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by BRIAN GIFFIN
WHEN Tomas Lindberg died in September last year, metal lost a unique talent. His distinctly recognisable rasp and thoughtful, insightful lyrics were a key factor in establishing the success of At the Gates and elevating them above the legion who followed.
The Ghost of a Future Dead was recorded as Lindberg was undergoing treatment and even with part of the roof of his mouth removed in his battle with cancer, his vocals sound as caustic as always. Around him, the band rip through an explosive barrage of icy riffs, cut-throat melodies and catchy, minor-key choruses, each one showcasing exactly why At the Gates are considered one of the greatest melodic death metal bands of all.
Opener “The Fever Mask” is melodic death at its purest, the band channeling their earliest work with a scathing rampage of violence. “The Dissonant Void” is equally as breakneck and barbaric, armed with the type of huge chorus that helped to define their approach. An even more chaotic vibe infiltrates “A Ruinous Waste” with Lindberg’s vocal switching to a bark.
When the pace gives way to groove and complexity on the likes of “Parasitic Hive” or the astounding shuffle of “Det oerhörda”, the fury is no less in evidence. The ferocity is contrasted only briefly in the emotional acoustic instrumental “Förgängligheten” that surprisingly naturally sets up the final onslaught of “Black Hole Emission” that gives off Slaughter of the Soul vibes to conclude a triumphant assault of metallic brutality.
Arian Erlandsson gives nothing less than his very best in the engine room, guiding the rhythms for Anders Björler’s solos to scale the heights of melodic technicality.
His lyrics as meaningful as ever, his voice a demonic force, Lindberg isn’t a man giving up to the grave but one daring it to take him, as he unleashes a truly commanding performance, a defiant roar in the face of death.
Tomas Lindberg’s final recorded statement is a glorious tribute to a giant whose influence will continue to loom over the genre for decades. This is At the Gates one last time, at their absolute best.
