After weeks of blacked out social media and enough fan speculation to fill a festival forum, Arch Enemy have finally pulled back the curtain. The new voice behind Sweden’s melodic death metal titans is Lauren Hart, formerly of Once Human, and after much speculation she’s been revealed with the release of new single ‘To The Last Breath’.
The track is fierce, focused, and unapologetically Arch Enemy. There’s a real old school flavour here too, recalling the raw intensity of their earlier work in a way that longtime fans will immediately lock onto. If you were worried about the direction, founder and guitarist Michael Amott wants to put that to rest. “Make no mistake, this song is a reckoning,” he says. “Musically, it’s unapologetically aligned with my original vision for the band, and I believe longtime fans will recognise that immediately.”
Hart is no stranger to RAMzine readers. We’ve followed her journey through Once Human, where she built a reputation for delivering crushing gutturals alongside clean vocals with real power and control. Her arrival here feels like a natural fit, and Amott agrees: “Working with her was an exceptional experience. Her remarkable voice, coupled with her dedication and professionalism, brings a rare level of excellence.”
Lyrically, ‘To The Last Breath’ tackles deception and reclaiming control. Amott explains it captures “that moment when you realise you’ve been fed poison, and you choose to fight back. Once that clarity hits, there’s no retreat. It’s do or die.”
To mark this new chapter, Arch Enemy have announced a run of intimate European club shows dubbed “Back To The Root Of All Evil” this summer. For UK fans, this is massive. The band hit Manchester’s Rebellion for the very first time and return to London’s Underworld for the first time since December 2002. Normally filling venues ten times the size, these shows promise something truly special.
UK Dates:
Mon 10th Aug: London, The Underworld
Tue 11th Aug: Manchester, Rebellion
Tickets go on sale now. Given the venue sizes, don’t hang about.
Arch Enemy line up: Lauren Hart (vocals), Michael Amott (guitars), Joey Concepcion (guitars), Sharlee D’Angelo (bass), Daniel Erlandsson (drums).
