It has been a while since we have talked about Arch Enemy here! The band has returned to unleash their latest creation upon the world. The Swedish melodic death metal masters bring us Will to Power which I must say this album makes me feel on the fence still. Right from the start the album makes you headbang with the nice 80 second intro which goes into the next track, The Race, which continues the heaviness. Now you all may ask, “Where’s the problem that makes you on the fence for how you feel about the album?” Well don’t get me wrong, the riffs are intense, the solos are edgy and creative and vocalist Alissa White-Gluz brutally growls throughout.
The problem is with moments where the album goes into sounding like it wants to be a power metal release. The tracks Reason to Believe and The Eagle Flies Alone are perfect examples. The guitar work on these songs sound like they belong on power metal album but happen to be used in a melodic death metal album. The guitars just don’t fit here.
Overall is the album good? Yeah it is, it has great riffs and solos, some heavy moments and shows some growth in Arch Enemy’s sound but like any other album there is usually parts you won’t like and I happened to just not dig the power metal anthem tracks. Will to Power is definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of Arch Enemy or melodic death metal or maybe even power metal at this point.
Overall Score: 6.5/10
