Rise of the Tyrant

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Rise of the Tyrant is the seventh album by the melodic death metal band Arch Enemy, produced by Fredrik Nordström, and was released on 24 September 2007.

Vocalist Angela Gossow told the band's website that:

I experimented quite a bit with doubling vocal lines on the last album, which I now feel kind of took personality and vocal attack away. So this time it's the classic, one-vocal-track, no-frills, no-effects approach. I put a lot of work and emotions into the lyrics, some of them actually made me cry, most of them made me very, very angry. They deal with the pain and losses we cause each other. To balance these gloomy themes out, we managed to write some lyrics in the vein of 'We Will Rise' — you know, fight songs! There is not only suffering and injustice in this world, but also hope, love and friendship .

Guitarist Michael Amott described it as:

...the ultimate Arch Enemy album!!! To me, this album sounds like the perfect mix of melody and brutality. This album is an organic and honest statement from the band — it's pure fucking metal at its absolute best, the Arch Enemy way! Producer Fredrik Nordström did a killer mix on the record — the sound is big and intense!

Rise of the Tyrant debuted at number 84 on the Billboard 200, selling around 8,900 copies. This surpasses Doomsday Machine, making it the band's highest-charting effort yet.

Limited Edition

Also available is a limited edition version including a bonus 3" DVD with two live tracks and a documentary on the band's tour of South America.

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Blood on Your Hands"	Angela Gossow	Michael Amott, Christopher Amott	4:41
2.	"The Last Enemy"	Gossow	M. Amott, C. Amott	4:15
3.	"I Will Live Again"	Gossow	M. Amott, Daniel Erlandsson, C. Amott	3:32
4.	"In This Shallow Grave"	M. Amott	M. Amott, C. Amott, Erlandsson	4:54
5.	"Revolution Begins"	M. Amott	M. Amott, C. Amott	4:11
6.	"Rise of the Tyrant"	Gossow	M. Amott	4:33
7.	"The Day You Died"	Gossow, M. Amott	M. Amott, Erlandsson	4:52
8.	"Intermezzo Liberté" (instrumental)		M. Amott	2:51
9.	"Night Falls Fast"	Gossow	M. Amott	3:18
10.	"The Great Darkness"	Gossow	M. Amott	4:46
11.	"Vultures"	Gossow	C. Amott, M. Amott	6:35

Japanese bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"The Oath" (Kiss cover)	Paul Stanley, Bob Ezrin, Tony Powers	4:16

Bonus DVD

South American Doomsday 2007:

1. "I Am Legend / Out for Blood (live)" – 5:25
2. "Diva Satanica (live)" – 4:29
3. "Arch Enemy - South American Tour" − 16:07 (Includes backstage footage, fan meeting, etc.)

Singles

1. "Blood on Your Hands"
2. "Revolution Begins"
3. "I Will Live Again"

Personnel

Arch Enemy

• Angela Gossow − vocals
• Michael Amott − guitar, keyboards
• Christopher Amott − guitar
• Sharlee D'Angelo − bass guitar
• Daniel Erlandsson − drums

Production

• Produced by Fredrik Nordström and Michael Amott; co-produced by Daniel Erlandsson
• Mixed by Fredrik Nordström
• Engineered by Patrik J. Sten
• Mastered by Peter In De Betou
• All music arranged by Michael Amott and Daniel Erlandsson. Drum arrangements by Daniel Erlandsson. Vocal arrangements by Angela Gossow. Additional arrangements by Arch Enemy.
• Artwork by Niklas Sundin

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format
United Kingdom	24 September 2007	Century Media Records	CD
United States	25 September 2007	Century Media	CD

Charts

Album

Chart (2007)	Peak Position
Billboard 200	84
Billboard Top Rock Albums	22
Billboard Rock Albums	12
Billboard Hard Rock Albums	10
Billboard European Albums Chart	61
Swedish Album Chart	20
Austrian Album Chart	50
Swiss Album Chart	65
French Album Chart	72
Dutch Album Chart	83
Belgian Album Chart (Wallonia)	81
Finnish Album Chart	18
Japanese Album Chart (Oricon)	14

Album Notes

• The speech from the song "Rise of the Tyrant" is taken from 1979 movie Caligula, and was also previously featured by ZAUM and on Matthew Sweet's 1993 album Altered Beast:
  Caligula: I have existed from the morning of the world and I shall exist until the last star falls from the night.
  Although I have taken the form of Gaius Caligula, I am all men as I am no man and therefore I am... a God.
  I shall wait for the unanimous decision of the senate, Claudius.
  Claudius: All those who say aye, say aye.
  Caligula: Aye... aye!
  Senators: Aye! Aye! Aye!..
  Guard: He's a god now...
• The song "The Day You Died" is inspired by the Japanese anime movie Grave of the Fireflies. In Revolver (Nov. 2007 issue), Angela Gossow names the movie as one of her favorites.
• The song "Wings of Tomorrow" (Europe cover) was also recorded during the Rise of the Tyrant sessions, but wasn't released until Khaos Legions, on the second disk of a two disk media book version.
• A video was made for "Revolution Begins" and "I Will Live Again" (both directed by Patric Ullaeus).
• The title of the album is also the title of a movie in the Metalocalypse episode "P.R. Pickles".
• The text at the top of the album cover reads "Beneath the burning cross my immortal soul"; this line is taken from the second track of the album ("The Last Enemy"):

Funeral silence beneath the burning cross
My immortal soul sleeps with the wolves tonight

External links

• Rise of the Tyrant at Encyclopaedia Metallum