i had some troubles with ordering a copy of arch enemy's new record, called "will to power". when pre-orders went live at some point in mid july, there were numerous options to choose from. there were also some box set editions. i am usually not the box set type, unless it is for a band i really hold dear. as this was not the case with arch enemy but i was (and still am) listening a lot to their last full length "war eternal", so i did consider buying a copy. the emp exclusive looked good and so i ordered one.
it was supposed to come with a slipmat, a patch, additional 7" and loads of more stuff. additionally the colour-way, clear with red splatter, was exclusive to this edition. quite a cool package. "so why do the pictures show a different vinyl edition?", you might ask. well, one and a half week befor the actual release i got an e-mail from emp with the message that the wholesale wouldn't deliver the box set plus a refund of my money. fuck that! not bad enough i wouldn't get the box but it would also be pretty difficult to get any other limited colour edition so close to release date.
fortunately the home label, century media, had some copies on gold vinyl left. not my favourite colour-way but in combination with the gold foil ink from the cover, i thought it was ok. was the only option left anyway. fast forward a few days and i got another e-mail from emp, now stating that it was all a mistake, the box was of course available and i had a week to buy it back. oh man, i was thinking. should i buy it back, cancel the century media order and all that? too much hassle, i decided plus i already invested the rest of the refund in another record. what a pain.
what's "will to power" musically about? well, it's that melo death metal that i already knew from "war eternal" with a little difference - it is not as good as the predecessor. when they don't play after their usual recipe, they're great. songs like "first day in hell", "dreams of retribution" and especially "reason to believe" are so good. the rest is a bit dull in my eyes. we'll maybe it'll grow on me. the presentation is buisness as usual apart from the super duper booklet. loads of great artwork and real fun to read along to the lyrics. gold vinyl limited 300 copies. century media. 2017.
