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Alissa White-Gluz, formerly of Arch Enemy, has released the debut single “Checkmate” from her new group Blue Medusa. Alongside the track, the group has also released a music video, co-directed by White-Gluz herself.
The new single showcases a hybrid of melodic heavy metal and death metal that will be familiar to those who know her work from Arch Enemy. Here, however, the two sides are split more consciously, with the clean-sung choruses being played against quite uplifting melodic metal while the verses have tech death shred melodies over more typical death metal riffing and vocals. It proves a dynamic combination, choosing to maximize both elements of the sound she is known for rather than making a choice between them.
White-Gluz said of the single, “It’s probably the heaviest thing I’ve written in terms of lyrics, and probably the lightest of what we have cooking in terms of sound.”
“Checkmate” follows earlier single “The Room Where She Died,” which White-Gluz released as a solo track upon her departure from Arch Enemy last fall. At the time, she had not yet announced the formation of Blue Medusa,
Blue Medusa has yet to announce a debut album. They are set to play US festivals such as Louder Than Life and Aftershock later this year.
English (US) · 