Originally written by Jason Jordan.
Released the same year as Carcass’s Swansong, Arch Enemy’s 1996 debut Black Earth is a solid outing of melodic death metal with each member in fine form. The brothers Amott turn in excellent performances as the band’s guitarists, Daniel Erlandsson provides backbone support from atop the throne, and Johan Liiva contributes his unique vocals to one of the better Arch Enemy efforts. Even though Black Earth has been reissued a couple times already, and this particular reissue is the exact same as the one Regain put out in 2002, so in addition to the nine albums tracks, there are also three bonus tracks. Two of those – “The Ides of March” and “Aces High” – are Iron Maiden covers. Speaking of the original material, though, it’s good for a group whose track record is half ho-hum.
Black Earth wastes no time acquainting its listener with the razor-like, melody-infused styles of Michael and Christopher Amott, as “Bury Me An Angel” charges from the get-go. Still, the former Amott brother made his greatest impacts with Carnage and Carcass, so chances are that many were probably familiar with him prior to Arch Enemy, and that’s excluding Spiritual Beggars from the mix. To continue, “Dark Insanity” is arguably the best of the lot due to its fantastic riffs and leads, which Erlandsson backs up with a pummeling, and at times appropriately restrained, performance. Liiva, who’s been fronting Hearse for years, laces each track with his trademark vocals, except for instrumental interludes “Demoniality” and “Time Capsule,” and his voice remains unmistakable to this very day. Others such as “Idolatress,” “Cosmic Retribution,” “Transmigration Macabre,” and “Fields of Desolation” have praiseworthy characteristics too, though none quite match the verve of the openers. In other words, there are clear standouts that dwarf the weaker songs, and even at 33 minutes, the album drags during the middle.
Even so, the pre-Gossow days were truly Arch Enemy’s finest, and while they would debatably reach their peak on Burning Bridges, Black Earth is a worthwhile purchase for fans of the band, style, and/or musicians involved. They’ve been tumbling down the mountain ever since then, but the albums marking their ascent are good ones that have plenty to offer. Nice (heart)work.
