Burning Bridges (Arch Enemy album)

Burning Bridges
Studio album by Arch Enemy
Released May 21, 1999
Recorded December 1998 – January 1999 at Studio Fredman
Genre Melodic death metal
Length 35:46
Label Century Media
Producer Fredrik Nordström, Michael Amott
Arch Enemy chronology
Stigmata
(1998)		 Burning Bridges
(1999)		 Burning Japan Live 1999
(2000)
Singles from Burning Bridges
  1. "The Immortal"
    Released: March 20, 1999

Burning Bridges is the third album by the Swedish band Arch Enemy. This is the first Arch Enemy album to feature Sharlee D'Angelo on bass and the last studio recording to feature vocalist Johan Liiva. The music here shifted towards a more polished thrash-influenced melodic death metal sound. A music video was released for "The Immortal".

The album was reissued on May 25, 2009. Featuring original vocalist Johan Liiva, the reissue has a new layout, remastered sound, packaging & bonus tracks. Contains original artwork, liner notes by Johan Liiva and a track by track commentary by guitarist Michael Amott.[1]


Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

Burning Bridges is dark like a death metal album should be, but the use of melody in the guitar work push it limitlessly far above the level of a standard death metal release like Gallery of Suicide or Serpents of the Light.

“
”

– Paul Schwarz, Chronicles of Chaos[3]

Burning Bridges was well received by critics. Steve Huey of Allmusic praised the album writing that the band, "having honed a potent blend of classic-style death metal, melodic twin-guitar leads à la the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, touches of prog metal and of grindcore courtesy of later Carcass or Napalm Death, and just plain solid riff writing. Burning Bridges, their third effort, consolidates the gains made on its predecessor Stigmata, establishing Arch Enemy as a dependable force and one of the better bands working death metal territory as the '90s drew to a close."[2] Nathan Robinson of Metal Rules was surprised at the amount of fast material, although there are no blast beats, and praised the singer Johan Liiva stating that he "offers more variety this time, moving between his classic guttural belches to higher, blackened screeches. He truly delivers an impressive vocal performance!" He later highlights the songs "Silverwing", "The Immortal" and "Seed of Hate".[4] Archaic Magazine's Ron Salden also praised Liiva's vocals and the production. Salden states that "they took the best of their first 2 albums and Burning Bridges is the amazing result!"[5]

Sean Palmerston of Exclaim! writes that "the eight tracks contained within stand-up quite nicely with recent releases from The Haunted and Witchery as some of the best Swedish metal in recent times."[6] Paul Schwarz of Chronicles of Chaos praised the songs highlighting "Pilgrim". He wrote: "What I love most, though, is the way Arch Enemy slip between the two different feels. "Pilgrim" begins with a hugely melodic, very heavy metal, lead/harmony part, but when Johan Liiva's crushing vocals enter, so does a heavy, percussive, death metal sounding verse riff, then, when the chorus comes in, the two opposites are expertly combined together."[3] Critics Ron Salden and Paul Schwarz stated that "this album will surely be one of the best releases in this year if not the best!" and that Arch Enemy "managed to pool their considerable talents and emerge with one of the year's best albums", respectively.[3][5]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Michael Amott, except where noted. 

No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
1. "The Immortal"  Johan Liiva, M. AmottChristopher Amott, M. Amott 3:43
2. "Dead Inside"   C. Amott, M. Amott 4:13
3. "Pilgrim"   C. Amott, M. Amott 4:33
4. "Silverwing"   C. Amott, M. Amott 4:08
5. "Demonic Science"   C. Amott, M. Amott 5:23
6. "Seed of Hate"   C. Amott 4:09
7. "Angelclaw"   C. Amott, M. Amott 4:06
8. "Burning Bridges"   M. Amott 5:31

Personnel

Personnel credits adapted from Burning Bridges album liner notes.[7]

Arch Enemy

Production

References

  1. ↑ "Arch Enemy guitarist says band will have new studio recording available by October". Blabbermouth.net. June 5, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  2. 1 2 Huey, Steve. "Review: Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges". Allmusic. All Media Guide. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Schwarz, Paul (July 7, 1999). "Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges". Chronicles of Chaos. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  4. ↑ Robinson, Nathan (July 1999). "Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges". Metal Rules. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Salden, Ron (January 1, 2000). "Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges". Archaic Magazine. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  6. ↑ Palmerston, Sean (August 1999). "Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  7. ↑ Burning Bridges Deluxe Edition (Media notes). Arch Enemy. Century Media Records. 2009.

External links

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