Metal Anarchy

Kiko Loureiro (ex-Megadeth, ex-Angra, etc.) has accused Arch Enemy of “copyright infringement.” The guitarist leveled the allegation in response to similarities between Arch Enemy’s “To The Last Breath” and his track “Talking Dreams.” However, Arch Enemy have since denied the accusation.

Loureiro initially said the following:

“Just helping to promote the new song by @archenemyofficial… you’re welcome.”

This elicited a response from Arch Enemy’s manager and former vocalist Angela Gossow:

“To be honest, I’d never heard Kiko’s music before. So, three notes are the same? Well, I guess that happens quite often in music. I’ve heard many Arch Enemy notes in other songs, but I would never accuse the other band of plagiarism… on the contrary, I would probably feel honored to inspire others. It’s sad to read a post like this from a guitarist we all respected. What’s the point of it? If you really think you have a case, get in touch and discuss it professionally, don’t make a post like this. Respectfully, the management team, who are used to dealing with this type of allegation and prefer to handle things carefully.”

Guitarist Michael Amott also chimed in:

“Thanks, brother! Looks like I should pay more attention to your solo work! See you at @bangersopenair!”

From there, things got more serious with legal action having taken place. As such, Arch Enemy decided to share “clear evidence” to prove their case. The band said the following about that:

“Anyone familiar with our creative process knows that we document extensively. Demos, drafts, and iterations are part of how we build our sound, and in this case, that documentation unquestionably establishes the timeline.”

Amott added:

“Hey Kiko, sorry to disappoint you and your lawyer, but as you can see and hear, I had the melody back in 2022 already, 2 years before you released your song. Any similarities are purely coincidental. Enjoy the video and good luck with your music, I will continue to not listen to it. Cheers!”