Arch Enemy - Black Earth

In 32 minutes, Arch Enemy manage to blow the doors of metal wide open. This is what death metal was initially all about. Think back to 1987, more specifically, Sodom, Pentagram (Chile), Death, Kreator... Now take the intensity of those bands, lower the guitar tone, and you've got Arch Enemy. Keeping the essence of death metal and displaying a keen sense of melody, Black Earth is an incredible album. The vocals here are excellent, as is the guitar interplay between the brothers Amott. Daniel Erlandsson's drumming is top-notch, he expertly balances rhythm with flash, always keeping the direction of the song steady. In short, this is mandatory stuff.