Arch Enemy Replacing Angela Gossow w/ Alissa White-Gluz (The Agonist)

[AMOS]

jeff loomis as a hired gun is the biggest travesty to come of this.

...also angela era > alyssa era

Loomis is much better than Amott, not sure why he doesn't play more lead, or at least break out the 7's. He mentioned in an interview AE wasn't a 7 string band, I think that's because Amott doesn't want it.

 

[MFB]

Not to say he CAN'T write in this style, but when I think Loomis, the immediate sound that comes to mind is diminished scales which I don't hear much of in AE; so it's not entirely insane as to why he might not be doing as much (read as: any) writing in the band.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

jeff loomis as a hired gun is the biggest travesty to come of this.

...also angela era > alyssa era

Did you hear Loomis in the recent Alcatrazz release? loomis is amazing, but it is very 80s Alcatrazz

Arch Enemy is ok....but I miss Nevermore

 

[D-Nasty]

Loomis is much better than Amott, not sure why he doesn't play more lead, or at least break out the 7's. He mentioned in an interview AE wasn't a 7 string band, I think that's because Amott doesn't want it.

Loomis might be more technical than Amott, but I prefer the Carcass - Heartwork style solos. Jeff Loomis is a super shredder but the Amott brothers feel the music...

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

...also angela era > alyssa era

Early Angela era, sure
Later Angela era is just as boring as Alyssa era imo.
Johan era is best era. Even the new Black Earth singles were better than anything they've done in over a decade. Johan just brings something out of the Amott brothers.

 

[AMOS]

Loomis might be more technical than Amott, but I prefer the Carcass - Heartwork style solos. Jeff Loomis is a super shredder but the Amott brothers feel the music...

I hear ya, they play with heart. There is this video of Loomis playing with Tony MacAlpine for EMG TV and they were both playing some great emotional guitar work. Loomis can do it, but he usually shreds.

 

[Grindspine]

I respect Arch Enemy, as each of the musicians are extremely talented. However, I just cannot seem to get into any of their recent stuff. It all seems very safe & formulated. I was a huge Carcass fan back in the nineties. I am also a big fan of The Agonist, both during the Alyssa era and now with Vicky as their front. Angela was also an amazing vocalist.

In every recent arrangement though, Alyssa uses so little of her vocal range, trying to stay really close to Angela's style. Amott and Loomis play great melodies, but nothing seems pushed or like they are pushing to any type of limit. I mean, these guys are amazing players, but everything just sounds so safe and polished anymore. It would be nice to hear them push some boundaries or do something unexpected.

 

[CTID]

i remember liking some songs off of Rise of the Tyrant when i was a teenager, nowadays i couldn't tell you a single name of a song off of it, or if there's even a title track on it.

doomsday machine i still remember and listen to a couple songs here and there (still pretty rarely tbh) and as i've gotten older i've just distanced myself from "anthemic" metal i guess. RotT apparently bored me enough that i've not listened to one single new song released by them since it came out

 

[TheShreddinHand]

Did you hear Loomis in the recent Alcatrazz release? loomis is amazing, but it is very 80s Alcatrazz

Arch Enemy is ok....but I miss Nevermore

Did that album drop? I didn’t think it had come out yet.

 

[Grindspine]

i remember liking some songs off of Rise of the Tyrant when i was a teenager, nowadays i couldn't tell you a single name of a song off of it, or if there's even a title track on it.

doomsday machine i still remember and listen to a couple songs here and there (still pretty rarely tbh) and as i've gotten older i've just distanced myself from "anthemic" metal i guess. RotT apparently bored me enough that i've not listened to one single new song released by them since it came out

"Anthemic" is a good descriptor for how Arch Enemy sounds now. It is strange to think that you can term it like that now when they were rooted so deeply in death metal in the nineties.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Loomis is much better than Amott, not sure why he doesn't play more lead, or at least break out the 7's. He mentioned in an interview AE wasn't a 7 string band, I think that's because Amott doesn't want it.

No. Watch the interview Ola did with Loomis. Jeff mentions that Arch Enemy has a specific sound and it comes from the creative style of Amott. Jeff's writing style doesn't match. He said if he wrote something, it would sound like his solo stuff or Nevermore. He says that Michael will bounce ideas off of him and he's happy to contribute that way, but the AE sound comes from Amott's writing style.

 

[Xiphos68]

I just don't see how anyone creative as Loomis would be happy in that situation aside from making solid pay.

I find it so odd that these modern bands don't take a risk writing with someone new.

Poison when they got Richie Kotzen in the 80's let him not only sing but write 90% of the album. Which is unheard of with a new member at like 20 years old.
While it didn't chart like previous Poison, it wasn't meant to. It was it's own thing and it was the best thing they ever did imo.
Richie ripped.

I don't think in this era you would have to worry as much. I think most fans these days would welcome a new flavor as long as it doesn't diverge too much from the old.
Loomis I don't think would be an issue which is why I don't get it. It's a waste.

 

[Edika]

I recently listened to some of the older stuff with Chris Ammot on Lead and he's really shreddy I'd say. I don't understand why Jeff can't play solos in that vain instead of playing, in some cases, worse solos than Michael. I don't think Jeff is so one dimensional that he can only play diminished scale stuff ala Nevermore. The explanation above is just the usual bull not to say that he's a hired gun and Michael is a complete control freak lol!

 

[AMOS]

I just don't see how anyone creative as Loomis would be happy in that situation aside from making solid pay.

I find it so odd that these modern bands don't take a risk writing with someone new.

Poison when they got Richie Kotzen in the 80's let him not only sing but write 90% of the album. Which is unheard of with a new member at like 20 years old.
While it didn't chart like previous Poison, it wasn't meant to. It was it's own thing and it was the best thing they ever did imo.
Richie ripped.

I don't think in this era you would have to worry as much. I think most fans these days would welcome a new flavor as long as it doesn't diverge too much from the old.
Loomis I don't think would be an issue which is why I don't get it. It's a waste.

Maybe he's just building up his credentials and making some money.

 

[Bandersnatch]

I just don't see how anyone creative as Loomis would be happy in that situation aside from making solid pay.

I find it so odd that these modern bands don't take a risk writing with someone new.

Poison when they got Richie Kotzen in the 80's let him not only sing but write 90% of the album. Which is unheard of with a new member at like 20 years old.
While it didn't chart like previous Poison, it wasn't meant to. It was it's own thing and it was the best thing they ever did imo.
Richie ripped.

I don't think in this era you would have to worry as much. I think most fans these days would welcome a new flavor as long as it doesn't diverge too much from the old.
Loomis I don't think would be an issue which is why I don't get it. It's a waste.

Some musicians who have been the primary driving force behind a (former) band's, or their own songwriting for a long time are sometimes happy to take a gig where they just have to sit back and play for the enjoyment of playing without the pressures that goes along with primary song writing duties.

Portnoy comes to mind...

Likely that Loomis in this same mindset so that he can write in his signature style for his solo stuff (which he's said he's writing solo album #3) as well as Alcatrazz. Those would likely feel more like "home" to his creative style.

 

[VGK17]

Why is everyone acting like Jeff Loomis is being held hostage by Arch Enemy?

 

[MFB]

The only thing holding Jeff Loomis hostage is that pesky trem block affecting his tone!

If only there was some sort of product that could give him more sustain/attack without losing the feel of a traditional metal block; maybe one made of some sort of, I don't know, stone perhaps?

 

[Adieu]

Why is everyone acting like Jeff Loomis is being held hostage by Arch Enemy?

Wouldn't it be the other way around, him and the new chick holding the leftovers of old Arch Enemy hostage?

 

[works0fheart]

Loomis might be more technical than Amott, but I prefer the Carcass - Heartwork style solos. Jeff Loomis is a super shredder but the Amott brothers feel the music...

As much as I like some of the solos on Heartwork, Michael's solos don't even hold a candle to Christopher Amott's. Mike has only gotten more boring sounding as times gone on as well.

 

[D-Nasty]

As much as I like some of the solos on Heartwork, Michael's solos don't even hold a candle to Christopher Amott's. Mike has only gotten more boring sounding as times gone on as well.

I'm checking out Dark Tranquility "Moment". I'm at the solo section of the first song. I've listened to it several times now & I don't really hear anything that monumental. It's good, but not great. What tunes should I be listening to? I haven't really kept up with Christopher Amott.