In October 2007 At The Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg told Blabbermouth.net, “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.” This was further backed by guitarist Anders Björler, when he said, “It would be pointless to release something more than ten years after Slaughter of the Soul… it would just disappoint people.”
Well, times have changed.
The pioneers of melodic death metal, At The Gates, announced a change of heart and are following up on the recent success of reunion concerts with a planned release of a follow-up to Slaughter of the Soul.
Century Media Records recently announced that the rockers from Sweden – hence, why the genre is also known as “Swedecore” – are currently working on a new album. The follow-up, which is tentatively planned for release by October or November, is nearly 20 years in the making.
“We are fully aware that we have made some very drastic statements in interviews as well as the closing words on the DVD about the longevity of AT THE GATES,” stated band members in a recent press release, “but things change, situations change and people change. When Anders sent the first song last summer, we had zero expectations of the outcome. We only knew one thing – That it sounded amazing! At the time we weren’t even sure there would be an album, but as things progressed, more songs came into existence, and we knew we were on to something great.”
At The Gates started off in 1990, and achieved success four years later after the release of their third album Terminal Spirit Disease. In 1995, the band reached the apex of their success after the release of Slaughter of the Soul. Unfortunately, the band broke up immediately afterwards in 1996. Since then, they have held reunion concerts, starting with the first in 2008.
Said the band, “So, here we are almost 24 years since the birth of AT THE GATES, and some 18+ years since our latest album ‘Slaughter Of The Soul’. A lot of years have passed and we have embarked on some life-changing reunion tours and shows the last couple of years. So, why make a new album you might ask, and why now? Well, what we learned from the last couple of years hanging out and playing shows together, is that we enjoy what we do to the fullest extent. We love playing music together, and we love to hang out as friends. But, as a musician, we constantly write new music.
It’s a huge part of our identities.”
Century Media Records added: “We are extremely proud and super excited to have teamed up with one of the most legendary and influential bands in metal. AT THE GATES have not only been a staff favourite since their very inception, but also a group of members that we individually like, respect and are always glad to support. As the reunion shows of the recent years have demonstrated, AT THE GATES are currently on top of their game and more relevant than ever before within and for the metal scene of these days. We truly look forward to pushing AT THE GATES to new heights with their new album ‘At War With Reality’. Let’s…GO!!!”