While Arch Enemy won’t be spilling their Blood Dynasty album in full for another five months, the melodic-death vets have officially parsed out another preview in the lead-up to the release of their 12th studio full-length. After being premiered live earlier in the month, the group have formally released their fully thrashing “Liars & Thieves.” And honestly? It rips.
The song had been debuted onstage at the group’s October 3rd performance at Glasgow, Scotland’s O2 Academy venue, with fan-shot vids of the BPM-bursting, melodeath-driven ass-beater popping up online almost immediately. Now, we get a clearer listen of the song, vis-à-vis razor-sharp riff-play, destructively hammered-down D-beats, and the ever-monstrous vocal presence of frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz. A press release explains her lyrics on the piece are about “battling deception and enduring hardship.”
“‘Liars & Thieves’ is a fast, heavy-hitting track, with a melody that’s been getting stuck in people’s heads — don’t say I didn’t warn you,” founding guitarist Michael Amott said in a statement. “We’ve been playing it live recently, and it’s been an absolute beast in the pit. Now, it’s time to check out the studio cut!”
You can hear the heaviness for yourself up above, via the new music video directed by Jens De Vos.
As previously reported, Arch Enemy began the promo campaign behind Blood Dynasty back in July, when they unveiled their viciously speedy, nocturnally-themed “Dream Stealer.” Amott later noted that their next LP “pushes the boundaries of what we’ve done before — it’s everything you’ve come to expect from this band, and then some.”
The record is Arch Enemy’s first since the 2022 departure of longtime guitarist Jeff Loomis, who’s spot in the lineup was filled last year by six-stringer Joey Concepcion.
Blood Dynasty is due out March 28th via Century Media Records. Pre-orders for standard and deluxe editions of the record are up for pre-order over here.