The first thing that goes through your mind - If you never heard of ARCH ENEMY and you are close to mainstream Heavy Metal - is how the hell can a female singer raise to the standards of a Death Metal group? Although, Angela is not the only female singer to front a Death Metal band I can tell you with certainty, especially after I the gig at Gagarin205 that… THE BITCH… IS SICK!! Her voice was powerful, brutal and deep without something soft or feminine (in as much as a good sense); it was utterly aggressive. Pictures that come to your mind have to do with war torn fields and warriors clashing under her devastation voice; if you asked me I'd tell you that she is a true banshee and she can stun you with her screams.

War was also what happened at the main concert area of Gagarin; I was the last to arrive at Gagarin so, the best place to have a clear look to the stage was the venue's loft. In my previous visits at Gagarin205 I saw that for Tarja the place was filled with young girls happy and fluffy and for PARADISE LOST there were people with fancy shirts and nice looking women all dressed up like they were attending a classical concert and not a Heavy Metal concert. In ARCH ENEMY that was not the case and starting from the obvious; there was a MOSH PIT, oh fucking yeah!! With every brutal barrage from Angela and the band the fans were moshing, slamming at each other more and more aggressively, there were fans with clothes ripped off crowd surfing in an attempt to reach the main stage and insanely pushing and pulling; that was one fucking excellent Metal experience. The band and the fans filled the place with so much energy that you could charge your cell phone by holding it in the air.

The band was tireless. Sharlee was everywhere and actually the only moments he stopped moving was during the breaks. The guitars were relentless especially during the twin solos that sounded perfect and insanely technical. Daniel's blast beats and double drumming were so powerful that I thought this place would come down.

Angela not only sung impressively but she did manage to establish an excellent connection with the crowd; she was moving up and down in an insane pace and everything she asked from the crowd, be it some sing along or to raise the aggression it was given to her with no questions asked. Do I have to say the cliche and say that she was also very sexy? I think there are still some guys right now in Gagarin205 fighting over the towel that she brushed the sweat off her body.

In this entire Metal overdose I did not check my watch even once and although it was relatively a short in time gig - about an hour and fifteen or twenty minutes - it was well compensated by the band;s excellence and the awesome crowd. I was tired from work and left filled with vigor for more, ah…yes that is the word I was looking for the whole time I am scribbling this report…MORE!

ARCH ENEMY setlist:

01. Intro (tape)
02. "The Immortal"
03. "Revolution Begins"
04. "Ravenous"
05. "My Apocalypse"
06. "Demonic Science"
07. "Dead Eyes See No Future"
08. Drum Solo
09. "I Will Live Again"
10. "Bury Me An Angel"
11. "Pilgrim"
12. Chris guitar solo
13. Michael guitar solo
14. "Dead Bury Their Dead"
15. "We Will Rise"
16. "Blood On Your Hands"
17. "Bridge Of Destiny" (outro)
Encore:

18. "Snowbound"
19. "Nemesis"
20. "Fields Of Desolation" (outro)

(photos by Dimitris Karametos)