Arch Enemy One’a KonuÅŸtu

The ever popular Swedish metallers Arch Enemy are visiting Turkey for the first time for the Unirock festival in July. Delivering many masterpieces in a span of 7 studio albums and two DVDs, Arch Enemy has become a pioneer in metal genre, attaining millions of die-hard fans from all around the world. They are currently touring the world as bestselling headliners and seems to be more than glad to play a festival gig in front of the Turkish fans for the first time. We, as ONE editors, definitely recommend everyone who is into hard ‘n heavy rock music to attend the show and bang some heads, as the band is sure to destroy the stage once and for all! This interview was done with the vocalist Angela Gossow (Yes, a female vocalist! Told ya, you’re in for some show!). Bless everyone who is involved in the making of this interview but especially Gerrit Mohr, their lovely publicist.

Interview by: Nether Nova

Firstly, thank you for this interview, I hope you are all doing well. How is Summer Tyranny going so far?

Angela: Very well. It was a lot of fun headlining Summer Dayz-, Legacy- and Summer Nights Festival and playing for the first time ever in Croatia, Hungary and the south of Italy! All shows were packed – so I guess people still wanna see us. We are having a crazy festival schedule ahead of us – I hope all flights are going to work out, because its going to be tight! ‘No sleep til August’ – that’s how we should call our summer. (laughs)

You have toured around the world. Are there any big differences you notice between Europe and the US, or Asia? Favorite places you have played?

Angela: Yes, people have their cultural differences – this is part of the fun! We change our setlists around, because Japan for example has got different favorite tracks then Germany.. or Los Angeles.. Asia and South America sing along a lot, so we go for songs with a lot of ‘sing along’ melodies.. And the US definitely loves their moshpits, so we bring out ‘thrashers’ like Silent Wars…

Is it better to perform in a big venue or do you prefer small clubs?

Angela: I don’t care as long as the stage isn’t too small.. And a lot of small clubs have stages the size of a stamp. We are a band that moves around a lot – it’s no fun being all restricted due to a mini-stage.. Other than that I really don’t care as long as the crowd is up for it!

What is the craziest memory you have of tours? Any weird instances?

Angela: We are obviously flying a lot. Flying in South America is always an adventure and I am never quite sure we will make it alive to the next destination.. But hey, we have survived all kinds of old-timer planes, lightning and thunderstorms by now.. Most other memories are either pleasant or very funny.. I always feel a bit like in ’28 days later’ though when fans surround the van after the tour and bang as hard as they can against the wind-shields.. Sometimes the windows crack!

This is your first time in Turkey.  Arch Enemy fans here are quite anxious to see you guys play live. But do you have any expectations for the Turkish fans?

Angela: I expect them to be the loudest of them all of course!

Tyrants Of The Rising Sun, was chosen the best DVD of 2008 by Metal Hammer readers. Was this surprising for you?

Angela: Yes, it was… As it is a very special DVD, just focusing on Japan.. We figured it wouldn’t do so well anywhere outside Japan – and luckily, we were totally wrong! I guess it is a great DVD and metal fans all over the world appreciate that.

Ok, let’s talk about Arch Enemy away from the spotlights for a bit. In studio, what is Arch Enemy like? What is the strategy for laying out bits and pieces of an album?

Angela: We are hard workers. In the studio as well. We work on a tight schedule as we always have the next tour already booked.. We don’t waist our time for partying and being lazy. We got a disciplined working-ethic, on and off tour.. That’s why we are as successful as we are. We don’t screw up.

How do you choose the songs for an album?

Angela: We rehearse a lot, jam, demo stuff.. This is a process over months or even a year.. That’s how we know if a song is a killer or a filler. And then fillers are being kicked out before we enter the studio!

Which one is your least favorite out of the 7 destructive albums you’ve released?

Angela: I can tell you my most fave – Wages Of Sin. But I don’t have a least favorite one!

Can you give me three songs that best defines Arch Enemy?

Angela: Ravenous, We Will Rise, Nemesis.

You’re said to be a melodic death metal band. Do you agree or oppose this label? How would you define what you do?

Angela: WE say we are an extreme metal band. We do have a lot of melodies, elements of thrash metal, death metal, power metal, lots of classic heavy metal. So calling us ‘death’ metal definitely doesn’t do us justice.. Not even the vocals are death metal, they are aggressive, yes.. But I am not grunting like a dying pig either.

Forgive me if this is a bit too personal but I have a question about the solo of Bridge of Destiny. Could you please tell me about your state of mind when you wrote it? Love, despair, joy, tranquility etc. which emotion was the strongest for you while writing?

Angela: I think Michael can only answer that. The album -lyrics- are full of sadness and somewhat hate.. The solos and melodies as well to a certain extend. Lots of melancholy and sadness.

Angela, you’re one of the very few successful female vocalists that use brutal vocals as primary singing. I believe this puts a lot of pressure on your vocal chords. How do you deal with the nodules that might develop? Have you experienced any?

Angela: Every pro singer has their own bag of tricks. It starts with a good singing technique, including a warm up before every show. I joined my first death metal band in 1991. I know by now how to handle my voice.. Every voice is unique so each singer has to work out their customized chores.

You truly are an influential and inspiring band, but I’m curious, from whom or what do Arch Enemy get their inspiration?

Angela: Great music. No matter if its rock, blues, country, jazz, punk, metal or even electronic stuff.. We live and breathe music and got ideas every day. The good ones get recorded in the studio.

Tell me about the music you listen to these days. Do you have any guilty pleasures   among the contemporary artists?

Angela: There is never any guilt involved – listening to a wide range of music is nothing I am ashamed of. So yeah, I might be listening to Morbid Angel, then Behemoth and then Rhianna or some chilled out lounge Jazz. I am still the most metal woman you will ever meet. I got that attitude you only have when ‘Abominations Of Desolations’ has been your lullaby for the past 20 years.

What are you guys doing when you’re not touring or making music? Are you the party-hard-and-rocknroll type or do you enjoy a relaxing evening at home more?

Angela: ‘Party hard’ is so bloody boring.. Always the same drunken losers who need to get high to have some balls. A really good party is hard to come by and usually is by ‘invitation only’ – These I attend. The backstage parties are plain stupid and too low for my personal taste. Each to their own. I rather catch some sleep or watch a good movie then listen to weakening people all night for no good reason.. Parties only make true sense if you are either very young or very bored.

Thank you again for this interview, any last words to your Turkish fans?

Angela: Listen to Arch Enemy and go nuts at the festival! You all have a great summer!