| At the Gates Gardens of Grief |
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 | Tracklist:
1. Souls of the Evil Departed
2. At the Gates
3. All Life Ends
4. City of Screaming Statues
Release Date: 1991 | |
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| Summary: At the Gates's Debut shows the potential of a talented, brutal Death Metal act in a straight forward way. Growling Vocals, Brutal Riffs and drum fills, it is an excellent Death Metal EP. |
1 of 1 thought this review was well written
This is my first reveiw and my first actual CD of the highly influential death metal band At the Gates. I can't compare this EP to the bands other listings because I don't own any others, and that way I feel that you will get a direct review about the EP instead of referring it to Slaughter of the Soul every 2 sentences.
The Date is febuary 1991, the second wave of Black Metal is lurking and waiting in Norway and Death Metal is now as heavy as you can go , with bands getting signed to labels and seminal releases from Death, Morbid Angel and Obituary, this is officially the schiznit. Grotesque had disbanded and Tomas Lindberg founds a death metal band called At the Gates, with Alf Svensson on guitars, the Bjorler brothers on guitars and bass and Adrian Erlandsson on drums and which they record the Gardens of Grief EP.
As soon as Souls of the Evil departed kicks in, you instantly hear that this band wants to be different, and wants to offer something, with the guitarists making a blend of melodic lines and ultra heavy riffs, and with some drum fills popping in and out it seems experimental in places. Tomas's vocals sound something of a clearer Chris Barnes growl (Cannibal Corpse), that accompanies the music very well giving the music a much heavier texture.
It follows on to the next song , At the Gates, which on the booklet of the EP reads "Tomas wants to dedicate the Lyrics In "At the Gates" to the memory of Per Ohlin (Mayhem) RIP". The Lyrics tell of someone feeling sorrow and tired after destruction and the person is craving to sleep eternally.
The last two songs on the EP show the most promise and show a band with a huge potential with "All Life Ends" having keyboard synths creating atmosphere and "City of Screaming Statues" showing At the Gates fluidnss of incorparating melody in their songs while remaining brutally heavy, something which they would later go on to master. Also there are parts which puts the musicians in the spotlight and they display something of Cynic-esque, Atheist-esque jazzy sequences like in "City of Screaming Statues", which proves that these guys are no slouches.
To come to a Conclusion, Gardens of Grief is an excellent Death Metal EP, showing a band with more than enough promise and potential to make it big, and there is no wonder that At the Gates got signed up to Peaceville, with an EP as good as this they were bound to do something better than the rest.
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i will vote on yes on this since this is a lot better than my first review but i recommend that you separate the middle paragraph so its a bit more readable.
and have you heard Liers In Wait? Their EP Spiritually Uncontrolled Art was released with this as a split, its awesome.
| | | Album Rating: 3
Thanks for the heads up, and I thought Groteque's EP was with this on a split?
I have the Black Sun Records version of the EP, but there is many other reissues and splits of this EP out there.
But no I haven't heard of Liers in the Wait, but I'll be sure to check 'em out.
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Good first review (way better than mine as well).
I really need more of AtG. I only have Slaughter Of The Soul.
Digging: Hypocrisy - A Taste Of Extreme Divinity
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Not bad for a first review. You need to listen to Slaughter of the Soul. This album is boring but is still a good insight into a great band.
Digging: Ulcerate - Of Fracture and Failure | | |
@Imperiour
yeah sorry Grotesque i mean. I have In The Embrace of Evil by them. but still check out the Liers In Wait, you will like it.
@Deth
get Terminal Spirit Disease now! :thumb:This Message Edited On 12.10.07
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Slaughter of the Soul is pretty mediocre when you put it side by side with their albums like The Red Sky is Ours, but I haven't heard this, and it seems promising.
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Ew man no way. The Red Sky is such a bad album.
Digging: Circle Takes The Square - As The Roots Undo
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Agreed^^^! It honestly fooled me as an ATG's album.
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Terminal Spirit Disease is so awesome, I've only heard that and SotS. I had this for a while but i deleted it because i was only interested in the grotesque side of the split. i need to get this though, its on itunes. i like their pre-melodeath sound.
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Ew man no way. The Red Sky is such a bad album.
Says the guy who actually thinks SOtS is anything but lol.
Digging: A Forest of Stars - The Corpse of Rebirth
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get Terminal Spirit Disease now!
I have heard good things about that album, I will probably get it someday.
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Good review. This is the only At the Gates I am yet to hear.
Dethtrasher: Definitely get Terminal Spirit Disease. Although it isn't really a full album, it's only got 6 original songs, all of them are really good, especially The Swarm.
Digging: Earth - Earth 2
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
The Swarm is sweet.
| | | Album Rating: 3
I have heard good things about that album, I will probably get it someday. not someday Deth, right now...youll really love it!
Digging: Hypocrisy - A Taste Of Extreme Divinity | | | Album Rating: 4
fucking yes
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Wow, finally got my hands on this. Been wearing the T-shirt for a while now and wasn't feeling legit. Haha.
It's a lot better than I was expecting. I'm not sure what happened on their next album.
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