ALBUM REVIEW: The Nightmare Of Being – At The Gates
Over three decades ago, in the Swedish city Gothenburg, AT THE GATES started their journey as a death metal band. After six studio albums, a break-up and a reunion, their ability to push boundaries caught the attention of metal fans and are now considered one of the stronger contenders in the genre. Now three years after the release of To Drink From The Night Itself, the Swedish quintet return with their seventh full-length, The Nightmare Of Being.
Not even one track in and Spectre Of Extinction opens the album in a very old-school death metal manner, a highlight to the band’s earlier work still being prominent in their sound. This means not only are you getting melodic but filthy riffs and intricate drum-work, you’re also getting the instant energetic wrath from Tomas Lindberg [vocals] as each lyric feels like a punch, until the chorus gets going. One of the great things about death metal is that despite the grit of it all, having a bit of flair and catchiness to a chorus is nothing to be ashamed of, in fact it’s encouraged. This is one of those openers that gets a listener excited not only in a live setting, but studio-wise aswell. That spark that Spectre Of Extinction has is exactly how you open a death metal album.
Of course, with over three decades of experience under their belt it’s expected that AT THE GATES know how to nail that intro and grab the attention of listeners. Not only that, they also know how to keep their sound consistent despite experimenting. The Paradox and title-track don’t really stray too far from where Spectre Of Extinction leaves off, but Garden Of Cyrus is another tale to tell.
With full-blown progressive rock/metal influences thrown in from every angle, Garden Of Cyrus should on paper be a mismatch. However, the sensuous saxophone playing alongside the gloomy prog-tones from Jonas Stålhammar and Martin Larsson [guitars] compliment each others company in a dramatic way that only continues to intrigue. Not only is Garden Of Cyrus an excellent display of how the Swedes are capable of stepping out of the box, it’s a testament to their confidence in song writing, being able to know how to make something new work with something old isn’t an easy skill to have.
Whilst not as prominent, as the album continues, you can sense just how adventurous the band have been with the creation of The Nightmare Of Being. Grand orchestral sounds guide The Fall Into Time into a stunning array of dynamic shifts, whilst an energetic-groove led by Jonas Björler [bass] fills the boots of Cosmic Pessimism. Despite all of these shifts, even with the moody yet catchy-riff filled closing title, Eternal Winter Of Reason, AT THE GATES keep a firm grip at all times, the control not even thinking about going off-track.
It’s fair to say that The Nightmare Of Being is potentially the band’s most adventurous album to date. They’ve kept the raw sound in which helped create their name within death metal, but also dipped their toes into the water showing that the genre is more than just aggression. Jazz and progressive rock/metal take pride of place in this album, asserting that all it takes is to open your mind to a world where we are more open to ideas. It would have been welcomed if the quintet perhaps displayed more of this experimentation throughout the album, particularly in the earlier stages where, despite it packing a punch, felt a little more disconnected from the rest. However, AT THE GATES have delivered a daring and stunning seventh-effort, and despite more refining to come in the future, as always with them, the execution of The Nightmare Of Being is a true testament to their success.
Rating: 8/10
The Nightmare Of Being is out July 2nd via Century Media Records.
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