Arch Enemy

Arch Enemy Japan Tour 2018 Live at Fukuoka Drumlogos 2018.02.26 The show starts with Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" blasting at full volume. The lights join in, and the audience erupts in excited roars. A perfect start! It seamlessly transitions into "The World Is Yours." The members burst onto the stage. Alissa, just about 2 meters away, puts one foot on a speaker and screams. The giant Sharlee looms over the crowd. The ever-attentive Michael shreds riffs with a beaming smile. On the left, Jeff flows through solos with nimble fingers. Daniel creates relentless sonic pressure with his drums set high up. As I felt at Black Earth, Arch Enemy's sound pressure is extraordinary. The rhythm section dominates the space. After a furious prologue of "Ravenous" and "Stolen Life", Alissa delivers a MC. It's "The Race." In the Youtube live footage, there was MC to hype the circle moshing, but there was no such hyping here in Fukuoka. Looking around, the audience in Fukuoka is mostly in their 40s and 50s. Mosh pits and crowd surfing were out of the question. It was more of a headbanging atmosphere. The band seemed to have already taken this into account, and the song proceeded as is. The lights go out, and the members step backstage for a moment, then the intro to "War Eternal" starts. It's the title track from the first album with Alissa. Its quality is even more apparent when heard live. Also, during "Bloodstained Cross" in the middle of the set, there was an incredible sense of unity, and singing could be heard from the entire venue. This sense of unity is unique to Arch Enemy; a response as good as being at home. Then, the lights turn blue and the highlight of the day, "Reason to Believe," begins. Alissa sings clean vocals. Ever since Alissa joined Arch Enemy, who had previously only done growls, we knew this day would come, and we accepted it, as if we were captivated by Alissa. Come to think of it, during other songs, the audience watches the guitars, completely ignoring the vocals. But this song is different. Everyone watches Alissa. It's incredibly refreshing. The live show progresses, and before you know it, it takes a breather. The venue goes dark, and immediately a call for an encore erupts. Daniel is the first to come out and plays with the crowd with a call and response. Then, the final set of songs is played, ending with "Nemesis." As Michael begins playing the melody of "Fields of Desolation," he throws picks, sticks, and setlists to the audience for a short interaction, and then it's over. A dense 90-minute stage. Although the audience wasn't huge, I am proud of the Fukuoka audience who responded as one. "Aren't you guys the best!" Michael and Sharlee's smug smiles were memorable. Alissa also looked great. Arch Enemy was the best.