Decibrity Playlist: Arch Enemy

Nick Cordle may no longer be the newest member of Arch Enemy, but he’s still a relative newbie compared to Michael Amott, Daniel Erlandsson and Sharlee D’Angelo. While the band’s latest record, War Eternal, will mark his first Arch Enemy recording, the guitarist (that’s him on the bottom right) started touring with the quintet in 2012. So to celebrate the release of the group’s tenth full-length, we asked the former Arsis axeman to tell us about five of his favorite songs in the Arch Enemy set. His picks not only cover 15 years worth of material, but show no favorites when it comes to the Swedes’ back catalog. His picks also happen to be in no particular order, in case that kind of stuff matters to you.
Pre-order a copy of War Eternal, which drops on Tuesday, here.

“Ravenous” (from 2001’s Wages Of Sin)
Maybe this has something to do with my favorite shows I recall playing, but there are always pretty clear moments in my head having to do with the pre-chorus melody in this one. It’s one of those that audiences in Japan and South America sing while you’re playing it, and they’re usually louder than the monitor system. That’s disorienting as hell the first time you experience it, but once you know it’s coming, it’s just pure fun.

“Silverwing” (from 1999’s Burning Bridges)
This is a song we only play in Japan. It’s one of the hardest Arch Enemy songs to get through, let alone to play well. When I first joined the band, we were going directly to Japan, so I had to sweat this one immediately. I do get a kick out of it live though! The Japanese fans voted it their favorite Arch Enemy song in a readers’ poll in a magazine a couple years ago, and there’s no question about how it connects live. Again, something about very loud singalong melodies…

“Bloodstained Cross” (from 2011’s Khaos Legions)
This is fast and brutal with a melodic turn in the middle that really works for me. There are so many different elements involved here musically! For me this was the standout track on Khaos Legions, and we’re keeping it in the live list.

“Blood On Your Hands” (from 2007’s Rise Of The Tyrant)
Lots of blood on this list, yeah? And lots of fast stuff, because that’s where I’m most at home. It’s mostly about the connection live…if I can bother to look up from the frantic guitar stuff, I tend to see very large circle pits. Nothing communicates with a band onstage quite like flying bodies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN1Z3F9XYmY

“War Eternal” (from 2014’s War Eternal)
Okay, I’m cheating a little bit, as this is new and soon to be debuted, but we’ve long been into the production for the upcoming tours (“tour eternal?”…sorry), and I already know what we’re doing with this one. So I’m gonna get a little bit ahead of myself and say that this will be one of those that stick around in the live set from the new album. Any gamblers out there want to take me up on that one!?