At the Gates

At the Gates
Background information
Origin	Gothenburg, Sweden
Genres	Death metal[1] (early) melodic death metal
Years active	1990–96 2007–08 2010–present
Labels	Century Media[2] Earache Peaceville
Associated acts	The Haunted Brujeria Cradle of Filth Liers in Wait Grotesque Nightrage The Crown Disfear Skitsystem Lock Up The Great Deceiver Oxiplegatz House of Usher Dead to Fall Darkest Hour Ceremonial Oath
Website	www.atthegates.se
Members	Tomas Lindberg Anders Björler Adrian Erlandsson Jonas Björler Martin Larsson
Past members	Alf Svensson Björn Mankner

At the Gates is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden and a major progenitor of the Gothenburg sound^[3]

Initially active from 1990 to 1996, the band reformed in 2007 for a reunion tour before breaking up once again in 2008. However, they reformed for a second time in December 2010, and have since continued to perform live. The band released At War with Reality, their first album in 19 years, in late 2014.^[4]

History

Early career (1990–1994)

At the Gates were formed in 1990 by former members of the death/black metal band Grotesque. They recorded a debut EP, Gardens of Grief, for the Dolores record label. The EP led seminal metal label Peaceville Records to sign the band, and they released their debut full-length album, The Red in the Sky Is Ours in 1992.

After the recording of their second studio album, With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness, founding member and guitarist Alf Svensson left the band in 1993 to pursue tattoo artistry, graphic novel illustration and his solo electronic-opera-black metal project Oxiplegatz. He was soon replaced by former House of Usher guitarist Martin Larsson, who the band knew from underground tape trading. The band continued touring Europe, and were filmed for a Headbangers Ball special feature in Nottingham, UK in July 1993.

Success and breakthrough (1994–1996)

In 1994, At the Gates released their third album, Terminal Spirit Disease, which was hailed as a breakthrough album.^[5]

The band continued touring and in 1995 released their most commercially and critically successful album: Slaughter of the Soul, on Earache Records. The album is regarded as their strongest death metal effort, compared to previous albums.^[6] This album firmly rooted the band as one of the leaders of the Swedish metal scene, the "Gothenburg sound" of melodic death metal.^[7] The band received international attention for the album, gaining them several U.S. tours and heavy rotation of the music video for Blinded by Fear on MTV in America, but despite this international success, the Björler brothers departed in 1996. The remaining members decided it would be impossible to continue without them, so the band broke up.^[8]

Post-breakup (1996–2007)

When At the Gates broke up in 1996, drummer Adrian Erlandsson, bassist Jonas Björler, and guitarist Anders Björler formed The Haunted. Tomas Lindberg has worked with many bands including Skitsystem, The Crown, Lock Up, and Nightrage and is currently in The Great Deceiver and Disfear. Erlandsson left The Haunted in 1999 to join Cradle of Filth. In 2001, Peaceville Records released an At the Gates retrospective called Suicidal Final Art.

Reunion (2007–2014)

At the Gates performing live at Metaltown Festival in June 2011

On October 18, 2007, At the Gates announced several reunion shows for mid-2008, including Getafe Electric Festival, Roskilde Festival, Ruisrock, Wacken Open Air, Graspop Metal Meeting, Sweden Rock Festival, Gods of Metal, Hellfest Summer Open Air, Castle Festival, and Bloodstock Open Air,^[9] as well as a tour of Japan with The Dillinger Escape Plan, Into Eternity, Pig Destroyer, and Mayhem in May 2008.^[10]

Anders Björler commented on the reunion:

“

Well, it felt like the timing was right for once. We have been talking about a possible reunion for years now, but this was the first time everything fell into place. For me personally, it feels like getting closure. The break-up over ten years ago was abrupt and left a bad vibe between us that took years to get over. We have a better relationship today and a more relaxed approach to who we are and what we do. The time is right to get together and play some shows. Try to catch us live in the summer 2008. It could be your last chance.

”

On the band's official website, Björler declared that "it would be pointless to release something more than ten years after Slaughter of the Soul" and "would just disappoint people."^[11]

When asked in October 2007 if the band was planning on writing a new album, Lindberg replied:

“

No new record will be recorded. The legacy of Slaughter of the Soul will remain intact. It would be fun to write together, but not under the name of At the Gates.[12]

”

Throughout July 2008, they toured the US and Canada on what was dubbed the "Suicidal Final Tour",^[13] and played their final UK show at Bloodstock Open Air on Sunday on 17 August 2008. They finished their last show in Athens, Greece, with guest The Ocean on 21 September 2008.

The band's performance at Wacken Open Air in 2008 is available on The Flames of the End, which also includes clips of songs from other venues and a documentary that covers the history of the band in its entirety.

In December 2010, the band announced a second reunion in their hometown (Gothenburg, Sweden), with plans to perform at Metaltown 2011. Later that month, they announced that they would perform at Bloodstock Open Air in Derbyshire, England.

On January 29, 2012, At the Gates announced on their official Facebook page that they would be doing more reunion shows in 2012. They appeared at the Brutal Assault and Vagos Open Air festivals in August, and also Resurrection Fest in Spain. They also appeared on board the Barge to Hell which sailed out of Miami in December.

In October 2012, Tomas Lindberg stated that he would not say "never" to the possibility of At the Gates recording again.^[14]

The band also confirmed some reunion appearances in 2013, including Sweden Rock Festival in Solvesborg and Heavy MTL in Montreal.

At War with Reality (2014–2016)

On January 21, 2014, At the Gates released a video on YouTube showing a distorted video with lines of text on it, followed by text saying "2014", possibly hinting toward possible lyrics for an upcoming album. On January 27, the band revealed on Facebook via a new cover photo and profile picture, that their confirmed fifth record would be titled, At War with Reality and would be released in the fall of 2014 through Century Media.^[4]

Asked whether At War with Reality is At the Gates' final album or if the band will continue recording, Tomas Lindberg replied, "We can't say really. We have no plans of stopping but we've broken promises before so it's best not to say anything."^[15] In numerous recent interviews members of the band have expressed interest in doing a follow-up album whilst not disclosing any definite plans, stating that once the current tour is over they will discuss as a group the future plans for the band and the possibility of working on new material.

At The Gates concluded their 'At War with Reality' tour in August 2016.

Musical style and lyrics

According to Eduardo Rivadavia, At the Gates started as "a pretty standard and uninventive death metal combo" but were "slowly becoming a true contender in the scene".^[16] The band's debut album had an eclectic sound, featuring neo-classical arrangements including a string solo. Their third album Terminal Spirit Disease contained only six new songs, but showed that the band's sound had progressed noticeably in only one year, in terms of playing and production.^[16] The band's melodic and melancholic death metal style "would inspire the whole Gothenburg region".^[17] According to Steve Huey, Slaughter of the Soul "lacked the intricate twin-guitar leads of In Flames, the complex song structures of Dark Tranquillity, the progressive artistry of Edge of Sanity, or even the rock & roll underpinnings of latter-day Entombed. Slaughter of the Soul was more rooted in American thrash (especially Slayer) than its peers, and didn't seem to be consciously trying to break new ground. It was simply a stripped-down, no-frills melodic death album that hit all the basic points of the style. […] It's also important to note that in place of the usual guttural death grunts, vocalist Tomas Lindberg here adopts a strangled shriek that keeps the lyrics somewhat intelligible."^[6]

Awards

At the Gates were nominated for a Swedish Grammy (Grammis) for Slaughter of the Soul in 1996, but didn't win. ^[18] They won the Swedish Grammy (Grammis) in February 2015 for the 2014 comeback album At War with Reality ^[19] At The Gates were also awarded the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Inspiration Award in June 2015.^[20]

Members

Current members Tomas Lindberg − vocals (1990–1996, 2007–2008, 2010–present) Anders Björler − guitars (1990–1996, 2007–2008, 2010–present) Adrian Erlandsson − drums (1990–1996, 2007–2008, 2010–present) Jonas Björler − bass (1990–1992, 1993–1996, 2007–2008, 2010–present), drums (1990)[21] Martin Larsson − guitars (1993–1996, 2007–2008, 2010–present)

Former members Alf Svensson − guitars (1990–1993) Björn Mankner − bass (1990) Jesper Jarold − violin (1991-1992) Cliff Lundberg − bass (1992) Tony Andersson − session bass (1992)

Timeline

Discography

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions									Sales
		SWE [22]	JPN [23]	US [24]	AUT [25]	SWI [26]	GER [27]	FIN [28]	BEL (WA) [29]	BEL (FL) [30]
The Red in the Sky Is Ours	Released: July 27, 1992 Label: Peaceville Records Formats: CD, CS, LP, DL	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness	Released: May 7, 1993 Label: Peaceville Records Formats: CD, CS, LP, DL	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Terminal Spirit Disease	Released: July 18, 1994 Label: Peaceville Records Formats: CD, CS, LP, DL	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Slaughter of the Soul	Released: November 14, 1995 Label: Earache Records Formats: CD, CD+DVD, CS, LP, DL	—	200	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
At War with Reality	Released: October 28, 2014 Label: Century Media Records Formats: CD, CS, LP, DL	3	17	53	39	51	25	15	162	78	US: 7,700+[31]
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

EPs

Title	Album details
Gardens of Grief	Released: 1991 Label: Dolores Records Formats: CD

Compilation albums

Title	Album details
Suicidal Final Art	Released: June 26, 2001 Label: Peaceville Records Formats: CD

Live albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		GRE [32]
Purgatory Unleashed - Live at Wacken	Released: March 22, 2010 Label: Earache Records Format: CD	25
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Split albums

Title	Album details	Notes
Cursed to Tour	Released: 1996 Label: Earache Records Formats: CD	Split with Napalm Death
Gardens of Grief / In the Embrace of Evil	Released: June 12, 2001 Label: Century Media records Formats: CD	split with Grotesque
At the Gates / Decapitated	Released: April 19, 2014 Label: Earache Records Formats: 7"	split with Decapitated on Record Store day 2014
At the Gates / Voivod	Released: April 6, 2015 Label: Century Media Records Formats: 7"	split with Voivod

Video albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		FIN [33]	SWE [34]
The Flames of the End	Released: February 22, 2010 Label: Earache Records Format: DVD	3	1
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Music videos

Year	Song	Director(s)
1992	"Kingdom Gone"	Wargren / Schönbeck
1993	"The Burning Darkness"	Antonio Tublén
1994	"Terminal Spirit Disease"
1995	"Blinded by Fear"
2014	"Death and the Labyrinth"	Patric Ullaeus
	"Heroes and Tombs"	Costin Chioreanu
2015	"The Book of Sand (The Abomination)"	Costin Chioreanu
	"The Night Eternal"	Costin Chioreanu
2016	"The Circular Ruins (Live)"	Anders Björler (edited by)

References

1. Robert Müller: Satanische Verse. In: Metal Hammer, no. 6, June 1993, p. 159.
2. "Century Media Records - At The Gates: : Announce new studio album; Sign worldwide deal with Century Media Records!". Retrieved 2014-01-30.
3. Ekeroth, Daniel (2008-01-01). Swedish Death Metal. Bazillion Points Books. p. 222. ISBN 9780979616310.
4. "At The Gates Announces New Studio Album, Label Home". Blabbermouth.net. 2014-01-27. Retrieved 2014-01-27.
5. Morgan, Anthony (November 2007). ""The Flames of the End"? - Guitarist Anders Björler wishes to pen the final chapter in the glorious history of Swedish legends At The Gates". Lucem Fero. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
6. Steve Huey: Slaughter of the Soul - At the Gates, accessed on 18 September 2013.
7. "At the Gates | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
8. "At The Gates", Earache.com.
9. "It's Official: At The Gates To Reunite For Select Shows". Roadrunnerrecords.com. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
10. "Extreme The Dojo". Extreme The Dojo. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
11. Archived November 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
12. "AT THE GATES Frontman Discusses Reunion, Touring Plans". Earache Records. Blabbermouth.net. 2007-10-30. Archived from the original on 1 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
13. Decibel Magazine
14. "AT THE GATES Frontman On Possibility Of New Studio Album: 'I've Learned Never To Say Never'". Blabbermouth.net. 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
15. "Interview With At The Gates Vocalist Tomas Lindberg". Metalunderground.com. 2014-11-18. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
16. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Terminal Spirit Disease - At the Gates". allmusic. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
17. Daniel Ekeroth: Swedish Death Metal. Second printing. Brooklyn, NY: Bazillion Points 2009, p. 222, accessed on 18 September 2013.
18. "Grammis". Retrieved 14 December 2015.
19. "Grammisvinnare".
20. "Golden Gods 2015".
21. The History Of At The Gates - Under A Serpent Sun (English Subs). 9 July 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2015 – via YouTube.
22. "swedishcharts.com - Discography At The Gates". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
23. "アット・ザ・ゲイツの作品". ORICON STYLE. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
24. "At the Gates". Retrieved 14 December 2015.
25. "Das österreichische Hitparaden- und Musik-Portal". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
26. "Discographie At The Gates - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
27. "Home - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Retrieved 14 December 2015.
28. "finnishcharts.com - Finnish charts portal". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
29. "Discographie At The Gates". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
30. "Discografie At The Gates". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
31. "Metal By Numbers 11/6: Here Come The Brides". Metal Insider. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
32. Steffen Hung. "greekcharts.com - Greek charts portal". Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
33. "Musiikkituottajat - Tilastot - Suomen virallinen lista - Musiikki DVD:t". Retrieved 14 December 2015.
34. "Sverigetopplistan - Sveriges Officiella Topplista". Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.

External links

• Official website