AMG Review of Burning Bridges

Steve Huey
All Music Guide

While some of the genre's hardcore aficionados might disagree, death metal tempered with a dab of accessibility is generally a more enticing proposition -- not only does it render the intensity more consistently listenable, it also increases the chances of a band developing an original voice, since the group doesn't tie itself down to genre conventions. Arch Enemy are one such 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.