ARCH ENEMY is on a Scandinavian tour, with most concerts in Sweden, but they also have time for a short trip to Norway. This is the first time ARCH ENEMY has set foot on Norwegian soil, so we take the opportunity to have a chat with guitarist Michael Amott.
Text: Runar Pettersen. This interview was January 28 2003 at John Dee, Oslo, Norway.
The ARCH ENEMY concert at John Dee has just ended, and I am on my way to talk with Michael Amott, guitarist and spiritual leader of ARCH ENEMY. Michael is in a good mood and in a playful spirit, but we start by talking a bit about the Scandinavian tour they are on.
– We have long wanted to do a tour like this; it’s been a long time since we’ve had the chance to play, and time has been tight. We have never played in Norway before, so it’s cool to play here. Personally, I have never played in Norway at all. We feel at home on this tour since we don’t live far from here. The tour has been great; the concert here in Norway was probably the tamest so far, but still a good concert. We had good sound on stage, so we are satisfied.
ARCH ENEMY is now ready to record their fifth studio album, and in less than two weeks, at the time of writing, the gang is heading to England for the recording.
– Andy Sneap will produce the album for us; last time he mixed the album, but this time he’s handling all production, so it will be a completely new experience for us. The music is mainly written by my brother and me; we are the guitarists in the band, and ARCH ENEMY is a guitar-based band. There are a lot of guitars, but we are all involved in the writing process. We feel much more like a band when it comes to writing this time. Before, it was mostly me and my ideas that counted; I was the spiritual leader of the band, he he.
The lyrics on “Wages of Sin” have religious undertones, with songs like “Burning Angel” and “Savage Messiah.” Are these themes that will be repeated?
– We have received quite a few questions about the religious aspect, so we will move away from that. We are not a religious band and do not want to be seen as one, he he.
The previous studio album, “Wages of Sin,” was first released on the Japanese market; this time, the album will be released simultaneously worldwide, as Michael believes that repetition is not necessarily a good idea. On “Wages of Sin,” you could also buy a special edition with a bonus CD featuring rare and unreleased tracks. Among other things, we heard some cover songs by JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, and EUROPE.
– We gathered as much extra material as we could find, so we used it all that time. Whether there will be another bonus disc is doubtful. But we want to try to include something extra so that fans get value for their money. It is quite expensive to buy CDs, so we think it’s important, especially here in Norway, he he. We are all fans of classic metal, so recording those covers felt natural to us. We all love bands like IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST. I also really like EUROPE’s first two albums. I especially appreciate John Norum’s guitar playing… he is a guitarist who has inspired me.
With members from bands like CARCASS, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS, MERCYFUL FATE, and IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY is seen by many as a supergroup.
– Yes, it may seem that way, but it’s not something we think about. ARCH ENEMY is the main band for all of us now. Although some of us play in several bands, our priority is ARCH ENEMY. Sharlee D’Angelo hasn’t done anything with MERCYFUL FATE since 1999, so he has all the time for ARCH ENEMY.
Your previous vocalist Johan Liiva was fired from the band despite having a distinctive voice. Why?
– Well, we felt we had gone as far as we could with him as a vocalist, and we wanted to evolve more, so we needed a new vocalist. Johan is a fantastic person and a good friend, so it was a shame we had to let him go. We needed a better front figure, and we felt that was something Johan lacked. We received a lot of feedback from fans and the press that we gave poor concerts, and this often comes down to the front figure, so we felt we had to address that. We were also looking for a more aggressive, rawer type of vocal, which we believe we found in Angela Gossow. But we wish Johan all the best.
So where did you find Angela Gossow?
– We saw her in another band she was in before and were mightily impressed by her vocal performance. When we were looking for a new vocalist, we thought of her. We didn’t want someone who was already known, as we already had too many ex-members from various bands, so it was great to bring in someone unknown. There are enough legends in the band already, he he. We will likely get some attention because she is a woman singing with a death vocal, but what’s important is that she does a good job. Many will probably check her out as a vocalist, but if she doesn’t do a good job, they won’t stick around. It’s not enough to just capture people’s attention; you have to have more to offer.
I tell Michael that I read somewhere that she wrote a review of ARCH ENEMY before joining the band, where she gave the album 10 out of 10.
– Yes, she used to write for a website, but she wasn’t a big fan. She probably likes the music a bit better now; she has gotten used to it, he he. She wants to take us in a more brutal direction; she likes bands like CANNIBAL CORPSE and that sort, so she wants us to go more in that style. We are the wimps in the band who want to play more melodic stuff, which she isn’t so fond of, laughs Michael, a little worried that Angela will hear.
We chat for a while longer about some more unrelated topics before I thank him for the talk and a great concert. Michael, however, is a bit disappointed that the chat is over, as he was just getting warmed up, he says jokingly. I hope ARCH ENEMY will visit Norway again in the future, as this group clearly plays high-quality death metal of the best kind.
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