Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a supergroup from

Halmstad Halmstad () is a port, university, industrial and recreational urban areas of Sweden, city at the mouth of the Nissan (river), Nissan river, in the provinces of Sweden, province of Halland on the Sweden, Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat ...

, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass, Armageddon, Carnage, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars, The Agonist,

Nevermore Nevermore is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1992. The band was formed after three of its members — vocalist Warrel Dane, bassist Jim Sheppard and guitarist Jeff Loomis — ended their prev ...

, and

Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

. It was founded by Carcass guitarist Michael Amott along with

Johan Liiva Johan Patrik Mattias Liiva (born 18 November 1970) is a Swedish extreme metal vocalist, most widely recognized as the founding vocalist of melodic death metal band Arch Enemy, as well as a former member of Carnage (band), Carnage, Furbowl and No ...

, who were both originally from the

death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...

band Carnage. The band has released eleven

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

s, three

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...

s, three video albums and four

EPs An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

. The band was originally fronted by Johan Liiva, who was replaced by German vocalist Angela Gossow in 2000. Gossow left the band in March 2014, subsequently becoming the group's manager, and was replaced by Canadian vocalist Alissa White-Gluz.

History

Early years and ''Black Earth'' (1995–1997)

Arch Enemy was formed in 1995 by Michael Amott, and the debut album '' Black Earth'' was recorded during nine days in Studio Fredman and released by the now defunct Wrong Again Records in 1996.

''Stigmata'', ''Burning Bridges'', and Gossow (1998–2000)

After the release of ''Black Earth'' the band switched labels, signing a contract with Century Media. In 1998 Arch Enemy released ''

Stigmata Stigmata (, plural of , 'mark, spot, brand'), in Roman Catholicism, Catholicism, are bodily wounds, scars and pain which appear in locations corresponding to the Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion Five Holy Wounds, wounds of Jesus in Christian ...

'', for which bassist Martin Bengtsson and drummer Peter Wildoer joined the band. The album gained a wider audience and popularity in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. This was also the first Arch Enemy album to be released worldwide. In 1999, Sharlee D'Angelo (ex- King Diamond, ex- Mercyful Fate) assumed the role of Arch Enemy's bassist, and Daniel Erlandsson (

, ex- Carcass) was again recruited as the drummer. '' Burning Bridges'' was released, and was followed by the live album '' Burning Japan Live 1999''. During the touring-cycle for ''Burning Bridges'', D'Angelo was temporarily replaced twice; first by Dick Lövgren (

Meshuggah Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1987. Since 2004, the band's lineup consists of founding members Jens Kidman (lead vocals) and Fredrik Thordendal (lead guitar), alongside rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, drumm ...

, ex- Armageddon) and then by Roger Nilsson (ex- Spiritual Beggars, Firebird, the Quill). In November 2000, vocalist Johan Liiva left and was replaced by German death metal vocalist Angela Gossow.

''Wages of Sin'' and ''Anthems of Rebellion'' (2001–2004)

The first album with songs featuring Gossow was '' Wages of Sin'', released in 2001. In December of the same year, Arch Enemy took part in the "Japan's Beast Feast 2002" concert, playing alongside

Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...

and

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...

. '' Anthems of Rebellion'' was released in 2003 and brought some innovations, such as the use of a second voice singing in harmony; such as in the "End of the Line" and "Dehumanization" tracks. In November of the following year, the band released the EP '' Dead Eyes See No Future'', which featured live recordings, along with covers of Manowar,

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...

and Carcass songs. In June 2004, the band embarked upon yet another Japan tour.

''Doomsday Machine'' (2004–2006)

In June 2005, Arch Enemy finished the recording for their sixth album, '' Doomsday Machine''. In July 2005, guitarist Christopher Amott left the band in order to focus on his personal life. He was temporarily replaced by guitarist Gus G. (ex-

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...

, Firewind) and then by

Fredrik Åkesson Karl Fredrik Henrik Åkesson is a Swedish heavy metal guitarist. He is a current member of Opeth and is also active in Krux, Monsters of Metal, and Talisman. He also recorded three studio albums with Ghost. Biography Åkesson has been playin ...

(

Opeth Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. The band incorporates folk music, folk, blues, classical music, classical, and jazz elements into its usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from deat ...

, ex-

Talisman A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...

) in September 2005. Christopher returned on a permanent basis in March 2007, shortly before the band entered the studio to begin recording their new album with producer Fredrik Nordström (who had previously worked with the band on their first four albums). Åkesson went on to become

's new lead guitarist in May 2007.

''Rise of the Tyrant'' (2007–2008)

Arch-Enemy-performing-live-at-Norway-Rock-Festival-2009

Arch Enemy's seventh album, entitled '' Rise of the Tyrant'' was released on 24 September 2007 in Europe and 25 September 2007 in the United States. ''Rise of the Tyrant'' debuted at number 84 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. This surpassed the ''Doomsday Machine'' chart entry, making it the band's highest charting effort to date. Gossow said the new album has more emotion and less double vocals, as well as less vocal processing, yielding a more "raw" presentation. Arch Enemy played the Bloodstock Open Air Festival in August 2007, between Sabbat and

In Flames In Flames is a Swedish Heavy metal music, heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990 out of the Swedish death metal, Swedish death metal scene. Their lineup has changed several times, with vocalist Anders Frid ...

. They then performed on the Black Crusade tour at the end of 2007 with Machine Head,

Trivium The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The trivium is implicit in ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by Martianus Capella, but the term was not used until the Carolin ...

, DragonForce and Shadows Fall. On 8 March 2008 Arch Enemy filmed a live show in Tokyo, Japan for the live DVD '' Tyrants of the Rising Sun''. Arch Enemy also co-headlined the "Defenders of the Faith" tour in April 2008 with

, while

DevilDriver DevilDriver is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara, California, formed in 2002, consisting of vocalist Dez Fafara, bassist Jon Miller, guitarist Alex Lee and drummer Davier Pérez. The b ...

and 3 Inches of Blood opened for them. They then headlined the "Tyranny and Bloodshred" tour in May 2008 with

Dark Tranquillity Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg. They are considered one of the pioneering acts of the Swedish death metal, Gothenburg metal scene, which also includes bands such as In Flames and At the Gates - regarded a ...

, Divine Heresy, and Firewind as supporting acts.

''The Root of All Evil'' (2009–2010)

A compilation album titled '' The Root of All Evil'' was released on 28 September 2009 in Europe, 30 September in Japan, and 6 October in the United States. '' The Root of All Evil'' features twelve re-recorded songs spanning the band's career before Gossow joined as vocalist, with some material pre-dating D'Angelo as their bassist. In the first half of 2009, the band toured

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, and then played at the annual " Dubai Desert Rock Festival" alongside

Chimaira Chimaira ( ) is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in August 1998, the band's name is derived from the word Chimera (mythology), Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek mythology. Throughout its history, ...

, and

. Following the release of ''The Root of All Evil'' on 28 September 2009, the band embarked on an

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

n and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n tour, which included their first visit to

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. The tour started at the "Loud Park festival" in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

on 17 October supplementing other acts including

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...

Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...

Rob Zombie Robert Bartleh Cummings (born January 12, 1965), known professionally as Rob Zombie, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live show ...

and

Children of Bodom Children of Bodom was a Finnish melodic death metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993 as Inearthed, the final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of frontman Alexi Laiho, drummer Jaska Raatikainen, bassist Henkka Seppälä, ...

. They also toured in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

on 25 October headlining at the Melon AX Hall in Seoul.

''Khaos Legions'' and Christopher's second departure (2011–2013)

According to a September 2010 interview with Angela Gossow, Arch Enemy entered the studio on 1 December to begin recording their eighth album, '' Khaos Legions'', for a release in June 2011, according to the band's website. The first single from the album was released on the Century Media website on 31 March entitled "Yesterday is Dead and Gone". The album was released on 31 May 2011. On 12 December the band announced that they would be filming a show in Cologne the following day for an upcoming live DVD entitled "World Khaos Tour". On 3 March 2012 it was announced on the band's Facebook page that Christopher Amott had once again departed from the band. He was replaced by Nick Cordle from Arsis. Arch Enemy released their third music video from Khaos Legions on 25 April 2012 for "Under Black Flags We March". Not only does Nick Cordle appear in the video, he also recorded a new guitar solo, making this his debut track with the band.

Gossow's departure and ''War Eternal'' (2013–2015)

On 3 March 2014 the band revealed their ninth album would be titled '' War Eternal'', released in June 2014. On 17 March 2014, Gossow released a statement announcing her departure from the group and welcoming her replacement, former vocalist of Canadian

metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...

band the Agonist, Alissa White-Gluz. In the statement, she wrote that while she had enjoyed her time with the group, it was time for her to move on, be with her family and pursue other interests. Gossow did confirm that she would remain Arch Enemy's business manager and would be "passing the torch to the super talented Alissa White-Gluz, whom I've known as a dear friend and a superb vocalist for many years. I always thought she deserved a chance to shine – and now she's getting it. Just like I got that chance back in 2001." White-Gluz also released a statement saying: "I am very honored and happy to announce a new chapter in my life and musical career. ''Wages of Sin'' was the first metal album I ever bought, and it was love at first listen. It is not often that you get a phone call from your favorite band asking you to join! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such amazingly talented musicians whom I also consider great friends. I look forward to being able to write and perform at a whole new level now with Arch Enemy! Music is forever, metal is limitless and this is only the beginning!" During Arch Enemy's North American tour in support of their album '' War Eternal'', guitarist Nick Cordle left the band on 10 November 2014. Specifically, he left the stage with only a few songs remaining in the set during the show at San Francisco's Regency Ballroom. Christopher Amott temporarily re-joined the band for the remainder of the tour, while famed guitarist

Jeff Loomis Jeff Loomis (born September 14, 1971) is an American musician, best known for his role as lead guitarist in the progressive metal band Nevermore during its existence from 1991 to 2011, as well as brief tenures in its precursor, Sanctuary (band) ...

(formerly of

) was announced as the official replacement and joined the band for their European tour with

Kreator Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current line-up consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mille Petrozza, Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen Reil, Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli- ...

and subsequent events.

New project Black Earth (2016–2017)

On 22 January 2016, the founding members of Arch Enemy formed a side project named Black Earth. Consisting of former members Liiva and Christopher Amott, and current members Daniel Erlandsson, Michael Amott, and Sharlee D'Angelo, the band played a sold out Japan tour in May 2016 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of both Arch Enemy and the release of their debut album, ''Black Earth'', they only performed songs from the band's first three albums.

''Will to Power'' (2016–2019)

On 26 August 2016, it was announced that Arch Enemy was working on their tenth studio album which would be released in 2017. On 22 May 2017, the band revealed that the album would be entitled ''

Will to Power The will to power () is a concept in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. The will to power describes what Nietzsche may have believed to be the main driving force in humans. However, the concept was never systematically defined in Nietzsche's ...

'', to be released on 8 September 2017 by

Century Media Records Century Media Records is a German heavy metal record label with offices in Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom. In August 2015, Century Media was acquired by Sony Music for US$17 million. Background Century Media was founded by R ...

. The first single, "The World Is Yours", was released on 14 July 2017, along with a music video that gained more than 1.1 million views on YouTube in the first two days. On 2 August 2017, the band announced a co-headlining North American tour with

in fall 2017 with While She Sleeps and Fit for an Autopsy as support acts. In an October 2018 interview, Michael Amott announced that he has been "writing a little bit here and there" and has "a few new ideas" for the next Arch Enemy album.

''Covered in Blood'' (2019)

On 18 January 2019, Arch Enemy released '' Covered in Blood'', a compilation album of songs covered over the years.

European tour, ''Deceivers,'' and Jeff Loomis' departure (2020–2023)

On 30 November 2020, Arch Enemy announced their participation in the European Siege Tour 2021 with

Behemoth Behemoth (; , ''bəhēmōṯ'') is a beast from the biblical Book of Job, and is a form of the primeval chaos-monster created by God at the beginning of creation. Metaphorically, the name has come to be used for any extremely large or powerful ...

, Carcass and Unto Others (later postponed to 2022). On 21 October 2021, Arch Enemy premiered the music video for their new single "Deceiver, Deceiver". On 9 December 2021, they released a music video for another single, "House of Mirrors". On 27 January 2022, Arch Enemy announced their eleventh album, entitled '' Deceivers'', released on 12 August 2022 (originally announced for 29 July 2022, but later postponed). Along with the album announcement came the third single "Handshake with Hell", with yet another music video. The song was listed as

Loudwire ''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive i ...

's "best metal/rock song" of 2022, after " We'll Be Back" by

. On 22 April 2022, the band announced the fourth single from the new album, "Sunset over the Empire", released on 20 May 2022, digitally and as a limited 7" vinyl with a B-side "The Judging Eyes", an instrumental remake of "You Will Know My Name" from 2014’s '' War Eternal''. On 11 July 2022, came the fifth single announcement - "In the Eye of the Storm", out on 14 July 2022. HF2023ArchEnemy 04

On 30 December 2023, Loomis left Arch Enemy on good terms to "enter a new chapter in islife." Joey Concepcion - who had previously filled in for Loomis for Arch Enemy's shows at Summer Breeze Open Air and Elbriot in 2018 - was announced as his replacement. Concepcion's first tour with the band was the Deceivers Asia Tour which took place in April and May 2024, and was the final tour of the ''Deceivers'' album cycle.

''Blood Dynasty'' (2024–present)

On 31 July 2024, Arch Enemy surprised fans with an unannounced single and music video "Dream Stealer", the first new track since the '' Deceivers'' album in 2022. On 4 October 2024, the band announced that their twelfth album, '' Blood Dynasty'', would be released on 28 March 2025. The album's second single "Liars & Thieves" was debuted on the Rising from the North tour, and released along with an official music video on 17 October. A third single, "Blood Dynasty", was announced on 27 November 2024 with a release scheduled for one week later. One week after concluding the Rising from the North tour, Arch Enemy embarked on their Largo Camino Al Inframundo... tour, performing 18 shows across the country of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. This was the second tour of the ''Blood Dynasty'' album cycle, and the most extensive Mexican tour of their career. On 25 November 2024, it was announced that Arch Enemy would be headlining the European Blood Dynasty 2025 Tour in October and November 2025, with support acts Amorphis,

Eluveitie Eluveitie ( ; )Chrigel Glanzmann: "Eluveitie is a name in Gaulish language, which is an ancient Celtic language. Since it's not a living language anymore, nobody really knows how it's pronounced like. All we have today of this language is scient ...

and Gatecreeper. Ticket sales for this tour began on 27 November 2024. On 18 December 2024, it was announced that Arch Enemy would be headlining the North American Blood Dynasty 2025 Tour in April and May 2025, with support acts Fit for an Autopsy, BAEST and Thrown into Exile. General ticket sales for this tour began on 20 December 2024.

Musical style

Arch Enemy's musical style has been classified as melodic death metal.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

critic Steve Huey describes the band's sound as a "blend of progressive and

influences." Earlier albums, such as '' Burning Bridges'', while still classified as melodic death metal, are more centered around classic death metal. Invisible Oranges described the band's sound as "sort of a watered-down version" of Carcass's 1993 album '' Heartwork''. They were heavy influenced by heavy metal bands such as

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...

, UFO,

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...

Death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

, Morbid Angel and

Obituary An obituary (wikt:obit#Etymology 2, obit for short) is an Article (publishing), article about a recently death, deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as Article (publishing), news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on p ...

Band members

With Full Force Full Force (previously With Full Force) is a German heavy metal music, heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented music festival held annually since 1994. Lineups 2014 4 - 6 July Amon Amarth, Architects (British band), Architects, Being as an O ...