Christopher Amott
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Christopher Amott (Born 1978 in Halmstad,Sweden) is a Swedish guitar player and vocalist, younger brother of Michael Amott and founding member of the Swedish metal bands Arch Enemy and Armageddon.
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[edit] Biography
Inspired by his older brother Michael Amott's band Carcass, Christopher began studying the guitar at 14, playing in local bands, and eventually attending music college at age 18. With aggressive, fast vibrato, speedy alternate-picking, and fluid lead lines, Christopher's memorable playing style was crafted after such players as John Sykes, Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth, John Norum, and Michael Schenker.
While attending music school in 1996, Michael asked Christoper to record solos for his new melodic death metal project Arch Enemy. The Black Earth album was released in Japan in 1996, and was an instant hit, receiving regular airplay on Japanese MTV. The band were invited to play Japan in 1997, and it was there that Christopher secured a deal for his Armageddon side project. The project began as a melodic death metal band, similar in style to Arch Enemy, but with a more conceptual feel to the lyrics. Armageddon released their first album Crossing the Rubicon on W.A.R. records in 1997. The album featured Peter Wildoer and Martin Bengtsson, who would also go on to record Stigmata with Arch Enemy in 1998. The Stigmata album was again a success in Japan, and was the first Arch Enemy album to be released in the USA, on Century Media records.
With Arch Enemy gaining ground worldwide, Christopher would go on to release Burning Bridges and Burning Japan Live 1999, both in 1999, then take a well deserved break until the latter part of 2000, when Armageddon released their second album Embrace the Mystery on Toy's Factory records in Japan. This time featuring a "melodic" singer, and more of an overall power metal feel, the album was a drastic shift from the straight ahead melodic death metal of Crossing the Rubicon, and marked Christopher's desire to branch out of the "extreme metal" genre.
In 2001, Arch Enemy were joined by new singer Angela Gossow, and the band reached new heights in worldwide popularity with the release of Wages of Sin. After completing an exstensive world tour with Arch Enemy, Christopher returned to his Armageddon project, and released Three in 2002 on Toy's Factory records in Japan. This time featuring Christopher on lead vocals, the album was almost purley a power metal effort, focusing on the melodic singing and guitar work of Christopher.
Arch Enemy released Anthems of Rebellion in 2003, and again embarked on a world tour. In 2005, the band entered the studio to record Doomsday Machine, but immediately after the recording, Christopher left Arch Enemy. Christopher later stated that he "wasn't feeling creative musically" in Arch Enemy, and that he "just wasn't into (the band) anymore."
Christopher spent the next two years teaching music in Sweden, as well as attending a university. It is currently unknown if he will return to his Armageddon project, but he says that he still "plays guitar constantly, several hours a day", but also says that "If I do some kind of record it won't be metal" But of course he has changed his mind with that (making the new arch album). [1]
In March 2007 Christopher announced his return to Arch Enemy as a permenant member. He re-joined the band near the end of the songwriting process for the next album, which is currently in pre production. [2]
[edit] Equipment
Christopher Amott is endorsed by Caparison Guitars, Japan. His custom 'Dellinger-CA' guitar (production now discontinued) has two Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickups in the neck and middle position, and a Caparison bridge humbucker.
- Caparison Christopher Amott Signature model (with the Arch Enemy logo as the guitar graphic)
- D'Addario Strings (11-58 custom set)
- Rocktron Hush
- Boss TU-2 Tuner
- DIGITECH – Digidelay + Multi Chorus
- Peavey JSX Amps
[edit] Discography
[edit] Arch Enemy
- Black Earth (1996)
- Stigmata (1998)
- Burning Bridges (1999)
- Burning Japan Live 1999 (1999)
- Wages of Sin (2001)
- Burning Angel (2002)
- Anthems of Rebellion (2003)
- Dead Eyes See No Future (2004, EP)
- Doomsday Machine (2005)
[edit] Armageddon
- Crossing the Rubicon (1997)
- Embrace the Mystery (2000)
- Three (2002)
[edit] References
| Arch Enemy |
| Fredrik Åkesson | Michael Amott | Sharlee D'Angelo | Daniel Erlandsson | Angela Gossow
Christopher Amott | Martin Bengtsson | Gus G. | Johan Liiva | Dick Lövgren | Roger Nilsson | Peter Wildoer |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums and extended plays: Black Earth | Stigmata | Burning Bridges | Wages of Sin | Burning Angel | Anthems of Rebellion | Dead Eyes See No Future | Doomsday Machine |
| Live albums: Burning Japan Live 1999 |
