Guitar solos done in and amazing way and with great talent, brutal and fast drums that sound clear and destroy everything in their path; vocals that manage to remain brutal even in the most melodic parts of the songs, in general, a very smart and accessible production for the most extreme metal fans.

Black Earth is the album debut for this Swedish band back in 1996, when the now famous Gothenburg sound was heavier and faster, when the Amott brothers wanted to create something unique and loud, something that has changed a lot nowadays.

Many critics have compared this record with the famous Heartwork by Carcass, and it’s not hard to do so, taking into account that the Amott brothers were fresh of the Carcass boat when they began to think of Arch Enemy; in Black Earth many melodies are very Carcass, but way more refined and polished, without loosing any intensity.

The vocals are done by Johan Liiva in this record, and even though his participation is nothing out of this world, he manages to give Arch Enemy character and anger; there are times when Liiva’s vocals managed to get a little thrash metal and force the rest of the band to catch up.

Black Earth is a record that you should have, not only for the quality of the production, but because it shows that melodic death metal can be brutal without loosing melody.