Biography
At the Gates is a melodic death metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. They are one of the forebears of the Gothenburg sound of heavy metal along with other bands of the Gothenburg metal scene such as Dark Tranquillity and In Flames.
The band was formed in 1990 after the break-up of the band Grotesque. They recorded a debut EP, Gardens of Grief for the Dolores record label. The EP led to seminal metal label Peaceville Records signing the band, and releasing their debut LP The Red in the Sky Is Ours
in 1991. The sound of this album was not as advanced as their later
works, and showed some technicality with less hints of melody, but the
band gained recognition through touring.
Following the release of their second album, With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness, original member and guitarist Alf Svensson left the band and was replaced by Martin Larsson. The band continued touring Europe, and were filmed for a Headbangers Ball special on a tour date in the UK.
In 1994, they released Terminal Spirit Disease,
which was hailed as a breakthrough album. It contained only six new
songs, but showed that the band had progressed immensely in only one
year. This would be the last album on Peaceville, as they were signed by one of the largest metal labels, Earache Records. The band continued touring, and in 1995, they took yet another step forward, releasing arguably their best work, Slaughter of the Soul.
This album firmly rooted the band as one of the leaders of the Swedish
metal scene, and is considered a benchmark album in the Gothenburg sound. The band received international attention for the album, gaining them a U.S. tour, and heavy rotation of the music video for "Blinded by Fear" on MTV
in America. Despite the success and acclaim the band had garnered, the
Björler brothers left the band in 1996. The remaining members decided
it would be impossible to continue without them, so the band was broken
up.
When At the Gates broke up in 1996, drummer Adrian Erlandsson, bassist Jonas Björler and guitarist Anders Björler formed The Haunted. Tomas Lindberg has worked with many bands including Skitsystem, The Crown, Lock Up, and Nightrage and is currently in The Great Deceiver and Disfear. Adrian Erlandsson left The Haunted to join Cradle of Filth. In 1999, Peaceville Records released a career retrospective called Suicidal Final Art.
The band's legacy is far reaching, because of their influence on the metalcore genre. Many bands, such as Darkest Hour, The Black Dahlia Murder and Killswitch Engage were influenced by their sound.
On October 18, 2007, At the Gates announced several reunion shows for the Summer of 2008, including Ruisrock, Wacken Open Air, Graspop Metal Meeting, Sweden Rock Festival, Gods of Metal and Bloodstock Open Air.
by wikipedia
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