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At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours review




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Reviewer:
9.8

361 users:
7.76
Band: At The Gates
Album: The Red In The Sky Is Ours
Release date: July 1992


01. The Red In The Sky Is Ours / The Season To Come
02. Kingdom Gone
03. Through Gardens Of Grief
04. Within
05. Windows
06. Claws Of Laughter Dead
07. Neverwhere
08. The Scar
09. Night Comes, Blood Black
10. City Of Screaming Statues [bonus]
11. All Life Ends [live] [2001 Digipak bonus]
12. Kingdom Gone [live] [2001 Digipak bonus]
13. Ever-Opening Flower [demo] [2001 Digipak bonus]

At The Gates is a legendary band that needs no huge introduction. We got Tomas Lindberg doing the tormented growling, the Björler brothers on guitar and bass respectively, also an inspirational musician named Alf Svensson on the guitar. Adrian Erlandsson behind the drumkit.

From the opener "The Red In The Sky Is Ours / The Season To Come" it's apparent that this album is no easy catchy ride. Complicated structures, strange riffs and multiple tempo changes define this very original piece of art. The strangeness of the music is in the very core of answering why The Red In The Sky Is Ours or "simply" TRITSIO, is nothing less than a masterpiece. Now masterpiece is a big word, it's easy to throw it around until it means nothing, but in this case there are absolutely no doubts. Every single entity of the band creates a work of immense originality; I mean, tell me where to find anything that sounds like this and I will kiss your dirty feet.

I suppose the most "accepted" song here is "Kingdom Gone" and I don't mean that like it's a bad thing, it is a highly enjoyable song. Another notable track is "The Scar" which is a melodic instrumental (with some whispering). It's not bad, but it doesn't beat (few instrumentals do!) "And The World Returned" from Terminal Spirit Disease. "City of Screaming Statues" is originally from their debut EP and I concur it's the best song to include on TRITSIO. Well now that we've talked about some minor details, let's talk about the music.

The guitar riffs very much sounds like death metal, but still they are unique. How can you describe them? It's like he has cut death metal riffs in pieces, shuffled them and then glued them together reversely. But man, does it sound good. The strange riffs and strangeness overall apparently has a lot of doing with the brain of Alf Svensson. Remember the name, this man is a genius.

The drumming fits in perfectly with the "weirdness" of it all, playing both unorthodoxly and of course blastbeating. Erlandsson is also alternating between styles just as often as the guitar riffs. He's also using the bass pedals with great effect; by spamming, bursting or not using them at all, he highlights other instruments or accompanies them.

Tomas Lindberg screams have rarely sounded better than here. Neither is he an exception in this strange work. He either waits patiently and let the magic unfold or support with ghoulish growls in that trademark hoarse style of his. His lines are spread all over the place and they're often screamed in small bursts. Every single word of his is given a special part and effort.

Even the bass lines are strange sounding! Well, the little that is audible anyway.

The song structures are totally unpredictable, like the songs live their own lives. You go from melodies to neckbreaking speeds to full stop. This is a huge factor of why this album is so great, it NEVER grows old! It's definitely a grower. Many people dismiss it at first because it's too complicated. I say, embrace it slowly, be patient and you shall be rewarded. Of course, a love for Death metal helps a lot.

Originality is a rarity in death metal. Ironically (or not?) am I talking about a product from the early '90s, close to the death metal boom. At The Gates will never only be "notorious" for pushing the melodic death metal and metalcore genres, they have created some of the finest death metal ever.

And that concludes this review (or call it subjective praising). Hopefully you'll learn to love this album as much as I do (if you don't already do so).

Written by GamlaSonn | 23.12.2009




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 7   Visited by: 168 users
23.12.2009 - 13:26
Rating: 8
ioannisk

Neverwhere is a huuuuuuuge track!!!!! this album is awesome!! + nice review!
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23.12.2009 - 17:38
Rating: 9
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
This album and "With Fear... rapes all the material they did after.
Yes folks... The first two albums beat the shit out of the overrated Slaughter of the Soul in any single way.

If there's something I really agree with this review is the "strange" feeling. I can't be very specific either... But I guess that the best description is that the first two albums sound quite... scary, like very claustrophobic and I feel an electric vibe around my body when I listen to those albums...very hauting.
The only ones I truly like from this guys.

Maybe I don't agree with the rating [I'll give it 8,8] but I don't care for such numbers, I do agree with the text. The violin or whatever instrument they used in the self titled song is so beautiful but still so hauting.

Glad to see a review for this album, it deserves more praise than the two latest albums.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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24.12.2009 - 02:11
Rating: 7
lordz
IzZo
Although this band is one of my all time fav. I'll have to disagree with you on the rating... too high IMHO

good job though... but try not to be so biased when you write your reviews if you want people to be interested in your future reviews

and Mr. Dr.... I disagree with you regarding slaughter of the soul.. although my fav. ATG track ("the swarm") is not on SOTS I still think it is the best they have done but I cant judge your point of view as your taste of music obviously differs from mine.... I'm more into melodic clear sounding tracks and that's why I feel that way ...
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24.12.2009 - 08:01
Rating: 10
GamlaSonn

Written by ioannisk on 23.12.2009 at 13:26

Neverwhere is a huuuuuuuge track!!!!! this album is awesome!! + nice review!


Yeah man. Also "Within" is a great track! Thanks

Written by X-Ray Rod on 23.12.2009 at 17:38

This album and "With Fear... rapes all the material they did after.
Yes folks... The first two albums beat the shit out of the overrated Slaughter of the Soul in any single way.

If there's something I really agree with this review is the "strange" feeling. I can't be very specific either... But I guess that the best description is that the first two albums sound quite... scary, like very claustrophobic and I feel an electric vibe around my body when I listen to those albums...very hauting.
The only ones I truly like from this guys.

Maybe I don't agree with the rating [I'll give it 8,8] but I don't care for such numbers, I do agree with the text. The violin or whatever instrument they used in the self titled song is so beautiful but still so hauting.

Glad to see a review for this album, it deserves more praise than the two latest albums.


Cool, we're definitely on the same wavelength then. My opinion is that SotS (melodic) gets easily boring, the red in the sky is superior in every way.
Oh and yeah, nobody can say there's not symphonic elements/melody or groove in TRITSIO, it got everything

Written by lordz on 24.12.2009 at 02:11

Although this band is one of my all time fav. I'll have to disagree with you on the rating... too high IMHO

good job though... but try not to be so biased when you write your reviews if you want people to be interested in your future reviews

and Mr. Dr.... I disagree with you regarding slaughter of the soul.. although my fav. ATG track ("the swarm") is not on SOTS I still think it is the best they have done but I cant judge your point of view as your taste of music obviously differs from mine.... I'm more into melodic clear sounding tracks and that's why I feel that way ...


How can music be objective? Tell me. I 100% stand behind everything I wrote in the review.
Well, I appriciate your opinion anyway. Maybe you'll change opinion later
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26.12.2009 - 14:47
Rating: 9
treptolemus
aphotic_zoning
An album from young people that had really something to say. The lyrics are pure poetry. The band was bursting flames back then and voila the result :The Red in the Sky is Ours. Absolutely deserves my 9 rating.
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\m/etalstor\m/
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05.12.2010 - 09:56
Rating: 9
SODOM666

I always liked WFIKTBD better. At first it sounded kinda bland and mixed together into one long song but It grows on you so much once you have digested every riff. Mabye I'm not done digesting this one yet?
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Wendy's frostys are "black metal."
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04.02.2013 - 23:16
Illog1cal
Account deleted
This album reminds me a lot of Gorguts but with more standard melody.
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