Armageddon: Captivity & Devourment

Former Arch Enemy guitarist retunes his roots

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Initially starting out life as a studio project for then Arch Enemy guitarist Christopher Amott in 1997, Armageddon has recently been resurrected as a more traditional group in the wake of his departure from the Swedes.

Now based in New York, the reborn band featuring new musicians have unveiled their new album and, although it’s technically the act’s fourth opus, in many ways it feels like a debut.

At times crushingly heavy (Conquer) and others utterly cosmic (the sci-fi sounds that bookend Fugitive Dust are truly thrilling), the 10-track affair is full of inventive, virtuoso guitar playing that shows off their versatility, ranging from death and traditional metal styles to classical and folk (Background Radiation). After leaving Arch Enemy to “find his voice,” Amott has achieved that both metaphorically and literally with this album as he lends some strong clean vocals to The Watcher and the bludgeoning Rendition. Conquer & Devourment is definitely a bold new chapter in Armageddon’s continuing story and one that could mark the start of something special.

Via Listenable