The popularity that Arch Enemy enjoys today is a direct link of Black Earth, this album laid the groundwork for what the band is today and that's a well oiled Metal BEAST! This disc boasts the now classics "Bury Me An Angel", "Demoniality" and "Fields Of Desolation" as well as a few others. There's not a weak or boring second on the disc, the only thing one could point fingers at is the production, but we're talking the debut here, so that's null and void. Liiva's vocals aren't exactly the greatest either, but they're acceptable considering how bad it could've been. Liiva more than makes up for it on the band's rendition of Maiden's "Ace High", which sees the band in all their glory showing love to one of the greatest bands ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Lead guitarist, Michael Amott (Carcass, Carnage and Spiritual Beggars) is responsible for the bulk of the work heard on Black Earth, as AE was his own little project to get him back into the swing of things after the demise of Carcass. Knowing what we do now, it's safe to say Amott knows his stuff and has a great ear for all things aggressive, technical and Metal. I mean after all, he along with his brother, Christopher did bring us Angela Gossow and the Arch Enemy we know today. No serious AE fan should be without this disc, it's a classic through and through! If you don't have it, get it and find out what started it all.