I am not sure why this album is so often maligned. It is certainly less adventurous than _With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness_ and _The Red in the Sky is Ours_, and there is a previously unused rhythmic solidity that is perhaps not welcome to some.

But it is also so lucid and unified that I cannot help become involved whenever I listen to this CD. The drumming always seems to fall right into the pocket, and the guitars are precise, whether they're singing out or ripping away.

As with the rest of the band, the vocals have become more pronounced, but it makes the least difference here. The vocals are, as always, raw and unpitched, scratchy and sharp. They are the perfect complement to the pitched, melodic guitars, cutting through without getting in the way, on this album and every At The Gates album.

The result of all of this is eight focused songs that are both tragic and aggressive. An aggressive rhythmic and timbral approach is used to bring out tragic and sometimes even sad riffs. There are two songs that, to me, do not stand on their own. These are the instrumentals. One serves as intermission, clearing the palate for Suicide Nation and the second half of the CD. The final track, The Flames of the End, is a somewhat minimalistic piece arranged for strings. Crunchy guitars enter for punctuation and contrast. It slowly turns into strange feedback and noise as it ends. It's an excellent ending.

The best songs are Blinded by Fear, Slaughter of the Soul, Cold, Suicide Nation, and World of Lies. Slaughter of the Soul and Cold, in particular, have killer riffs arranged well, even if plainly, and often punctuate the moment well with the vocals or a brilliant guest solo, in the case of Cold.

© 1999 abasmagorsulpherion