This is a re-release of Arch Enemy's 1996 album Black Earth, available for the first time in North America. The new version includes three bonus songs and a video. This was Arch Enemy's debut release, and featured Johan Liiva on vocals.
As you'd expect, Arch Enemy's sound has changed over the years. On Black Earth it was raw, but the songs still were very catchy with solid guitar work from Michael and Christopher Amott. It was more thrashy than some of their later releases. Liiva's vocals are harsh yelling/speaking style which are completely understandable. The original album was short, having only 9 songs with 2 of them being one minute instrumentals. The three bonus songs are a nice addition. Two of them are Iron Maiden covers, and the other is an original.
This album has been hard to locate, and it's good that North American fans finally have easy access to Arch Enemy's very good first release.
