ARC ARRIVAL are a modern metal trio from Scotland. Forming in 2017, they released their debut single "Wartorn" two years later. 2020 was a busy year for the band, with the release of the track "Count Havoc Among Our Sins", not to mention their debut EP "C.H.A.O.S.". The next couple of years also brought success for ARC ARRIVAL, with the release of "Engineered to Die", "Resurrection" and "Forsaken", leading up to the present day. ARC ARRIVAL's second extended play "Amethyst" was revealed on May 6^th, 2022, independently.

The first track on the EP is "Nurse Jones". The track begins well with an intriguing guitar riff doing all the talking. We are then treated to a LACUNA COIL style scream, which is very enjoyable. Once you get to the chorus, it gets slightly worse. Greg Dick's clean vocals are just really hard to listen to - I just don't think they suit this style of music at all. However, the band did show a bit of personality at the very end of the track - I just wish I could hear more! "Buried" is up next. My wishes come true from the get-go, with ARC ARRIVAL injecting more personality into this track from the offset! Mag Kiemer's guitar riffs are truly incredible throughout the song, it's just a shame that that is the only redeeming feature. "Defy the Gods" kicks things off with a BURY TOMORROW type guitar riff, which is infectious to say the least. It's not a terrible song, I just feel that they need to polish their sound up a little more before releasing any more music. The last song on the EP is "Forsaken", which dramatically changes things up with a synth style beat being the main focus. However, you are quickly taken to another world when the metal riffs begin. Saying that, this track is unfortunately just like the others - forgettable.

Overall, I found ARC ARRIVAL's "Amethyst" to be a hard listen. I found the production and the musicianship to be clunky and haphazard, with the only redeeming feature being Mag Kiemer's guitar riffs throughout the release. It is very evident that ARC ARRIVAL have a lot of work to do if they want to elevate their fanbase. It is unfortunate to say, but right now it's just not cutting it for me.