Arch Enemy’s international lineup may be good for their music, but it caused serious problems for them as they worked on new album Deceivers.
The sessions took place in Sweden during the pandemic, with vocalist Alissa White-Gluz travelling from the US to lay down her tracks. It was a different story for States-based guitarist Jeff Loomis, fellow six-stringer Michael Amott said.
“It certainly proved the point that it is the worst idea ever to have an international lineup with everybody living in different corners of the world,” he told Full Metal Jackie (via Noisecreep). “That made a normal way of working almost impossible, but we actually got it done. But it was just a lot more complicated and expensive.
“The only member who didn't make it over was Jeff Loomis. He was coming over – we had everything booked and he tried to board a flight, but it was denied. That was a bit of a nightmare and a headache. We ended up having him do his solos in the studio in Seattle and we were FaceTiming and stuff like that.”
As a result, Amott admitted, making the album was “not without its challenges,” although he added: “I think a lot of people had it a lot worse than I did, or we did.”
Despite that, he said there was nothing intimidating about putting Deceivers together. “Writing new music, creating the demos and getting everything together, it's a really fun and exciting time because at that point we haven't done it for a couple of years so we're just excited to do it.
“There’s no pressure or anxiety that comes into it. At the later stage you start thinking, ‘Does this live up to the expectations?’ But by that time it’s already done. You’ve just got to express and be creative and have a good time doing what you love. If you think too much, it's not going to be good.”
Deceivers will be released on July 29 via Century Media.
