Review by illusionist for At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul (1995)
From the moment the guitars come crashing in on "Blinded By Fear", At the Gates are on a mission to make two worlds collide. The darkness and aggression of underground death and thrash metal (unrelenting fury and speed)..... and the structure of standard rock/punk music (short, melodic songs built around hooks). Astonishingly, the Swedes managed to mold these constituent elements together so well that it sounded like something completely new itself.
As with most innovators, they inspired many imitators who tried to emulate the formula (looking at you, American metalcore scene) with this album. But, to this day, I'm not sure I've heard another work that is as catchy - yet also as thunderously heavy and seething with anger - as Slaughter of the Soul. It's amazing to hear the contrast. All of the songs are only 2 or 3-something minutes in length, and they just keep hitting - one after the other - of precise, catchy as hell, yet sinister, riffs, leads and delightfully memorable scream-along vocal refrains. Are you even a metalhead if you haven't screamed "THE FACE OF ALL YOUR FEEEAAARS!" or "SICK AND NUMB, BY FEAR I FALL!" or "I FEEL MY SOUL GO COOOLD!"??? In this way, it feels like a pop album because the songs are all so short, refined and catchy. But it's laid on top of a foundation of Anders Björler's guitar melodies, often tinged with haunting notes of sorrow and despair, which create a spine-chilling contrast with Tomas Lindberg's vocals, which are pure fire-spitting fury. There's no room for other emotions than these. It's pure adrenaline, rocket-fuel for catharsis via mosh pit.
Thus, I suppose Slaughter of the Soul can be seen as Melodic Death Metal's Reign In Blood. It is an album with a singular mentality and compact songs that are criticized as "repetitive" or "filler" by people who just aren't as impacted by the visceral feeling unique to the album. Personally, I love both. I also love At the Gates' earlier work, particularly The Red In The Sky Is Ours, which is very different in its more unpolished, artsy and avant-garde approach to Death Metal, but you almost have to view this At the Gates as a completely different band from that At the Gates. Don't ignore this album because of any elitists who tell you that it's a sold-out or dumbed-down version of At the Gates. The band never sounded tighter or more aggressive than they do here, and simplifying their already-stellar songwriting down to only the most impactful components made for a historic and memorable album that will never be replicated. Strong 9.
Favorite songs: Blinded By Fear, Slaughter of the Soul, Cold, Under a Serpent Sun, Unto Others