Review of the Album Doomsday Machine by Arch Enemy

Doomsday Machine is not only the 6^th studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy but it is also an album that this writer had wanted to review for at least the last month. Here we are with this 2005 album that has received mixed reviews from critics. I may be biased but Arch Enemy never disappoints me!

"Enter the Machine"

Enter the Machine is a two minute instrumental song that starts out slowly and builds up. Then we have some guitar tapping that sounds neoclassical in nature. A few of the riffs even sound like the German band Flowing Tears but some of you would have to be an experienced music listener to notice this.

Taking Back My Soul has the impressive lead guitars that we have heard from these guys. And then, the riffs really speed up as I hear a sort of crunchy impellitteri influence because of the “shredding” that is present. Shredding is a musical term used to describe the fast guitars that have fast picking as the speed intensifies. For those of you that are interested in neoclassical shred metal, check out Jason Becker or Vinnie Moore. The song is about a person that felt like they were lost and had no direction. They are in this battle to reclaim their soul or identity.

Nemesis means the arch enemy of someone and in this song, the message is that these kinds of people have an objective to create a sort of revolution that will disrupt the political order. Arch Enemy’s lyrics are very introspective, deep, and they describe what is really going on in the world. The song is also about a group of people walking on the Earth ready to use the policy of eye for an eye. They are strong, united, and fighting for those oppressed peoples.

The next song My Apocalypse has some riffing that is similar to Danish death metal band Hatesphere. The lead guitar later in the song is a melodic, modern day ABBA influenced part. ABBA was a pop music group that was hugely popular many years ago and I guess Arch Enemy might have been influenced by them. Note: do not confuse this song with the song of the same name by Metallica written in 2008. This is a song about someone that knows that their end is coming and their dreams have been shattered. But my dreams of writing more on Hubpages is still alive and well.

Which Swedish heavy metal band that is one of the big ones has a bad album? Let’s go through a few of them. In Flames which has been active since 1990 does not have a single sub-standard album and neither does Dark Tranquillity. The same can be said of Arch Enemy and even if Stigmata is their weakest release, it still wouldn’t be bad enough to be a bad album.

"Carry the Cross"

Carry the Cross is a song that may as well describe the human life cycle. We walk through life getting older carrying with us our trials, tribulations, and burdens as each one of us will rise and fall. Isn’t that because of our mortality? It certainly is but it is a subject that most of us don’t like to think about.

"I Am Legend/Out for Blood"

I Am Legend/Out for Blood is a two part song with the first part being an instrumental and the second part being a part with lyrics. This second part of the song is about a person that is out for lust, revenge, and blood as they are willing to destroy others any way they can.

"Mechanic God Creation"

Mechanic God Creation is a song that may be foretelling the future as humans may be replaced by machine because there will be this doomsday machine that has been created by man himself. One of the riffs sounds like the song Carnal Forge by British death metal band Carcass.

"Skeleton Dance"

Skeleton Dance is a heavy song about someone that feels that their death or demise is near because their mind id floating away from sharpness and they are experiencing shortness of breath. In spite of the speed and heaviness, this song is at best average.

"Slaves of Yesterday"

Slaves of Yesterday is a song that can be about the fact that there are some people that are stuck in their past and not seeing the sunrise of the new day even though it is there for them to see. It becomes a cycle that is hard to break.