AT THE GATES
The Ghost Of A Future Dead (Century Media)
The new album by Swedish melodic death metal pioneers At The Gates is tinged with melancholy, having been released after the passing of vocalist Tomas Lindberg. In typical ATG style, though, The Ghost Of A Future Dead is full of paranoia, existential dread, death and destruction.
The album begins as it means to go on, with the pounding drums and bass of its single Fever Mask. Lindberg’s unclean vocals blend so well they almost become another instrument; all tracks save for Det Oerhörda are sung in English, though the lyrics are hard enough to decipher that I may not have noticed. And don’t let the sweet track intros fool you – there’s nothing else delicate about this album – but there are some incredible melodic guitar riffs and solos, and I found myself waiting for those.
The album’s calmest moment comes in the penultimate Förgängligheten, a moving acoustic instrumental before the band go out with a bang. The Ghost Of A Future Dead doesn’t break any new ground, but has solid foundations and outstanding musicianship.
words LYNDA NASH
