Review: At The Gates

At The Gates
“Slaughter of the Soul”
(Earache)

This is that band, the band that seems to have had members move on to every other black and death metal band in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.  They’re that band that seems to have something like a kajillion different members that have gone on to drum, strum or produce for others all across Europe.  I’ve heard their influence in countless other bands yet had never, until now, actually heard them.  And now I see their importance to the then burgeoning death/black metal scene clearly and not only as a training ground for excellent guitarists.  At The Gates stands concretely on death metal ground on this reissued early album from the group.  If you already own this album you’ll be sad to know it has been reissued with six bonus tracks including a Slayer cover (Captor of Sin), an unreleased track from the recording of the “Slaughter of the Soul” album (The Dying) and some demos and other covers.  The band conveys melody alongside hefty guitar solos and mega-chugging riffs.  If you are into the Scandinavian metal then you’d be into this, but I’m probably the last guy on the planet who has a mild affinity for the Scandinavian scene who hadn’t heard these mean fuckers before this afternoon.