Burning Japan Live 1999

At this point in Arch Enemy's career they had released solid material that comfortably falls into the category of later-day Carcass with more of a Swedish death metal influence. The performance on Burning Japan demonstrates the impressive instrumental ability of Michael and Christopher Amott in particular, who have both shined on releases from a number of different bands as well. The leads are spot-on and the riffs sound as crushing as they did on the albums. One cannot count out the always reliable Daniel Erlandsson, who offers up a varied drumming technique for this style of music.

Try as I might, however, I cannot understand how Johan Liiva makes a career out of being a vocalist. He fares much better on this release than on any of the studio albums, yet there is very little that distinguishes him from an average growler.

As for the song selection, each of Arch Enemy's albums receive fairly equal representation, with one notable exception. Where is "Bury Me An Angel"? This song is probably one of the most revered from the band, and its inclusion would have upped the score a bit. Regardless, this album should please any fans of the Gothenburg goodness that Arch Enemy always offers.