Track Listing

1. Everything We Know Is Wrong
2. Starsign
3. Eclipse
4. Help Me!
5. Kathy's Song (Come Lie Next to Me)
6. Moment of Tranquility
7. Fade to Black
8. 64k
9. Paranoia
10. Soultaker
11. LNDP3
12. Time to Move On

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60418 in Music
• Released on: 2000-02-29
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Does a talent for writing catchy melodies have to come at the expense of "industrial cred"? Norway's Stephan Groth, a.k.a. Apoptygma Berzerk, has been challenging his core audience with that question over three albums and numerous singles. But the man behind such downright tuneful industrial-dance classics as "Non-Stop Violence," "Deep Red," and "Love Never Dies" makes it clear on Welcome to Earth that he's moving in a pop direction, expectations be damned. The album opens with the hard-driving "Starsign," but don't be fooled by its dark, arpeggio synths and Groth's snarled vocals--come the chorus, he goes all wistful on us, turning what would otherwise have been a straightforward rivethead stomp into something that wouldn't be out of place on a Pet Shop Boys album. Along with the nimble, propulsive "Paranoia," it turns out to be one of the disc's few truly electrifying moments, though guilty pleasures abound. "Kathy's Song" marries a light house rhythm to vocals straight out of a mid-'80s Depeche Mode anthem, and "Moment of Tranquility" steals the bass line from the Twin Peaks theme and pins it to a disappointingly bland ballad. But Welcome to Earth's oddest (and perhaps cleverest) choice has to be Groth's cover of Metallica's "Fade to Black," which takes the plodding, dirgelike original and remakes it into a bubbly dance-floor confection. AB fans will either be annoyed by the album or find themselves seduced by its better moments. --Steve Landau

Customer Reviews

A mixed bag
This is a different sound for Groth. "7" was pretty aggressive EBM, and "Welcome to Earth", while much better-produced, is more uneven as an album.

It has some truly stellar tracks, like "Starsign" , "Eclipse" and "Paranoia", all of which fall into that hazy land where EBM and synthpop collide. There's the exceptionally poppy yet intruiging "Come Lie Next to Me." The good stuff is really good.

And the mediocre stuff is really mediocre. One track is essentially a dead-ripoff of the theme from Twin Peaks, minus the creepy ambience of the original. "Help Me" overindulges in bizzare effects to the detriment of the song. "Soultaker" is an attempt at a thrashy industrial song that doesn't quite cut it.

If you liked Covenant's "USoM" and "Europa", you may want to pick this up just for the excellent tracks. If you're a synthpop fan loking for something more agressive, this'll be fine. If you're trying to find the next Skinny Puppy, you're looking in the wrong place.

welcome to EBM
Having started with an EP called the Second Manifesto, and then putting out CD's like Soli Deo Gloria, 7, and Apopcalyptic Manifesto I was pleasantly surprised and happy to hear the singles of Paranoia, and then Eclipse. I knew that the coming CD was going to be as different from the first 4 releases as house is to goth.

I am not saying House is the genre of this CD but it is certainly the most friendly EBM CD that kids who enjoy progressive house will ever want to get a hold of.

Along with a couple tracks which are purely samples from Blair Witch Project, Twin Peaks, and X-Files with weird and eerie music floating in and out some of the most memorable tracks are: Starsign, Paranoia, Fade to Black (Metallica cover) Eclipse, Soultaker, (on the TATCD047 copy the extra remix of Eclipse). these are by far some of the best danceable tracks EBM has to offer for the year 2000. and Songs like Moment of Tranquility reminded me that artists can write good ballads!

And for any who enjoy Metallica, I suggest picking up the Single for Paranoia which has yet another metallica cover "Nothing Else Matters".

Being a DJ, I believe that this CD will be quite hot for the year to come. and anyone who wants to be introduced to this band, This CD is the best one for you. Especially if you have more of a leaning towards Progressive house than industrial. Those who liked "7" and "Soli Deo Gloria" all I can say is Stephen Groth has at least continued to progress instead of staying in one particular field of expertize. THere is a definite talent behind this CD and I urge you to order it and take to the stars!

A moment of tranquility
This is my first purchase from Apoptygma Berzerk. I had no idea what I was in for when I threw caution to the wind and bought this cd. Thankfully I was not disappointed in "Welcome to Earth". I knew I was in for a treat the moment I started hearing the synthesized melodies of "Everything We Know is Wrong". I was surprised to hear more of a techno sound than say goth/industrial sounds based on the name of the one man act. Judging by the reviews I've briefly scanned, this techno influenced album is a departure from previous albums.

Being a huge techno fanatic, I thought I heard everything until I popped in "Welcome to Earth" in my stereo. For some peculiar reason "Welcome to Earth" doesn't sound like anything I have heard before with this unusually refreshing brand of techno/industrial sounds. The first track "Everything We Know is Wrong" is simply one of the best techno songs I have heard in a long time. The vocals just blew me away. I loved the cover of Metallica's "Fade to Black". That just really threw me off in a really good way. Putting a techno beat to a classic heavy metal song is simply brilliant in my book. I loved "Starsign". I just love hearing a man lending vocals to a techno song, not to take anything away from all the great female vocalists who have lent their voices to some choice techno tracks by various artists over the years. The male vocals on songs like "Starsign" and "Everything We Know is Wrong" sounds so refreshing to me.

I already love this album to death. I need to hear more music from Apoptygma Berzerk. I want to hear just how different "Welcome to Earth" stands from the other albums. I am glad to have taken a chance on this cd without listening to it first.