Apoptygma Berzerk's 2000 album, Welcome To Earth was the second of their albums I've acquired, the first being 2005's You And Me Against The World. These two albums are as different as night and day, to use a tired but true cliche. WTE is definitely more electro, more EBM.

Initially I was disappointed by the album. Two tracks, "Eclipse" and "Starsign" I was familiar with, but it wasn't until I heard the original version of "Kathy's Song" that my hopes fell just a little. Still, when track eight, "Fade To Black" came on, it made up for the disappointment. Apoptygma Berzerk cover lots of songs, even putting out an entire 2-disc album in 2006 of strictly covers. "Fade To Black" is a Metallica song, and it is by far a stand-out track.

...quite a few of the songs. I think this is more than likely because I am one the 'new' fans, brought into the music by their new, 'rockier' sound. So I'm not sure it was worth spending $15.98 for this album.

...maybe buy a different album to see if I liked that better.

Apoptygma Berzerk has been at the forefront of the EBM scene for a long time. Inside the CD case are the words: "This is the end of the first phase." Obviously Stephan Groth is stretching, trying new things, which is always good. Who wants to listen to a band whose albums sound exactly the same? Not this fan.

It's pretty much a classic album now, and the more I listen to it, the more I like it. I guess you could say it's growing on me.

Apoptygma Berzerk's cover of "Fade To Black", from their DVD of the Welcome To Earth tour. {ABL2000)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5p7n9l5RM