DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
If recent times have taught us anything, it is that reality can be every bit as horrifying as the dark depths of our imaginations. Metal has long sought to explore the darkness, of course, but rarely has a band captured the unnerving spirit of any age with such artful skill as At The Gates, on their triumphant new album, The Nightmare Of Being.
Although by no means a product of the pandemic, the Swedes’ seventh studio record asks huge, probing questions about the very nature of human existence, and our collective and individual ability to weather life’s stormiest moments. At its core, The Nightmare Of Being is At The Gates’ frontman Tomas Lindberg Redant’s personal exploration of so-called pessimist philosophy: an obscure but radical school of thought that posits, amongst other unnerving revelations, that humankind is an absurdity. It’s safe to say that we are a world away from Hammer Smashed Face.
