AT THE GATES - so ready for this to drop

[KingsGene]

AT THE GATES - VIDEO TRAILER STREAMING FOR AT WAR WITH REALITY ARTBOOK EDITION

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[KingsGene]

AT THE GATES DEBUT “DEATH AND THE LABYRINTH” VIDEO

Tomas Lindberg (vocals) comments: "We had a very special idea about the kind of approach we wanted for the first video from 'At War With Reality'. What we needed was someone gifted enough to throw himself artistically into the project full on. The lyrics to the song are very multi-layered and surreal, so we wanted someone to create a fevered dreamworld that went with the melancholic frustration and dramatic desperation that we feel comes across in the song. This is exactly what Patric has created for us. It's his vision of the music and lyrics, which compliments the track perfectly in my opinion. I couldn't be happier!"

Director Patric Ullaeus adds: "It's always nice to work with creative artists who are like-minded. Ideas seem to flow easily. We had a lot of fun making our vision come true. Being on these amazing locations in Antelope Canyon, Arizona was truly an unforgettable experience."

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[General Zod]

Albums aren't a "cash grab" for anyone, least of all underground metal bands. Moreover, if tour money was what the band was after, they didn't need to write an album to fill venues or be included on European festivals. If At the Gates was seeking a quick cash influx, they could have simply announced they're going on tour and performing Slaughter the Soul from beginning to end. Finally, the early reviews are calling this an AOTY contender. Great is always great music. If it also happens to make money, that's merely as it should be.

EDIT: Those first two tracks are pretty sweet.

EDIT #2: The entire records kicks ass. It's worth noting, I'm not a huge At the Gates fan. The only record of theirs I'm at all familiar with is Slaughter of the Soul, and I do not think it's a brilliant album. I couldn't tell you whether this sounds like The Red in the Sky Is Ours, Terminal Spirit Disease or Slaughter of the Soul. I couldn't tell you if it even sounds like At the Gates, aside from Lindberg's very identifiable vocals. What I can say is, after two spins I'm really enjoying this record and it's going to be on repeat in the car and the gym.

 

[PIOT]

Can't complain with new AtG's

 

[broegaard]

Can't complain with new AtG's

+1

 

[dcowboys311]

At the Gates touring the US with CONVERGE and Vallenfyre next year. Good bill.

 

[Fire breath]

The album is disappointing. It's not bad but it's not what I wanted I'm afraid. I'm one of those idiots who wanted Slaughter II and didn't quite get it. The album is a bit downbeat at times and far too atmospheric or moody. You have Opeth for that shit. ATG should be about melodic riffs and they are pretty hard to find on the whole. They do pump up the energy on occasion and the album has good moments but still lacks killer fast riffs.

 

[General Zod]

It's not bad but it's not what I wanted I'm afraid. I'm one of those idiots who wanted Slaughter II and didn't quite get it.

While I can understand that, I think it's also a bit unfair for two reasons. One, you can't expect any band to instantly move right back into the exact same headspace they were in 20 years ago. Two, when a band releases an album that defines a genre, and knows there will be intense scrutiny on their next release, you have to anticipate they'll look to shake up their recipe. I'd say set this one aside for a few weeks and return to it with refreshed expectations. I think it just may be the best Death Metal record of the year.

 

[KingsGene]

David Perri 8.0 review at BWBK

 

[TribunalRecords]

Album rules. took me about 5 spins to really get into. Now it's in constant rotation. Sure it's not SOTS, but it IS At The Gates and it's awesome.

 

[General Zod]

Good review. I'm not sure I quite understand the enormous praise Surgical Steel receives. It's a good album. I own it. But I'm just not sure I understand why people seem to genuflect before it. Personally, I prefer At War with Reality.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

I think Surgical Steel does a great job at delivering what people expected that record to do. It's not groundbreaking, and it's CERTAINLY not perfect, but it's a super enjoyable Carcass album that throws back to their most well known eras. They could have very easily fucked it up and put out another Swansong, or tried to create some kind of other abomination Cold Lake style, but they didn't.

My biggest beef is the Andy Sneap treatment. Sounds too pro-tooled.


I still have to check out the new ATG. Going to do that in a few mins I think. The tracks I've heard were promising, but a bit underwhelming. I also feel like Lindberg's voice is starting to go. He sounded much better when he was in Nightrage.

 

[General Zod]

I think Surgical Steel does a great job at delivering what people expected that record to do. It's not groundbreaking, and it's CERTAINLY not perfect, but it's a super enjoyable Carcass album that throws back to their most well known eras.

No argument. My comment was more directed at some of the over-the top praise it gets. For example, in the link KingsGene posted above the reviewer writes, "Surgical Steel was, and is, a game-changer and a representation of extreme metal at its 10/10 zenith."

Good album? Definitely.

Game changer? I'm not sure how.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

Oh yeah, I don't get that at all.

 

[skyrefuge]

Good review.

I thought it was one of the crappier reviews I've read from a semi-pro source (based on writing/content, not the opinion). Here's a summary of that review:

- At the Gates's last album came out a long time ago.
- This At the Gates comeback album is nowhere near as good as the utterly brilliant Carcass comeback album (and yeah, that anyone considered that a game-changer was news to me too).
- It's a continuation of 'Slaughter of the Soul', not a dive to their older history.
- It's confident, cohesive, and perfectly produced.

And that's it. After negatively comparing it to the Carcass album, every subsequent statement (and there aren't many of substance) is positive. Which leaves me wondering *why* is it inferior to the Carcass album? Give me some details. Mention something about a particular track. Maybe someone's performance? No? Ok, well, luckily in this day and age, I can just go listen to the album myself on Spotify. But that means, now more than ever, reviews are useful for providing new insights into works we already know, and this one certainly didn't do that.

For me, I listened to the album about 4 times yesterday, and it sounded pretty good, but probably nothing I'll care about 2 months from now (which is almost exactly how I thought people felt about the Carcass album). It might actually be as good as 'Slaughter of the Soul', and would have had the same impact if it was released in 1995 instead of SotS, but 19 years later, I just don't care.

 

[General Zod]

I thought it was one of the crappier reviews I've read from a semi-pro source (based on writing/content, not the opinion). Here's a summary of that review:

- At the Gates's last album came out a long time ago.
- This At the Gates comeback album is nowhere near as good as the utterly brilliant Carcass comeback album (and yeah, that anyone considered that a game-changer was news to me too).
- It's a continuation of 'Slaughter of the Soul', not a dive to their older history.
- It's confident, cohesive, and perfectly produced.

And that's it.

Precisely why it's not a "great review".

I won't get into the Carcass component of it, as I've already noted that and it seems like we agree on that point. Here's why I think it's a "good" review:

1. "This is an effort whose self-awareness extends only as far as the five Gothenburg residents who wrote it: the reality of the metal underground since 1995 doesn't seem to have affected At War With Reality, which truly is a significant achievement." I agree with this assessment and think it's an astute analysis.

2. "At War With Reality is confident, cohesive, perfectly produced (the sonics here are a thing of beauty)...". I concur on all points, especially with the assessment of the production.

3. "At The Gates has dispelled the misguided idea that it's an act based on just one (admittedly enormous) album and has shown how to deflect expectations with acumen and very impressive grace under pressure." A very well stated summary and conclusion.

4. It mocks Chinese Democracy. Any review that takes a random shot at Axl Rose gets bonus points in my book.

 

[TribunalRecords]

here is a better summary for both CARCASS and ATG.

Both albums far surpassed all expectations ANY OF US had for these two bands in 2013/14.

Are either of them revolutionary? not in the slightest, but are either albums bad? nope. Are they better than most albums by bands who have ripped them off (were influenced by) over the years. F**K YES.

I mean the Carcass album alone smashed the last Aborted and Exhumed records in half thanks to Bill Steer.

 

[General Zod]

Does anyone else find the second half of the Carcass album more enjoyable than the first? I typically I find I lose interest with most death metal releases as they go on. However, I consistently find myself enjoying the second half of this album more.

 

[orcslayr23]

I'll admit that i'm not very familiar with ATG. I got the new album and I love it overall. It's one of those rare releases where I feel compelled to listen to it all the way through every time. It's very cohesive, the vocals are absolutely ferocious (perhaps the most passionate harsh-vocal delivery i've heard). At points the songs kind of mush together and it's not quite as diverse as I was hoping, but it's definitely one of my favorite albums of the year.

Anyone else planning on going to the Boston ATG show in April?

 

[KingsGene]

AT THE GATES PREMIER "HEROES AND TOMBS" VIDEO

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AT THE GATES - TOUR TIPS FROM TOMAS LINDBERG - "GET OUT THERE, FEEL THE CITY"