According to the newspaper O Globo, Kiko Loureiro has sent an extrajudicial notification to Arch Enemy regarding an alleged plagiarism involving the song "To the Last Breath." According to the guitarist, the track bears similarities to "Talking Dreams," from his solo career.
Last Friday, the 27th, Kiko Loureiro made a post on Instagram showing excerpts from his composition "Talking Dreams," a track from the album Theory Of Mind (2024), with parts of the Arch Enemy song, released on February 19th. This quickly led to a discussion, albeit in a mild tone, about a possible plagiarism.
Next, Daniel Erlandsson, drummer for Arch Enemy, responded to Kiko Loureiro's insinuation. “It’s difficult to respond because I know the truth and I’m not worried about it at all. Honestly, I thought it was a joke until, I don’t know, yesterday, because it’s becoming a big topic online and a lot of people are talking about it. But I’m not worried about it. We’ll see how this unfolds in a few days,” Daniel said in an interview with Rolling Stone.
The artists will perform at the Bangers Open Air, which takes place in São Paulo. Arch Enemy is the headliner on Saturday, April 25th, while Kiko Loureiro performs with Angraas the headliner on Sunday, April 26th.
Asked about the chance of meeting Kiko Loureiro backstage and talking about the subject, Daniel Erlandsson replied: “It’s not such a big festival. We’ll probably bump into each other, so we’ll see what happens.”.
There is still no further information regarding the lawsuit filed by Kiko Loureiro.
Members of Arch Enemy commented on the post
In the comments, former vocalist and current businesswoman Angela Gossow responded to the post:
“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 joined the conversation, treating the situation as a joke between musicians: “Thanks, brother! Looks like I should pay more attention to your solo work! See you at @bangersopenair!”
READ ALSO: Kiko Loureiro alleges plagiarism in Arch Enemy single and Angela responds: "I've never heard it"
