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Product Description
2011 album from Swedish melo-death stayers
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
... this isn't my favorite album.
The songs are good, but altogether a bit too typical and all in the same vein. Also, fewer stay in your head after listening. I've listened to it a couple of times by now and it does not keep getting better, instead I find myself more drawn to some of their previous recordings.
I am also a bit disappointed by the guitar sounds - after all the Amott brother are one of the main assets of Arch Enemy. This one is a bit dry and lack character. It also has some rather weird, almost easy-listening moments.
My other gripe is the instrumentals. They are short and tasty, but also... unnecessary. You find yourself drawn to the forward button instead of listening through another lifeless, somewhat boring instrumental. This applies to the intro as well. Strangely, I didn't find this the case with the previous instrumentals Arch Enemy have done, or the intro on "Domesday".
If you are new to Arch Enemy I would recommend you to rather go for "Rise of the Tyrant" (melodic and heavy) or "Anthems of Rebellion" (very heavy and more diverse).
All in all it's a good record and fans will enjoy it, it is a quality recording, but it also lacks that genius, that extra special touch Arch Enemy have shown in previous records.
The songs are good, but altogether a bit too typical and all in the same vein. Also, fewer stay in your head after listening. I've listened to it a couple of times by now and it does not keep getting better, instead I find myself more drawn to some of their previous recordings.
I am also a bit disappointed by the guitar sounds - after all the Amott brother are one of the main assets of Arch Enemy. This one is a bit dry and lack character. It also has some rather weird, almost easy-listening moments.
My other gripe is the instrumentals. They are short and tasty, but also... unnecessary. You find yourself drawn to the forward button instead of listening through another lifeless, somewhat boring instrumental. This applies to the intro as well. Strangely, I didn't find this the case with the previous instrumentals Arch Enemy have done, or the intro on "Domesday".
If you are new to Arch Enemy I would recommend you to rather go for "Rise of the Tyrant" (melodic and heavy) or "Anthems of Rebellion" (very heavy and more diverse).
All in all it's a good record and fans will enjoy it, it is a quality recording, but it also lacks that genius, that extra special touch Arch Enemy have shown in previous records.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Its been a few years now since the decent-but-unremarkable `Rise of the Tyrant' and I have been eagerly anticipating the release of this album, in the hope that AE would develop their metalcore/Gothenburg sound without losing their trademark bite and aggression. Does Khaos legions live up to expectation?
I'm afraid the answer is, for the most part, no. Although the superior songwriting is clearly present, what hits home is the alarming lack of progression from their previous two works. There is simply none at all to be seen. Over the first four songs - which are the best on display, this is not so much of an issue, but as soon as the standard drops slightly, my level of interest did too. Despite my best efforts I have started to drift off and to mull over the gardening/what to have for tea/when I can play Amorphis' latest masterpiece again.
Part of the problem, I feel, is the limited nature of AE's sound. Lack of progression is not necessarily a bad thing, for example Soilwork and Dark Tranquility have both been releasing the same album for nigh on ten years now. But both bands use a lot of variety within their songs, including the use of clean vocals, giving each song a clear identity. AE aren't so lucky - Angela, though one of the best raspers in the game, has very limited range, and the three `standard' instruments only are utilised. Consequently the feeling of stagnation and saminess is amplified and the mind starts to wander...
It's not all bad, the songwriting prowess is still there, `Bloodstained Cross' is class and `No gods, no masters' is an anthemic classic, perhaps the best song they have ever written. However two songs do not make an album, and if AE are not to slip from their podium into the vast Metalcore `pack,' they may need to have a re-think about their musical direction and - dare I say it - personnel.
I'm afraid the answer is, for the most part, no. Although the superior songwriting is clearly present, what hits home is the alarming lack of progression from their previous two works. There is simply none at all to be seen. Over the first four songs - which are the best on display, this is not so much of an issue, but as soon as the standard drops slightly, my level of interest did too. Despite my best efforts I have started to drift off and to mull over the gardening/what to have for tea/when I can play Amorphis' latest masterpiece again.
Part of the problem, I feel, is the limited nature of AE's sound. Lack of progression is not necessarily a bad thing, for example Soilwork and Dark Tranquility have both been releasing the same album for nigh on ten years now. But both bands use a lot of variety within their songs, including the use of clean vocals, giving each song a clear identity. AE aren't so lucky - Angela, though one of the best raspers in the game, has very limited range, and the three `standard' instruments only are utilised. Consequently the feeling of stagnation and saminess is amplified and the mind starts to wander...
It's not all bad, the songwriting prowess is still there, `Bloodstained Cross' is class and `No gods, no masters' is an anthemic classic, perhaps the best song they have ever written. However two songs do not make an album, and if AE are not to slip from their podium into the vast Metalcore `pack,' they may need to have a re-think about their musical direction and - dare I say it - personnel.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a polished, mature work from Arch Enemy. It won't be for everyone; the production quality is high and while mostly quite heavy, all of the songs are very melodic. The album showcases the band's technical ability, the drums, guitar lines and song structures are interesting throughout. The guitar lines show more neoclassical and progressive influences than on previous albums. Indeed, some tracks (especially city of the dead) are slightly reminiscent of dream theater songs. The drums and vocals are fantastic throughout.
I am giving the album four rather than five stars because the album is slightly let down by the three instrumental pieces. The instrumental parts shine through so well on all of the songs that the three tracks without vocals are redundant and just sound like less interesting versions of the songs. Other weak points of the album are that the variety between songs is relatively low and I feel that the increased melodic focus makes the songs much less heavy than they could be. There are heavy riffs and blastbeat passages but they're always broken up by a progressive guitar break, a switch to a complex syncopated drum pattern or an acoustic / keyboard passage which while technically impressive, feel just a tad overused. Due to frequent rhythm changes the songs on this album are much less moshpit friendly than usual for Arch Enemy.
That said, I'd recommend the album to any fan of Arch Enemy or melodic death metal. It would probably also be worth a listen for progressive metal fans. There are also some very challenging guitar parts that would be of interest to advanced students of the instrument.
I am giving the album four rather than five stars because the album is slightly let down by the three instrumental pieces. The instrumental parts shine through so well on all of the songs that the three tracks without vocals are redundant and just sound like less interesting versions of the songs. Other weak points of the album are that the variety between songs is relatively low and I feel that the increased melodic focus makes the songs much less heavy than they could be. There are heavy riffs and blastbeat passages but they're always broken up by a progressive guitar break, a switch to a complex syncopated drum pattern or an acoustic / keyboard passage which while technically impressive, feel just a tad overused. Due to frequent rhythm changes the songs on this album are much less moshpit friendly than usual for Arch Enemy.
That said, I'd recommend the album to any fan of Arch Enemy or melodic death metal. It would probably also be worth a listen for progressive metal fans. There are also some very challenging guitar parts that would be of interest to advanced students of the instrument.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not so speedy, but worth the wait
I don't know what happened with the Hermes guy that was delivering this vinyl to me, but 3 days in a row it kept being delayed even though the tracking said it was out in the van... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jen
Pure quality
When Arch Enemy releases a new work you can be sure that it's going to be a masterpiece, and Khaos Legions is not an exception. Read more
Published 4 months ago by David Montes De Romero
More heavy brilliance from"the Enemy"!
Arch Enemy really come up with the goods this time. Very heavy, but with very clever melodic hooks. This album will take a couple of listens to fully appreciate some of the clever... Read more
Published 9 months ago by d sharp
Arch Enemy - Khaos Legions limited edition.
I've had this album since the day it came out (got it through the post on day of release, luckily), and I've also had it on my stereo/ipod as well. Read more
Published 11 months ago by N. Green
Great album with some flaws
I was mulling over whether to give this album 4 or 5 stars, but in the end decided on the lower mark for the reasons I'll mention later. First off, this is a damn good album. Read more
Published 11 months ago by A Scully
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