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Released on October 27, 2014 via Century Media Records
I’ll cut to the chase…
Ever since At The Gates reformed back in 2008 and promptly destroyed all the competition with a stunning tour de force of a live show, which they have replicated with increasing devastation over the last six years, the excitement for potential new material has grown exponentially with each passing year!
So, when new material was finally confirmed and the release date for At War With Reality was announced earlier this year I immediately badgered our esteemed metal editor for it and he delivered so…
*Deep Breath*
We begin with an atmospheric spoken word intro ‘El Altar Del Dios Desconocido’, which perfectly heightens the tension with a Spanish orator speaking in increasingly dramatic fashion backed by all manner of sounds and effects also increasing in foreboding momentum and suddenly – BOOM – ‘Death And The Labyrinth’ flies haring out of the trap at full throttle and its everything you want from At The Gates and then some. Incessant buzzing RIFFS, rattling drums and Tomas Lindberg’s trademarked anguished growled, but still legible vocals, all backed up by a monstrously heavy production. At less than two and a half minutes it’s a short sharp shock statement of intent that still finds time to include time signature changes of both melodic and thundering groove laden passages.
*Exhales*
The title track annoyingly drops the ball a little with its paused intro, but as soon as the opening RIFF kicks in we are back up to full combat speed, and despite a couple of melodic solos, the sound and tempo is suitably vicious and full of aggression, which is continued with ‘The Circular Ruins’. Starting initially at a slower groove based tempo, although once the verse has been bridged we are back to the thundering dynamics, the chorus sections begin to blend in the “signature At The Gates style” (and frequently imitated) melodic guitar lines with second half of track toning down the aggression considerably to place emphasis on these as does ‘Heroes And Tombs’, that leads in with atmospherically laden clean guitars and melodic rhythms which counter plays nicely with the undercurrent of distorted fury.
‘The Conspiracy Of The Blind’ brings us back to full throttle and is classic At The Gates dialed up to eleven! And is certainly the most immediate stand out track on first listen.
After this stunning run of six tracks the album loses its way slightly in the next four as otherwise decent songs are hampered by misplaced ideas as ‘Order From Chaos’ attempts a change of pace opting for slow burning atmospheric heaviness that doesn’t really go anywhere before ending on a fade out, while ‘The Book Of Sand (The Abomination)’ shows they have been paying attention to modern developments with fast and furious thrash complimented with hints of ‘heroic’ Viking metal segments. ‘The Head Of The Hydra’ despite a decent dramatic building intro and serviceable chugging RIFF also doesn’t go anywhere ends on a fade out that leads into the oddly placed two minute interlude ‘City Of Mirrors’ (Track 10 in a 13 track running order?)
After these minor (and they are very minor in context) the At The Gates boys re-hit their stride and close out with a stunning two card trick as ‘Eater Of Gods’ goes back to the winning fast, furious and vicious formula before diverting to a glorious ending passage, while ‘Upon Pillars Of Dust’ somehow seems noticeably heavier thanks to the thrash metal inspired short sharp urgency.
‘The Night Eternal’ takes us home in further display of their mid paced melodic prowess with a suitably grandiose ending passage.
It’s a comeback album that is certainly no disgrace to the legacy (not that it ever was going to be), which successfully bridges between the past and present of death metal to be relevant and exciting rather than an exercise in simple nostalgia… more please!
