Known for their speed, thrash and old-school metal stylings, ARCH ENEMY again make it come together seamlessly on their latest effort, Anthems of Rebellion. The fury of the Mike and Chris Amott guitar duo again roars with such power, as opening track “Silent Wars” wants to make sure everyone understands. The speed metal-inspired main riff would do AT THE GATES proud, with howler babe Angela Gossow’s vocals sounding more than just a little unladylike. Her best moment on Anthems of Rebellion, however, is without doubt the pre-chorus to the slower cut “We Will Rise,” in which she belts: “I am the enemy/I am the antidote/Watch me closely/I will stand up now.” However, there are times when Gossow’s vocals could make a diehard ARCH ENEMY fan miss the likes of original vocalist Johan Liiva’s more articulate screams. Her constant shrieks and gut-wrenching snarls are definitely well-placed, but grow to be a tad monotonous after 12 tracks of the same vocal style. Regardless of that, Anthems of Rebellion is one hell of a heavy metal record. The guitar harmonies and flat-out addictive chorus on “End of the Line” make it another definite highlight, while the short but brutal “Despicable Heroes” singlehandedly destroys any other band’s hopes of doing speed metal justice. The Amott brothers and company have struck again, proving that good metal is anything but dead. (Century Media)