Arch Enemy, Michael Emotta's child (Carcass, Carnage and Spiritual Beggars), has been collected in 1996 in Halmstad, on fragments of the legendary British collective Carcass playing a brutal death metal. Guitarists Michael Emottu and his younger brother Christopher Emottu (Armageddon) have joined vocalist Johan Liiva (eks-Carnage), and later — sessional drummer Daniel Erlandsson (Eucharist). Michael Emott named this project «attempt to unite a melodics with aggression and òåõíè÷íîñòüþ».

The debut album of group named Black Earth, has been let out at nowadays nonexistent studio Wrong Again Records in 1996. The collective has become successful in Japan, having got to rotation MTV with the first single Bury Me an Angel, and also has been recognized by successful and in the homeland, in Sweden. At the given stage the group reminded the solo project, than high-grade ensemble more — all songs have been written personally by Michael Emott, it had been registered also all bass parties on an album. However, in the booklet it has been specified that a bass guitar plays Johan Liiva. Later Michael Emott admitted that it was ñäåëàííî specially, on purpose to give to an album more than "group" character, rather than "solo". Many consider this album as most "aggressive" in comparison with other products Arch Enemy though "aggression" is inherent, though and to a lesser degree, and to all other works of grou.