ARCH ENEMY ARE NOW THE LATEST BAND TO NEEDLESSLY RE-RECORD THEIR OLD MATERIAL

I just saw this interview with Arch Enemy’s Angela Gossow:

-You’re currently recording your next album, what can you explain us about it? How is it going the recording process?

We actually finished recording it in February and Andy Sneap is mixing the album now. We re-recorded our fave tracks from the first 3 Arch Enemy albums, this time with me on vocals of course. The originals were sung by Arch Enemy’s former vocalist Johan Liiva.

I’m a fan of Arch Enemy, I’m a fan of Angela Gossow, but I just need to say: FUCK THIS FUCKING RECORD IN THE MOTHERFUCKING EAR.

I’ve written about my distaste for a band re-recording their old material before. You should read that original piece if you want all of my feelings on the topic. Still, I feel the need to rant some more now.

There is no reason to re-record your old material, especially if, as is the case with Arch Enemy, the old material sounds fine the way it is (e.g., the production doesn’t need touching up).

So. I said it before and I’ll say it again: THERE IS NO MOTIVATION FOR DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS BESIDES MONEY. There’s no good artistic reason for it. And no one who has heard the original albums should have any fucking reason to want to hear it. Believe me, there’s no fan demand to hear Gossow re-record old Liiva songs. Especially since the band already has at least two live DVDs where you can already hear her do so.

As was the case with that other band that wasted time doing a no good piece of shit of re-recording, I’m not ever going to talk about this album again.  I might get shouted down by Vince and the rest of the MS team, but I don’t want this fucking record reviewed on our site. I don’t want to even kind of sort of accidentally contribute to anyone listening to this album. It’s a fucking waste of time and it’s fucking offends me.

I’m excited to hear the next Arch Enemy album – as in, the next album of new, original material from Arch Enemy – but this is fucking bullshit of the lowest order.

-AR