Dont forget to visit our partnered discord servers----

Steelcord - Music server dedicated to Heavy Metal in all its forms
https://discord.gg/SvhZKND

Umbra - A music server for fans of darker genres and extreme metal
https://discord.gg/CXSMxfF


For those that are not familiar with the band's roots, Arch Enemy started off as an idea between John Liiva of death metal/grindcore band Carnage and Michael Amott of legendary death metal group Carcass. Founded in 1995 with other death metal musicians from Armageddon and Eucharist.

More often than not, death metal enthusiasts say that Johan Liiva's run of the band was the definitive version of Arch Enemy. Before Angela Gossow, before Aliisa White-Gluz, was John Liiva.

Their first album Black Earth was released in 1996 through now defunct label Wrong Again Records (WAR). The record was well received and was later reissued through Regain Records in 2002 and again through Century Media in 2013. The album was melodic death metal but retained heavy traces of the band-mates previous metal groups.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32qaWLvzZMw

Stigmata, the band's follow up to their well received debut was released on Century Media in 1998 when the band got the attention of the label. This would also be the first on the now major metal label. The album gives a more melodic death metal feel than the previous' bone crushing sound associated with early death metal. Some even referenced this album to Carcass LP Heartwork.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=808KAwrc9yA

Burning Bridges received mixed opinions as compared to the band's previous two albums. The third in the line up featured not only more melodic pieces but the blending of progressive metal and hints of grindcore to the mix. The album was released in 1999. Arch Enemy even filmed and released their first ever music video. The single was Immortal. This would also be the last original release with frontman Johan Liiva.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf5hlMtnV6E

Music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkuL8Nl8E1c

After Arch Enemy, Liiva would go on with such bands as NonExist and forming Hearse. Almost 2 decades later John Liiva was back with his new band Black Earth which is composed of the original Arch Enemy line up. With Arch Enemy gaining popular fame within the metal world, the band took a nose deep in quality and sound. And with the growing controversy with Alissa White-Gluz and how poorly it was handled, most fans are saying Black Earth makes a better Arch Enemy than current Arch Enemy.


Liiva has been touring with his new band and has released two studio tracks from his new and compiled piece Path of the Immortal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU_eYsTAyO0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCLyIZ-bZn0

https://www.facebook.com/blackearthofficial/
https://twitter.com/blackearth666

Dont forgot to visit our partnered discord servers----

Steelcord - Music server dedicated to Heavy Metal in all its forms
https://discord.gg/SvhZKND

Umbra - A music server for fans of darker genres and extreme metal
https://discord.gg/CXSMxfF


After 10 years of no new original material, Neue Deutsche Härte German group Rammstein is back. Their upcoming seventh untitled album is dropping soon. Despite already having a confirmed tracklist of 11 new songs, the album remained untitled as of now. Currently by default its selftitled, this may remain unchanged. Their first single dropped very recently, “Deutschland”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeQM1c-XCDc

The band will set out on a European tour this May when the album drops in stores and other digital outlets.

https://www.rammstein.de/de/
https://www.facebook.com/Rammstein/


What are your thoughts on the band making a comeback?

Metal has partnered up with not one but two Heavy Metal discord servers. We have Steelcord, a server dedicated to all forms of metal.

https://discord.gg/SvhZKND


The second discord server is exclusively for fans of extreme metal and the darker side of metal. This includes black, death and other dark genres.

https://discord.gg/W9Q7e4A

Please join us.

Note that this is an updated and revised post that was featured in Gothic and Dark Music group. https://steamproxy.net/groups/gothicanddarkmusic



Coming from England, 13 Candles was originally on Nightbreed Records, a label that specializes in purely gothic music only. This was during the time when they released the 1995 album “Come out the Dark”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFgDGPAMzi8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUrjz2XP89w


When recording their second album they were signed onto Cacaphonous Records who specialize exclusively in extreme metal. Quite the opposite of the music scene 13 Candles were accustomed too. Story has it that they went on tour with Cradle of Filth which at the time were signed onto Cacophonous Records as an opening act. The label was interested in 13 Candles and thus were signed onto the label. The album was released in 1997.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APfX7YYyNws

Once touring with gothic rock groups such as Midnight Configuration, Suspiria to deathrock legends Christian Death were now touring with black metal acts such as Cradle of Filth, Hecate Enthroned and Theatre des Vampires. By being brought into the fold with Cacaphonous Records they gained exposure with not only the gothic scene but the extreme metal community. They were even being featured in heavy metal related magazines as Terrorizer, Metal Hammer and Kerrang as their second album was being praised by their reviews.

An EP was underway immediately after the success of “Angels of Mourning Silence” and was set to be released by Cacophonous Records but problems arose with the label. The “Killing for Culture” EP was released through another label continuing their heavy new sound. From there the band faded into obscurity. The band is still active to this day, mostly touring or one off shows. It’s been 17 years since they have released any new material.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYMiSvAVT2E

Black Sabbath is an iconic band within heavy metal music and when the name is mentioned, what comes to mind? Ozzy Osbourne, well, for most. For others it might be Dio. But what about Black Sabbath after these two legends left after it’s creation? The band has had several vocalists throughout it’s career from Dave Walker, Ian Gillan who stepped in for Born Again from the band Deep Purple[/b.]Tony Martin who carried the band in the late 80’s and the 90’s. Some people are not aware that Black Sabbath kept making album all the way up to the mid 90’s with the only remaining original member of the band throughout it’s entire run is Tony Iommi. This is the 90’s era of the band.

1990
This is an interesting album, by this time around the band has already incorporated a permanent keyboardist to the band filled by Geoff Nicholls. He became a permanent member during 1986’s Seventh Star album instead of being listed as an “additional musician”. Tyr was a concept album with various songs dedicated to Norse mythology and the son of Odin. This album has a bit of a power metal vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aA1Cwwn6Yg

1992
The sixteenth in the band’s discography would see a return of legendary metal artist Dio. This album would also witness a return of the band’s original bassist Geezer Butler. The musical direction of the album shifted with these returning bandmates. It returned to that classic heavy metal sound from the band’s late 70’s/early 80’s era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdWnr_zxvnM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biWyWBcR_Ig

1994
With the departure of Dio, Tony Martin returned as lead vocalists. Geezer Butler
would leave soon as the following year after the release of this album. By the point, the band was heavily declining in sales.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-1lo_oDs5Y

1995
This would be the eighteenth and final album of the band before 2013’s 13 album. Forbidden was poorly received at the time. Although it was an interesting album overall despite being a “mixed bag”. Music-wise it contained many influences from traditional heavy metal, power metal and even some blues. This album would also include a guest vocalist in the track “The Illusion of Power” featuring hip hop artist Ice-T who at the time was in his heavy metal act Body Count. It was later revealed by Tony Iommi that he was not happy with the album and was quoted as a “filler album that got the band out of the label deal, rid of the singer, and into the reunion”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9FJZgobN7g