Black Earth (Arch Enemy)
Encyclopedia
Black Earth is the first album by the Swedish
melodic death metal
band Arch Enemy
. The album was reissued on April 24, 2007 on Regain Records
, featuring "Losing Faith", two Iron Maiden
covers and the video for "Bury Me an Angel".
During the time of recording Black Earth, Arch Enemy was more of a solo project. Michael Amott wrote all of the songs and played bass guitar on the album. Although Johan Liiva is cited as playing the bass, Michael later stated in an interview that he had it credited that way to make it seem more of a "band effort." Christopher Amott, who was attending music college at the time, only contributed his leads on the album, leaving Michael to record all the rhythm tracks.
stated that "the album is brilliant and there are no bad songs on it." Allmusic's critic Alex Henderson wrote in his review that "Black Earth was a promising debut for Arch Enemy and is among the Swedish combo's more consistent and memorable efforts." Ron Salden of Archaic Magazine said that Black Earth is a classic and praised the songs writing they "showcase a fresh mixture of death
/thrash metal
whilst the Amott brothers rip their guitars exquisitely to delightful bits of melody, harmony lines, guitar licks and solos." He praised "Bury Me an Angel" and comments that the songs "Eureka", "Transmigration Macabre" and "Fields of Desolation" still sounds fresh in these days. Chad Bowar of About.com
said that the album sound "was raw, but the songs still were very catchy with solid guitar work from Michael
and Christopher Amott
". About the songs, Metal Review's journalist Jason Jordan states: ""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." He also comments that some songs like "Idolatress", "Cosmic Retribution", "Transmigration Macabre" and "Fields of Desolation" have praiseworthy characteristics too, though none quite match the verve of the openers. Jordan praised mainly the band members writing that "Black Earth is a solid outing of melodic death metal
with each member in fine form" and that "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."
Despite the good reception of the band, the singer Johan Liiva received an unfavorable critique of Tartarean Desires reviewer Jesse Ketman, which compared Liiva with Angela Gossow
: "This is an Arch Enemy album through and through, with the only downer in the whole mold being vocalist Johan "Liiva" Axelsson... the deep unchanging yell can be looked past due to the top-notch quality of the metal on here, but it's apparent at this point that gaining Angela Gossow on vocals was one of the smartest moves Arch Enemy ever made; her Schuldiner
-style intensity and intelligibility far outweigh the boring barks of Axelsson." And finished, "everything else is how it should be: brutally interesting riffs, just enough catch, and solos from the metal stars far outweigh any negative." On the other hand, Ryan Loostrom of Maelstrom commented about, "They had Johan Liiva as their vocalist, who had a throaty and guttural growl that spouted ferocity and visciousness with every note. Then, they released Wages of Sin
and destroyed their ability to make good, punishing music, and shelled out their fantastic vocalist for the horribly over-processed and lackluster Angela Gossow." Later, Loostrom stated, "the fact that no one in Arch Enemy saw Johan Liiva as a vital asset is almost ridiculous." Alex Henderson of Allmusic mentioned this issue stating that "longtime followers of Arch Enemy will debate the merits of their early output versus what came later. Some headbangers prefer the gruff-voiced Liiva over his replacement Angela Gossow; others will counter that Gossow was an improvement over Liiva."
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
band Arch Enemy
Arch Enemy (band)
Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a supergroup, from Halmstad, formed in 1996. Its members were in bands such as Carcass, Armageddon, Carnage, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars, and Eucharist to name a few. It was founded by Carcass guitarist Michael Amott along with Johan...
. The album was reissued on April 24, 2007 on Regain Records
Regain Records
Regain Records is a Swedish based independent record label. The label predominantly releases death metal and black metal albums. Regain Records was founded from what remained of the former label, Wrong Again Records, by Per Gyllenbäck in 1997...
, featuring "Losing Faith", two Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
covers and the video for "Bury Me an Angel".
During the time of recording Black Earth, Arch Enemy was more of a solo project. Michael Amott wrote all of the songs and played bass guitar on the album. Although Johan Liiva is cited as playing the bass, Michael later stated in an interview that he had it credited that way to make it seem more of a "band effort." Christopher Amott, who was attending music college at the time, only contributed his leads on the album, leaving Michael to record all the rhythm tracks.
Track listing
- "The Ides of March" and "Aces High" are covers of Iron MaidenIron MaidenIron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
songs, from KillersKillers (Iron Maiden album)Killers is the second album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 2 February 1981 in the UK, and 6 June 1981 in the US. The album was their first with guitarist Adrian Smith and their last with vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who was sacked after problems with his stage performance arose due...
and PowerslavePowerslavePowerslave is the fifth studio album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 3 September 1984 on EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in the US ....
respectively. - "Losing Faith" and "The Ides of March" are bonus tracks on the re-issue by Century Media, and Regain; the Regain edition also has "Aces High".
Reception
Black Earth was critically well-received. Anders Sandvall of Metal RulesMetal Rules
Metal Rules, also known as Metal-Rules is a heavy metal webzine created by EvilG and online since 1995. The website contains news, reviews and interviews. Metal Rules, along Metal Sludge, was cited in a New York Times article, after the dead of Dimebag Darrell, in 2004. Its tribute to Ronnie James...
stated that "the album is brilliant and there are no bad songs on it." Allmusic's critic Alex Henderson wrote in his review that "Black Earth was a promising debut for Arch Enemy and is among the Swedish combo's more consistent and memorable efforts." Ron Salden of Archaic Magazine said that Black Earth is a classic and praised the songs writing they "showcase a fresh mixture of death
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
/thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
whilst the Amott brothers rip their guitars exquisitely to delightful bits of melody, harmony lines, guitar licks and solos." He praised "Bury Me an Angel" and comments that the songs "Eureka", "Transmigration Macabre" and "Fields of Desolation" still sounds fresh in these days. Chad Bowar of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said that the album sound "was raw, but the songs still were very catchy with solid guitar work from Michael
Michael Amott
Michael Amott is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter, founding member of the bands Arch Enemy, Spiritual Beggars, and Carnage, as well as a member of the death metal band Carcass. He is the older brother of Christopher Amott...
and Christopher Amott
Christopher Amott
Christopher Amott is a Swedish guitarist and vocalist, younger brother of Michael Amott and founding member of the Swedish metal bands Arch Enemy and Armageddon.-Biography:...
". About the songs, Metal Review's journalist Jason Jordan states: ""Dark Insanity" is arguably the best of the lot due to its fantastic riffs and leads, which Erlandsson
Daniel Erlandsson
Daniel John Erlandsson is the drummer in the melodic death metal band Arch Enemy.His early work includes drumming on the In Flames album Subterranean...
backs up with a pummeling, and at times appropriately restrained, performance." He also comments that some songs like "Idolatress", "Cosmic Retribution", "Transmigration Macabre" and "Fields of Desolation" have praiseworthy characteristics too, though none quite match the verve of the openers. Jordan praised mainly the band members writing that "Black Earth is a solid outing of melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
with each member in fine form" and that "the brothers Amott turn in excellent performances as the band's guitarists, Daniel Erlandsson provides backbone support from atop the throne, and Johan Liiva
Johan Liiva
Johan Patrik Mattias Liiva is a Swedish extreme metal vocalist, most widely recognized as the founding vocalist of popular melodic death metal band Arch Enemy, as well as a former member of Carnage, Furbowl, and NonExist...
contributes his unique vocals to one of the better Arch Enemy efforts."
Despite the good reception of the band, the singer Johan Liiva received an unfavorable critique of Tartarean Desires reviewer Jesse Ketman, which compared Liiva with Angela Gossow
Angela Gossow
Angela Nathalie Gossow is the lead vocalist for the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy. Her previous bands include Asmodina and Mistress. She is considered to be one of the few successful female metal singers to use growling as her primary singing style...
: "This is an Arch Enemy album through and through, with the only downer in the whole mold being vocalist Johan "Liiva" Axelsson... the deep unchanging yell can be looked past due to the top-notch quality of the metal on here, but it's apparent at this point that gaining Angela Gossow on vocals was one of the smartest moves Arch Enemy ever made; her Schuldiner
Chuck Schuldiner
Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.Schuldiner was the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the band Death, which he founded in 1983, initially under the name Mantas. He also recorded as guitarist and songwriter with his other band, Control Denied...
-style intensity and intelligibility far outweigh the boring barks of Axelsson." And finished, "everything else is how it should be: brutally interesting riffs, just enough catch, and solos from the metal stars far outweigh any negative." On the other hand, Ryan Loostrom of Maelstrom commented about, "They had Johan Liiva as their vocalist, who had a throaty and guttural growl that spouted ferocity and visciousness with every note. Then, they released Wages of Sin
Wages of Sin
Wages of Sin is the fourth studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy. It is the first Arch Enemy album to feature the vocals of Angela Gossow...
and destroyed their ability to make good, punishing music, and shelled out their fantastic vocalist for the horribly over-processed and lackluster Angela Gossow." Later, Loostrom stated, "the fact that no one in Arch Enemy saw Johan Liiva as a vital asset is almost ridiculous." Alex Henderson of Allmusic mentioned this issue stating that "longtime followers of Arch Enemy will debate the merits of their early output versus what came later. Some headbangers prefer the gruff-voiced Liiva over his replacement Angela Gossow; others will counter that Gossow was an improvement over Liiva."
Arch Enemy
- Johan LiivaJohan LiivaJohan Patrik Mattias Liiva is a Swedish extreme metal vocalist, most widely recognized as the founding vocalist of popular melodic death metal band Arch Enemy, as well as a former member of Carnage, Furbowl, and NonExist...
– vocals, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Michael AmottMichael AmottMichael Amott is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter, founding member of the bands Arch Enemy, Spiritual Beggars, and Carnage, as well as a member of the death metal band Carcass. He is the older brother of Christopher Amott...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, co-producer, mixing, design - Christopher AmottChristopher AmottChristopher Amott is a Swedish guitarist and vocalist, younger brother of Michael Amott and founding member of the Swedish metal bands Arch Enemy and Armageddon.-Biography:...
– lead guitar - Daniel ErlandssonDaniel ErlandssonDaniel John Erlandsson is the drummer in the melodic death metal band Arch Enemy.His early work includes drumming on the In Flames album Subterranean...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Production
- Fredrik NordströmFredrik NordströmBjörn Tom Fredrik Nordström, born on 5 January 1967, is a Swedish record producer and guitar player for the heavy metal band Dream Evil. Nordström is one of the leading melodic death metal producers in Sweden, and he has worked with some of the genre's top acts, including At the Gates, Arch Enemy,...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineer, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, keyboards - Wez Wenedikter – executive producer, design
- Baskim Zuta – assistant engineer
- Miran Kim – cover artCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
- Kenneth Johansson – band photography
- Urszula Striner – model photography
- Sara Grundquist – model
- Johanna Lindskough – make-up artist
- M&A Music Art – layout
External links
- Black Earth at Encyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives is a website which lists bands from various forms of heavy metal music...
- Black Earth at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...