of cymbals. Very creative, very well-done.

4. Dark Of The Sun: This is a mid-paced/slow song with more catchy riffs. The vocals here are pretty raspy, and doesn't fit the song TOO well, but it does its job overall.

5. Let The Killing Begin: A decent song with a mostly fast pace. However, not one of the more impressive songs on the album. More verge of filler material for me.

6. Black Earth: My absolute favourite of the entire album. It also happens to be the slowest song on the entire album, but there's just something about it that's addictive. One of the better Arch Enemy songs in general in my opinion. Best vocals on the album, best riffs (and one of the better riffs I've heard of any band), amazingly well-done solo's, entertaining throughout. Great song, I'd buy the album just for this song.

7. Hydra: Yet another instrumental piece meant to transition the mood of the previous track into the to follow up, Tears Of The Dead.

8. Tears Of The Dead: Yet another one of those rather fast-paced songs with infectious riffs and groove. My other favourite just because of the catchiness factor.

9. Diva Satanica: One of the faster songs on the album. (if not, the fastest). Now, granted, this is not fast in the sense of, lets say, Rotten Sound fast, or even Cryptopsy fast, but it utilizes its tempo well. Great song in general.

10. Damnation's Way: Another mid-paced song with fast riffs, and a slow chorus. Not exactly my favourite, but its not filler material. Johan's vocals sound especially nasally here for some odd reason.

11. Vox Stellarum: Basically, this song, in a nutshell, is a very atmospheric 2 minute piano piece with a guitar, drum and bass interlude in about the middle, and contains some of the only soulful guitar playing on the entire album. If I were to choose any of the instrumental pieces over the rest, this would be it.

12. Bridge Of Destiny: The longest song on the entire album and has more of that fast guitar work accompanied with quite a bit of the double bass. In the intro, at least. Great song to close the album too.

So, with ALL OF THAT being said (and yes, it's a lot to read, I know), the final verdict is: if you are a fan of Melodic Death Metal, or are into at least melodically influenced bands with rather harsh vocals, and fast paced drumming, then this album is for you.

Thank you for reading.

This band features ex-Carcass guitarist Mike Amott, and it basically follows the style of Carcass' Heartwork, state-of-the-art thrash with excellent lead guitar work (from Mike and his brother Chris Amott). Riffs and drumming are good, but the guitar solos really stand out, technical yet showing enough melodic restraint to avoid wankiness. If you're a guitar player, listening to this will either inspire you to new heights or frustrate you forever cuz you'll never be this good. This is squarely in the thrash/death metal realm (particularly due to the death growling vocals), but so catchy it could conceivably appeal to a much wider audience.

Definately one of the best metal bands out there, metal for the millenium. Archenemy manage to combine their extreme technical prowess with heaviness but also fantastic 'Carcassesque' melodies. The Amott brothers leadwork is second to none......just listen to those solos! The only problem I have is which album to listen to...they're all great.

After reading rave review after rave review on this album, I finally broke down and bought it. So far, it hasn't quite lived up to my expectation level. Don't get me wrong: this is a good disc, but not nearly great enough to stand the test of time. A more accurate rating from me would be three-and-a-half stars. The guitar work and drumming definately can hold its own, but the vocals leave a little to be desired. It will probably grow on me a little more with each listen, but it will ultimately end up on my shelf collecting dust in a couple weeks.

Arch Enemy gets a fair amount of attention and publicity due to the fact that they were pretty much the first death metal band with a female vocalist. Fortunately, their music more than lives up to the hype. This holds true for their early, pre-Angela Grossow albums as well, of which 1998's Stigmata was the second.

Stigmata gets a pretty bad rap, and I have no idea why. Of the band's three pre-Grossow albums, I prefer Black Earth and Burning Bridges, but there's certainly nothing wrong with Stigmata. Nearly everything that makes Arch Enemy's sound so memorable, especially Michael and Christopher Amott's twin guitar sound, is firmly in place on this album. It's still very much a melodic death metal album in the At the Gates/In Flames mold, though I suppose it does lean a bit towards the Haunted's thrash sound. The only real difference between Stigmata and say, Wages of Sin, is that the latter is a bit less thrash-oriented and obviously has a different vocalist. I prefer Grossow's vocals, but Johann Liiva is as good a screamer as anyone, and did a perfectly good job on this album.

Stigmata is just an all-around impressive melodic death metal album. It has some of the best songs of the band's early years, including "Black Earth", "Bridge of Destiny" (great bluesy closing solo on that one) and the total monster of a metal song "Sinister Mephisto", which is one of the best Arch Enemy songs period.

If you're only interested in Arch Enemy's current incarnation, then Stigmata probably won't interest you much. If you're a serious Arch Enemy fan, or just appreciate good quality melodic death metal, regardless of how "hot" the singer is, you're going to want to check out this album.

Edition Notes: Century Media reissued Stigmata (along with 1998's Burning Bridges) in 2009. The deluxe reissue features digitally remastered sound, a nice slipcase, expanded liner notes, and seven bonus tracks. The first three bonus tracks - "Hydra", "Diva Satanica" and "Damnation's Way" - were originally included on the Japanese import of Stigmata. The final four bonus tracks are live songs taken from the Burning Japan Live 1999 Japan-only release. Between the bonus tracks and remastered audio, it's well worth replacing your old copy of Stigmata for the new Deluxe Edition. I just hope Black Earth gets the same treatment at some point.

This is the latest AE album for me after buying Wages of Sin, Anthems of Rebellion, and Black Earth. I'm saving their apparent masterpiece Burning Bridges for last. The style is fairly similar to Black Earth although each album still has its own distinct feel. The Ammot's guitar work is even more impressive this time around, especially the leads which I consider the best I've heard from them so far.

Stigmata starts with 'Beast of Man', the first highlight of the album. Heavy riffing and even blastbeats show up, which I believe is the only time you'll hear them on any AE album. Another standout track for me is 'Black Earth', which kicks in with a signature AE riff attack following the chaotic intro. It always gets my blood pumping when that riff kicks in.

Since I love insturmentals, I love the tracks 'Stigmata' and 'Vox Stellarum'. 'Stigmata' has some heavenly & melodic guitar soloing courtesy of the Ammots, played with all the emotion you could want. Speaking of emotion, the last standout track 'Bridge of Destiny' is an epic of an album closer, featuring more outstanding guitar work and one of the best outro guitar leads that I've ever heard. Again, the lead is played with tons of feeling and emotion, giving off a truly triumphant vibe as well.

Worth buying for the guitar solos alone.

If you like to play challenging stuff like Dream Theater but want something that will get your blood flowing.. Uhm.. look no further. First time i heard it the only thing i thought about was how fast i could get home and jump on my guitar... :) very melodic, well composed death metal heaven..

Arch Enemy's third release is truly near-masterpiece material. The band have finally come into their own and blossomed with true maturity. Killer riffs, sweeping melodies, crushing heaviness and razor-sharp leads will have you bouncing off the walls. The band have outdone themselves. If you at all liked Arch Enemy's previous efforts you are going to go off the deep end with this one. AWESOME!

Okay, I bought this without even hearing one song by the band. I was curious enough just to see what Michael Amott had done after Carcass. I am so far beyond impressed... Arch Enemy shreds from start to finish, no holds barred! Mike's brother Chris is also a magnificent guitar player. Together they lay down riff after melodic, crushing riff, supported by thunderous, creative vocals and relentless drum work. On top of all that, solos a la "Heartwork" grace the album with fury and technique, leaving me open-mouthed and shaking my head. There are a few soft parts on the album at the end, a simple but emotion-laden guitar-piano duet and the title track, but don't worry, they fit in just fine. So get this as soon as you can, you hear? BUY IT, CRANK IT FOR ALL THE WORLD TO HEAR, LOVE IT!

Having been founded by ex-Carcass guitar hero Mike Ammott and his brother Christopher, Arch Enemy promises to be an aggressive, guitar-heavy band. And they don't disappoint. Contiuing in the melodic death metal tradition established by Carcass, the Ammott brothers deliver an endless stream of both aggression and melody. Their riffs rip, their harmonies are crisp, and their solos are catchier and more melodic than the typical extreme metal fare.

In addition, this is one pretty damn heavy album that is sure to please just about any death-metal fan. The since-replaced Johan Livva delivers some thunderously growled vocals that nicely match the intensity of the music. Vicious tunes like "Beast of Man" and "Sinister Mephisto" are about as heavy as they come, with tons of crushing riffs and hard-driving rhythms. However, the songs are also impressively melodic, even catchy, and the frequent solos give the Ammott brothers ample opportunity to demonstrate their virtuosity.

If there's one song on this album that really sticks with me, it's "Tears of the Dead." I'm not completely sure about this, but it seems to be from the point of view of a former Nazi soldier who killed innocent people because he was ordered to, and now as an old man is haunted by the memory of what he did. The narrator says in the chorus, "I was but a pawn in their game/why should I feel any guilt/still when I close, close my eyes/the words unfold, it all comes back." It's like this guy was conditioned by his training to ignore his conscience, and he wants to pretend that what he did wasn't wrong, but in the end he can't help but feel guilty about what his actions. I'm aware this may not be the best description, but suffice to say the song is very moving and thought-provoking. It's definitely nice to see a death metal band putting some thought into their lyrics. Combined with the great music and strong vocals, it's more than enough reason to give "Stigmata" a listen.