AT THE GATES - The Circular Ruins (Live Video)

artist: At the Gates

album: At War with Reality

Below you will find a video for "The Circular Ruins" off the album "At War with Reality." In case you have not heard the album, here are some excerpts of various reviews found at Metal Archives.

So, is there anything new happening here? Honestly, not really. If you came looking for innovation, you will be disappointed. However, ATG still does what they do better than any of the imitators. Charlie Chaplin once lost in a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest. The same would not happen in an At the Gates cover band competition. These guys still write riffs that are killer in that they grab your attention and are pleasing to the ear. There are also several really nice solos that do not feel tacked on or overstay their welcome. Combined with the stellar interplay with the drumming, you will be bobbing your head to several of these tracks. Key offenders for me were the obvious title track as well as “The Book of Sand,” “Upon Pillars of Dust,” and “The Head of the Hydra.” The songwriting is kept fairly tight and there was not a moment where I felt bored and wanting to hit skip.

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The most improved part of this album lies in the vocal work of Tomas Lindberg. I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with his screechy, raspy, strangled mid range vocals. While at points they can lend a highly emotional tone to the music, other times they reek of amateurism on the band’s previous releases. On At War With Reality, though, Lindberg is at his best. The rasps are slightly lower, and slightly less strangled, and all around, better. It lends the album much more replay value than previous albums, as it does not ever seem tiring or painful to listen to. It also doesn’t hurt that the lyrics being voiced are the best the band has ever done, which seem to be a more mature, thought provoking take on the “Existential depression” concepts on Slaughter Of The Soul.

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The best track of the bunch though is Circular Ruins, with Tomas sounding particularly vicious, screaming his lungs out intensely against a backdrop of ugly riffs with a deep rumbling guitar tone, with brilliant solos snaking their way around the fretboard and sticking in the mind. And there aren’t any bad tracks on At War With Reality, each one having it’s own identity, with memorable riffs, vocal lines and interesting ideas. That said, they come out strong, with the first three tracks being the best on the album, but the rest are by no means slouches and would each fit on any of the old At the Gates album with ease, but it does just feel perhaps a little too front loaded – but that’s the only bad point on a great comeback.

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AT THE GATES - The Circular Ruins (Live Video)