Arch Enemy [ Melodic Death Metal | Sweden | Interview on April 16, 2002]

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Arch Enemy [Date of interview: April 16, 2002]

First at all, please introduce to Metalheads in Thailand
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: Hi am Michael Amott, guitar player in the metal band Arch Enemy…

I know your first band called 'Carnage', please tell me a brief story about that band...
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: That was my first band, we made an album called "Dark recollections" in 1990. I made the album with Carnage, and then I joined Carcass…the Carnage album came out when I had already started playing with Carcass… The other guys in Carnage formed a band called Dismember.

Some members of Carnage went to Dismember? Or all of them? Who?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: Yeah, all of them apart from the bass player, Johnny Dordevic, he actually joined Entombed briefly on their "Clandestine " album.

You ever played in Carnage, Carcass, Spiritual Beggars and Arch Enemy, please tell me how the different of four bands that you ever play such as kind of music, guitar part that you responsible in the band.
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: They have all been different experiences…they are all different in some way, and that is exactly what has kept it interesting for me.

O.K. let's talk about Arch Enemy, please tell me a little about where you guys in AE are from and musical background of each members...what the scene was like when you first got together in the late 90's.
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: WE LOVE METAL….THAT'S IT!!!!

How did the name 'Arch Enemy' come about?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: I just thought it was a good name for this band…!

I wanna know about your new vocalist of AE 'Angela Gossow', why you choose Angela to responsible in Vocal position? Where the place that you found her?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: We had a tape of her singing with her previous band, it was a cool tape…then we got a videotape of her performing - and that was good too. When we decided that we should let our old singer go, we made a list of singers that we were interested in trying…Angela's name was on that list. As it turned out she was the best person for the job.

I think her voice have power of screaming, so awesome. You know I think the style of the way to sing between Johan Liiva and Angela Gossow different, maybe I think she sing like the way of Black metal use, what do you think about this, please show your opinion?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: Yeah, Angela has more power and she can growl both deeper and higher than our old singer could. She is a monster, haha…

About Johan Liiva, he has some problems in the band? Why he quitted from the Band?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: We felt that we had taken the Arch Enemy style as far as we could with him. We needed to expand our horizons.

Tell me about the reaction of 'Black Earth', that's your first LP album.
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: In Europe, it was released on little shitty label, so it was only distributed in the underground. But the reactions were very positive in the fanzines etc. In Japan it was released on the "Toy's Factory" label…they did a great job with it and that was the start of Arch Enemy really.

About your new album 'Wages of Sin', what is the meaning behind 'Wages Of Sin'?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: The meaning of the band and the album is to make high quality metal music!!!

Describe the musical transition between 'Burning Bridge' and 'Wages Of Sin'?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: "Wages Of Sin" is a little more brutal both musically and in the production side of things. It's a more precise and sharp sounding record.

Tell me a little about your lyrical content? What the inspiration to write your songs? And what is the influence to your lyrics?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: LIFE…..AND THE BULLSHIT THAT COMES WITH IT….

When Angela came in your band, the music and lyric of 'Wages of Sin' completed? Angela put the idea or arrange or writing the lyric in 'Wages of Sin'?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: Most of it was written by me before she joined the band. She wrote lyrics for 3 songs, "Enemy Within", "Ravenous" and "Lament Of A Mortal Soul". We also co-wrote "The First Deadly Sin" together.

I know your band is successful in Japan and many metal-heads in Thailand really like your band. I want to know how do you feel about the successful in Japan and country in Asia?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: I love Japan, it has been a great place for the band and we enjoy going there to play. This time it locks as if we will play in Korea also…that will be the first time for us there and we are looking forward to making new friends.

What are Arch Enemy's plans in the future? Touring soon? Where and with whom?
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: We are heading out to Japan in March 2002.

Well, at the end of interview, wanna say something to Metalthai readers, go ahead.
Michael Amott | Arch Enemy: Thanks for the interview. For all metal heads that want to find out more about Arch Enemy…visit our website www.archenemy.net