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Avg: 4.5 (183 ratings)
One of the building blocks of modern metal. (Try not to hold that against them.)
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We Say...
The founders of Swedish melodic death metalists At the Gates hold the dubious honor of being the force most influential for today’s metalcore. The band played thunderous songs that combined growling vocals and turbulent rhythms with melodic guitar harmonies reminiscent of Iron Maiden. While the scene At the Gates spawned was already in full motion by the time they released their fourth album, Slaughter of the Soul, the disc captured a balance between dissonance and euphony that remains unparalleled. Perhaps realizing you can’t top perfection, the band broke up after the album’s release; three members formed the Haunted and one joined the Crown.
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They Say...
While "Blinded by Fear" begins Slaughter of the Soul with a screwy and interesting semi-industrial percussion loop, about 40 seconds in it becomes all light-speed crunch, riffs, and snarls, so those who never liked thrash in the first place aren't going to be convinced by the goings-on here. But for those for whom such stuff is like oxygen? It depends. Singer Tomas Lindberg actually steers away from the typical Cookie Monster growl in favor of a higher but equally strangled register, while his lyrics avoid bad fantasy poesy, at least for the most part, in favor of more existential crises. If nothing else, he has a good line in influences, with quotes from everyone from William Burroughs to the 13th Floor Elevators. As for his bandmates, nothing here sounds too different from what those who worshipped at the wells of Kill 'Em All and Reign in Blood would have created, but what they do they do quite well. The arrangements are tight and performances strong (guitarists Anders Bjorler and Martin Larsson clearly have practiced their riff action many a time), and the occasional extra touch like acoustic guitar or notable space in the production, holding back at points rather than just grinding things into the ground, never hurts. "Cold" is a good example of this, with a soft electric guitar break about two minutes in, while the instrumental "Into the Dead Sky" consists of nothing but similarly calm guitar and whooshing background noises. Sometimes the contrast can be a bit odd -- hearing Lindberg's howls against nothing but brief flamenco runs in "Unto Others" isn't the most typical of combinations! While Slaughter may not be the best album of its kind, it's definitely better than most, with its own character.
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| 01. |  |
Blinded By Fear |
3:12 |
|
| 02. | |
Slaughter Of The Soul |
3:02 |
|
| 03. | |
Cold |
3:27 |
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| 04. | |
Under A Serpent Sun |
3:58 |
|
| 05. | |
Into The Dead Sky |
2:12 |
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| 06. | |
Suicide Nation |
3:35 |
|
| 07. | |
World Of Lies |
3:35 |
|
| 08. | |
Unto Others |
3:11 |
|
| 09. | |
Nausea |
2:23 |
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| 10. | |
Need |
2:36 |
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| 11. | |
The Flames Of The End |
2:56 |
|
11 Total Tracks, 34:07 Total Length
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Credits
- At the Gates - Producer // At the Gates - Producer // At the Gates - Main Performer // At the Gates - Main Performer // Andy LaRocque - Guitar // Kristian Wahlin - Artwork // Kristian Wahlin - Design // Kristian Wahlin - Photography // Fredrik Nordström - Producer // Noel Summerville - Mastering // Anders Björler - Guitar // Anders Björler - Drums // Jonas Björler - Bass // Adrian Erlandsson - Drums // Martin Larsson - Guitar // Tomas Lindberg - Vocals // Björn Mankner - Photography
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