ARCH ENEMY ARE NOW THE LATEST BAND TO NEEDLESSLY RE-RECORD THEIR OLD MATERIAL
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 at 5:00pm by Axl Rosenberg
I just saw this interview with Arch Enemy’s Angela Gossow:
-You’re currently recording your next album, what can you explain us about it? How is it going the recording process?
We actually finished recording it in February and Andy Sneap is mixing the album now. We re-recorded our fave tracks from the first 3 Arch Enemy albums, this time with me on vocals of course. The originals were sung by Arch Enemy’s former vocalist Johan Liiva.
I’m a fan of Arch Enemy, I’m a fan of Angela Gossow, but I just need to say: FUCK THIS FUCKING RECORD IN THE MOTHERFUCKING EAR.
I’ve written about my distaste for a band re-recording their old material before. You should read that original piece if you want all of my feelings on the topic. Still, I feel the need to rant some more now.
There is no reason to re-record your old material, especially if, as is the case with Arch Enemy, the old material sounds fine the way it is (e.g., the production doesn’t need touching up).
So. I said it before and I’ll say it again: THERE IS NO MOTIVATION FOR DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS BESIDES MONEY. There’s no good artistic reason for it. And no one who has heard the original albums should have any fucking reason to want to hear it. Believe me, there’s no fan demand to hear Gossow re-record old Liiva songs. Especially since the band already has at least two live DVDs where you can already hear her do so.
As was the case with that other band that wasted time doing a no good piece of shit of re-recording, I’m not ever going to talk about this album again. I might get shouted down by Vince and the rest of the MS team, but I don’t want this fucking record reviewed on our site. I don’t want to even kind of sort of accidentally contribute to anyone listening to this album. It’s a fucking waste of time and it’s fucking offends me.
I’m excited to hear the next Arch Enemy album – as in, the next album of new, original material from Arch Enemy – but this is fucking bullshit of the lowest order.
-AR
fuck this band…I really respect them as musicians, but I believe their best music was written with John Liiva, now to desecrate this old recordings is a travesty, A TRAVESTY I tell’ya.
I concur. I guess theyr’e too lazy to write a new album at the moment, haha.
I always thought the weakest part of their music during the Liva years was Liva. But still, I like the songs the way they are and I don’t really have an interest in hearing them redone.
I’m all for this, mainly because I think Liva sucked, to the point that I can’t really tolerate their old material. So as far as I’m concerned, this is great news.
Ditto.
As I understand it, the purpose of recording these songs again is an attempt to get them back in the live setlist and actually have people know what the fuck is going on. They claim the sales on the first three albums never really picked up when they got famous, and consequently they don’t ever get a response from their old material live.
Personally, I’ve seen them twice and never heard a single song older than Wages of Sin played. If this album get me some Silverwing or Bury Me an Angel in the set-list the next time if/when I sere them again…I have no complaints.
I’m actually quite excited for this, I prefer Angela’s voice tenfold.
Dude…excellent point! That is spot on. I saw them in San Francisco and I was thinking the same exact thing. I’ve been a fan since way back. My favorite songs are from those first few albums, so I was pretty disappointed to hear basically only new songs, which aren’t that strong in my opinion.
If that’s the reason – it makes perfect sense. I can’t see how it’s a problem.
I agree with Kye. Liva sucked. I’m all for this. Plus, I didn’t read the interview. Could she have meant they re-recorded these songs in addition to an entire album?
I actually don’t think Liva was that bad. I like the shit they recorded with him better, and this is fucking horrible news.
Axl – Boohoo.
I’ll buy it. I never listen to the old albums because I can’t stand Liva’s vocals, so it works for me.
I don’t know, I had some rant typed up but then I realized that I don’t care enough about Arch Enemy to even get worked up over it. Yes re-recording your old shit is lame, but I don’t think artistic integrity is a major concern for a gimmick band.
Id like to sleep with angela glassow.
i meant gossow.
I’d actually be interested in hearing this, but I agree that it’s kind of pointless when they could be making a new album instead.
agreed 100%. exodus had no business doing it. you never saw cannibal corpse re-record the bleeding because george fisher is butthurt and has a little ego. fuck that. anyone else hear about down supposedly re-recording NOLA with rex on bass? fuck that. is van halen going to re-record their old albums with wolfgang on bass? all of this is needless, and if some singer or musician needs to stroke their dick, i agree, axl, put it on a fucking live album/dvd. this is bullshit.
actually i really like the Let There Be Blood. Gary Holt is fucking god.
I didn’t like Liva’s vocals too much, but Gossow is just as bad.
Eh, I don’t like pre-Gossow Arch Enemy, so I’ll probably give this album at least a cursory listen. Not sure why they want to do it, but, meh. Why they did it isn’t going to impact what I hear when I stick my headphones on, so I’m less worried about why and more worried about what it sounds like.
Worst fucking idea ever.
Tits.
my thoughts exactly.
I’m with all the Liiva haters. He had the worst voice that I ever heard in my life.
Please do not re record Dead Inside.
It’s a bad idea when a band decides to rerecord their old material. Cases in point; Dimmu Borgir’s Stormblast and Zao’s All Else Failed. The feeling they captured in the source material gets lost in translation.
Liiva was a joke of a vocalist. Though Angela doesn’t have the best voice in all of metal, I’ll still be interested in hearing the new versions. Down re-recording NOLA would be much more of a travesty than this.
This should be interesting. Daniel Erlandsson wasn’t on Stigmata (minus BEAST OF MAN), Sharlee Di’Angelo didn’t play on the first two albums, and of course Johan was on the first three. I’m not a fan of Johan Liiva, so it’ll be cool to hear Angela singing Bury Me an Angel, Sinister Manifesto, or Demonic Science. She’s has a MUCH better range and overall sound compared to Johan. I don’t know what could be done as far as production, because Fredrik Nordstrom produced the first three albums anyways, so it’ll be the same overall kick ass sound quality. Can’t wait for it.
I’m all for this. Olivia’s voice is crap and it give the band a chance to make the songs sound better with Angela. I also highly doubt they’re doing it for money – Arch Enemy isn’t exactly a household name… and even if they were – who fuckign cares?! More power to them. If that’s what it takes to stay afloat in this day and age then so be it. It’s not like they’re recording an album of Avenged Sevenfold covers or some other poppy bullshit. Re recordings are usually far superior to the original anyway ( Lt There be Blood, First Strike Still Deadly, just to name a couple.)
”I might get shouted down by Vince and the rest of the MS team, but I don’t want this fucking record reviewed on our site. I don’t want to even kind of sort of accidentally contribute to anyone listening to this album. It’s a fucking waste of time and it’s fucking offends me.”
\m/ \m/ Rock on Axl.I totally fucking endorse this.No one should support this fucking cash-grab.Johan Liiva had vocals that actually had character.The guy didn’t sound the same all through every song,there were variations,and I also think that he was being more expressive.On the last few Arch Enemy the amount of layering on Gossow’s voice is just ridiculous.
Re-recording Liiva’s material is an insult.
hey i think this is a great idea, if they want my money this is the way they can get it, cause arch enemy is one of my favorite bands and i think some of amott brothers best work is on the first 3 cds, but i hate that guys vocals. i been wanting AE to do this forever now and im hyped
also as you can see theres a i big split on just readers alone on this sight, so i respect the band for doing this cause its giving fans what theywant, and if you dont like this idea, dont buy the cd, get over it, not that hard
Actually, after listening to some of the old shit with Liiva, and I can say I fully endorse those songs being redone with Angela instead. They might actually be worth listening to then.
Meh, Arch Enemy doesn’t care what you think. They’ve got tits. A marketing ploy that works two ways.
Girls feel empowered
Boys feel tightened pants.
Girls will buy it because they feel empowered
Boys will buy it because of tits.
Men and Women will refuse this album and actually get the shit with Johan Liiva on it. They might even wait for the new album to come out.
Actually, arch enemy are good musicians, not just tits. BUT- shit ass bands like LUNA MORTIS can GO TO TO HELL. cuz they suck and got big from my state and didnt deserve it. Now, that is a band that got big cuz of a women vocalist. crap band…
Most asinine post yet. I guess every single female-fronted band in metal only has a female vocalist to sell albums because of tits, right?
No. Just bands that outwardly market their female vocalists like they double as super models.
“Let The Killing Begin” from Stigmata at 2:14, and tell me Johann doesn’t sound like a 40-year drunk man with down syndrome. Don’t get me wrong I probably listen to the old Arch Enemy albums more than their new ones, but it definitely isn’t because of Livia’s performance as a vocalist.
I mean If I wrote awesome songs like that but had a shit vocalist I’d want to re-record them with a good vocalist if given the opportunity….Especially if that made them funner to play live.
And….Andy Sneap. That is all.
On the contrary:
A. You can argue that with putting ANY recording out, the motivation is money.
B. Re-recording old songs with new[er] technology is something some people like.
and most relevantly,
C. A cue to newer fans, ‘these are the songs that we play at our shows that you don’t recognize, now here they are on one CD’
i think it is a great idea, it work big time when john bush did it with anthrax
Ummm.. Maybe the re-recording will have a Gossow approach to it.. something unique.. you never know :D maybe its not as bad as everyone PRESUMES..
I am a huge fan of Gossow.. Johan Liiva’s vocals turn me off. but whatever. I do think they should work on a new, ORIGINAL album :/ Rise of the Tyrant was a solid, decent effort, I’m expecting MORE from Arch Enemy, not just a re-recording. Sort of a disappointment to be honest
I prefer Angela’s vocals over their old vocalist, but this does kind of seem like a cop out and a quick cash in.
I do love this band and I would love to hear a lot of it remade, but they could have recorded a new cd instead.
I think they should have just did that, have some 2 disc special edition with some extra tracks, those being the redone songs. Guess that may be asking for too much. I do look forward to hearing it though.
If this will get the songs in their live set list I’m all for it. I think this is just something to pass the time for better original material.
Angela Glossow is a way better vocalist and I will gladly by this album. I don’t own any of thier first albums do to Johan’s voice. So maybe I’ll actually hear a song off Black Earth that I like, I think this is a step in the right direction.