Long-time fans of Arch Enemy were alarmed when the band’s iconic vocalist Angela Gossow announced this past April that she would be leaving the band. Gossow released a statement saying that she would be staying on as the band’s business managerm but would be “passing the torch to the super talented Alissa White-Gluz, whom I’ve known as a dear friend and a superb vocalist for many years. I always thought she deserved a chance to shine – and now she’s getting it. Just like I got that chance back in 2001.”

White-Gluz had been the singer of Canadian metal band The Agonist for ten years prior where she applied her wide vocal range across a broad spectrum from raw gutturals to beautiful and pristine clean singing. Arch Enemy fans were concerned that the new singer’s presence would mark a shift towards the lighter fare.

Those concerns were eased only days after Gossow’s announcement when the band dropped the video for the bruising title track of their tenth studio album, War Eternal.

Watch the official video for “War Eternal” here below.

When the full album arrived on June 10th, any lingering doubts were put to rest. War Eternal marks the return of Arch Enemy to their position as one of the preeminent melodic death metal bands in the world. For her part, White-Gluz provides a relentless ferocity in both her lyrics and the brutal guttural vocal style with which they are delivered (no clean singing in sight). Tracks like “As The Pages Burn,” “No More Regrets,” “You Will Know My Name,” “Never Forgive, Never Forget,” and the aforementioned title track are all instant classics that stand tall alongside the numerous anthems of the band’s back catalog.

Arch Enemy has been tearing up stages across the globe since the album’s release, hitting most of the major summer metal festivals along the way. Now, after over four months of anticipation, American fans will finally get to witness the reinvigorated Arch Enemy when the band begins the North American leg of the tour this week. This is a show not to be missed by any heavy metal fan, as the supporting lineup consists of German thrash titans Kreator, L.A. buzz band Huntress, and Arch Enemy label-mates Starkill. Stay tuned here at GoD for a full review of the Los Angeles show and my exclusive interview with Arch Enemy. Tickets are selling out quick, so if you’re planning on catching this awesome lineup at any of the following locations, you better grab them while you still can.

Tour Dates

Arch Enemy ‘War Eternal’ North American Tour Dates:

Oct. 23 – Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
Oct. 24 – Best Buy Theater – New York, NY
Oct. 25 – The Palladium – Worcester, MA
Oct. 26 – Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY
Oct. 27 – Metropolis – Montreal, QC
Oct. 28 – Imperial Theater – Quebec City, QC
Oct. 29 – The Opera House – Toronto, ON
Nov. 01 – The Garrick Centre – Winnipeg, MB
Nov. 02 – Riddell Centre – Regina, SK
Nov. 03 – Macewan Hall Ballroom – Calgary, AB
Nov. 04 – Union Hall – Edmonton, AB
Nov. 06 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
Nov. 07 – Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
Nov. 08 – Hawthorne Theater – Portland, OR
Nov. 10 – Regency Center – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 11 – House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA
Nov. 12 – House of Blues – Anaheim, CA
Nov. 14 – The Marquee – Tempe, AZ
Nov. 15 – Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
Nov. 16 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
Nov. 18 – Mill City Nights – Minneapolis, MN
Nov. 19 – Mojoes – Joliet, IL
Nov. 20 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
Nov. 21 – Majestic Theatre – Detroit, MI
Nov. 22 – Bogarts – Cincinnati, OH
Nov. 23 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH

VIP tickets are still available via archenemy.soundrink.com.

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