Now classic in that it represents the heavy but humble beginnings of one of the greatest bands, Gardens of Grief is not nearly as experimental or focused as what the group would later release. It's fast and furious, and the lyrics (as always) are more than interesting, but there's not that much here to stand At the Gates apart from most of the other death metal acts of the time. Still kick ass and cool to hear, but definitely a first release.

Terminal Spirit Disease finds At the Gates refining their "Gothenburg" sound to near perfection. More of an EP than a full release (only 22 minutes without the live tracks) this is a nice representation of the transition that the band was going through at the time. Terminal Spirit Disease mixes the melody of the past releases with the brutality that they would unleash on Slaughter of the Soul. Thoughtful lyrics add a really nice touch to the songs here, presented in Tomas Lindberg's demented Kreator vocal style. Musically, the band plays extremely well together, with enough variation over the album to keep interest piqued. The live songs are a nice bonus (to expand the short playing time) and serve as a good reminder of where the band was in the past. I've heard comparisons to Entombed and such, but I think they've got a pretty unique sound which is easily distinguishable from the rest of the genre. This is definitely a must have for fans of melodic metal, as At the Gates are definitely one of the best bands of this group.

What makes an album perfect? Well, all the clues needed to find the answer to that question can be found on Slaughter of the Soul. One of the most agressive albums to come out in years, it's also one that I also keep coming back to, and once on, can't turn off until the entire album is finished. Fredrik Nordstrom and studio Fredman have again managed to help create some of the greatest guitar tracks on tape. From start to finish this album is a monster, propelled by Adrian Erlandsson's undestated but incredibly solid percusion foundation upon which layer after layer of guitar is placed. The final strike is courtesy of Tomas Lindberg's vocals, which while reminiscent of Mille Petrozza from Kreator, just seem so much more brutal here. Every song is a keeper, and the two acoustic tracks (5 and 11) add, rather than subtract, as they sometimes can. You can take my word for it, if you haven't heard this album, get it, for pure and simple, it is excellent. Unfortunately, this is also their Swan Song, as the band split to form different groups (The Haunted, etc...) after this tour.