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ARCH ENEMY
1996 - Black Earth.
1998 - Stigmata.
more ARCH ENEMY.
way more Helter Skelter.

December 12, 1996 - 2021: 25 years of: Black Earth.

The birth of extreme Eurometal.

After the melodic legacy of SAVATAGE's Oliva brothers, we now get extrem-er with ARCH ENEMY's Amott brothers. Ex-CARCASS shredder Mike, brings in his little 19 year-old brother Christopher into the heavymetal-circle. The result is an in flamed posh mix of NWOBHM and old-school deathmetal, an equation that would forever be now known as the: Gothenburg-sound.

The opening-track, the obnoxious "Bury Me An Angel" lays the cards right up. Punchy, relentless and cleverly intertwined by classic PRIEST guitar-unisons. "Dark Insanity" instantly grasp for the throat, while "Idolatress" eliminates any competition. Welcome to the new school.

The 1:09sec classical-guitar interlude with lead of "Time Capsule" displays some melodic openness, while the closing monster "Fields Of Desolation" has with time, become one of the band's signature-trick.

Produced by to-be scene-shaper Fredrik Nordström, the ENEMYs rapidly attained cult-status in Sweden's second blooming metal-wave, mainly due to Mike's illustrious CARNAGE, CARCASS and SPIRITUAL BEGGARS resume. This fresh new unit also features ex-CARNAGE screamer Johan Liiva behind the mic. This is the evolution of ENTOMBED's death-n-roll and continuation of CARCASS's rot-n-roll legacy.

In 1996's dark underground tranquility, ARCH ENEMY were the new game in this new brand of melodic-deathmetal and this new game shall step-up to worldwide-standards with Century Media Records 1998's bullet-proof Stigmata CD.

*
Black Earth = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPgSV5N7Bzw&list=PLgQXyYr_WFnJdTrhAXzDo4DkAYLpBIrIm
Live in Holland in 1997
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra8uKsrO52o
Michael Amott: Wikipedia, fact or fiction ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU89j76u7fA

March 21, 1998 - 2023: 25 years of: Stigmata.

The Second Wave is in full swing.

Sweden's 1991-92 era was dead and by now gone into melo-death territory. Yet one band kept the brutal element alive, while still, saluting the NWOBHM-feel to a tee. After 1996's dark-death Black Earth CD assault, ARCH ENEMY was now signed to fledging label Century Media Records and unknowingly, the world was ready for the perfect antidote for the hazy late 90s.

The killing begins with the inner-evil "Beast Of Man", a sick and rocking cut that pushes the Euro-deathmetal envelope into the underground-mainstream. Some unison-melodies melts away on the instrumetal-magic of "Stigmata", a 2:12sec Malmsteen-esque exhibition, while the pure riff-o-rama of "Sinister Mephisto" and "Dark Of The Sun" crushes the competition.

Another intermission, this time the eerie keyboards of "Vox Stellarum" ships us deep into the Milky Way, a one off, performed by producer Fredrik Nordström. Defending the faith with more sick metal, with soiled "Black Earth" and the massive melancholic closer "Bridge Of Destiny".

Less dirt, more melodies ...perfect mix !

In this morphing scene of the late 90s, Scandinavia was the scene of a real metal-battleground:
- on one end, Norway's Belzebuth bastards were desecrating all that is holy
- and on the other end, Sweden's fertile melodic-deathmetal hotbed was the new Florida.

ARCH ENEMY's true carnage will evolve and incorporate the elusive rock / metal format fusion. Next step would be 1999's trend-steering necroticism Burning Bridges CD.

*
Stigmata = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK_Kd7aF6hg&list=OLAK5uy_kHfpL0zWfO4bvhIcKXJWD2MyujX0AR7MM

more ARCH ENEMY:

Frères métalliques
&

CARCASS
&

SPIRITUAL BEGGARS