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Gates of Ishtar > At Dusk and Forever > Reviews
Gates of Ishtar - At Dusk and Forever

Masterful Remaster - 86%

lostalbumguru, November 2nd, 2023
Written based on this version: 2017, CD, Century Media Records (Digipak, Reissue, Remastered)

The original late 90s At Dusk and Forever was kind of a secret. A lot of people were into In Flames and At the Gates but only a few intrepid voyagers delved deeper into dark record shop corners, into record label catalogues you had to mail away for, run by guys only a few years older than you, run from single rooms and small offices in towns and countries only existing by name. The world had mystery then, and Gates of Ishtar has mystery too. On the one hand At Dusk and Forever is perfectly melodic death metal from Sweden, and, on the other hand, the last Gates of Ishtar album has a certain magic, that most melodeath albums hint at but only some capture.

Even more unusually the 2017 re-release of At Dusk and Forever is even better than the 1998 version. It's more often the case that a remaster will snuff out the distinctive vibe the original had, but in this case you can buy every darn version of At Dusk and Forever because it's an almost flawless melodeath album, and the 2016 remastering makes almost a new album in itself. It's really incredible they pulled a much warmer, heftier, more organic album out of the 1998 reels, but you can have the 1998 version too, if you want a colder, more digital sounding recording. Both versions work.

Oskar Karlsson is dead now, died young, drummed his ass off while present. Any album with his drumming on it is worth your time. His style is incredibly bouncy, minimised down to the heart of every beat, full of dance music influences. Not the fastest or the busiest, it's all about the groove, the little extra kick drum beats, the balance of warmth and clarity in his drum tones. If the drumming is solid, everything else becomes solid, and on At Dusk and Forever the guitars, vocals, and song elements are exactly on point. All the riffs are fast and sombre, bleak without Dissection's nihilism, emotional and raw without being tedious, or immature. The bass is a little more hidden than I'd like, but you can feel it under the bass drum patterns, and at least it's audible. You even get bonus weird keyboards and ambient soundscapes on At Dusk and Forever, and they are really well blended into the music, too. Gates of Ishtar are waiting for you on an isolated Scandinavian beach at 5pm in November; be there or not, nothing really matters.

The came the lies, and the truth was denied
So I lost the faith, escaped
That's why I'm never going home
Never ever going back where I belong
Always running on the same trail of pain
Never ever turning back to be the same


Everything from the artwork to the song lengths, to the longer 80s shred outro song Forever Beach, to the pretty mournful and heart piercing lyrics to do with soul-endurance, loss, vulnerability, isolation, is completely rad, and while you should buy every Gates of Ishtar album, and all the related albums featuring shared members of Gates of Ishtar, you should absolutely buy At Dusk and Forever. Granbacke and Sandorf play some great riffs that sound like their own style, and not just more At the Gates cast offs, and there is just the right amount of blastbeats, skank beats, and slower maudlin tempos.

The 1998 version reeks of that weird late 90s fin de siecle darkness, and has the dislocation and otherworldliness of that period, and the 2017 version sounds like a different album, and while dripping in the same twilight emotions, doesn't quite have the same connection to time and space as the original. So buy both, and rock out to the double bass triplets on The Nightfall, or the musical, punky blasting on The Burning Sky. Even the spaced out electronica on Always is completely excellent, and you get a bonus Motley Crue cover version on the 2017 rerelease, Red Hot.

They seem to be fixated on constantly re-releasing the Gates of Ishtar catalogue, so even if you don't buy a version of At Dusk and Forever, one will probably fall in your lap regardless. How much tinkering and tweaking you can do and continually call something a remaster is up for debate, but it seemingly won't stop the churn of re-releases. It's a bit like graverobbing, if you think about it, but since Gates of Ishtar is rad, you should buy a few of their albums anyway, and I recommend At Dusk and Forever.

Memories - 90%

Mikesch Lord, November 1st, 2023

In the everlasting and crushing flow of time that fucks us all into the dirt without a trace of mercy and makes us boring senior citizens long before we are done with being young, fuckable and pretty, a collector of records experiences three kinds of "good" albums: the ones that are just naturally above the mediocre waste, the ones that really "smash" when you and your equally intoxicated friends are just drunk enough to believe it and finally these magical albums that are locked and married with your troubled mind because you and the collection of silly metal songs went through some shitty shitshow of absolute horseshit in your life together. One can just dive back with ease into certain unpleasant memories by hearing the opening leads and beats of just the first song after a long time, remembering the strength it took to go on with just the music and not much else. But I have to defend Gates of Ishtar from my accusation of subjective autobiographic relevance. They would still be a very, very good band if I had never been born to comfort my weary and helpless face in their gargantuan motherly bosom of melodic death metal.

Gates of Ishtar started out on their magnificent debut as a fast, cold and furious melodic death/black outfit with a love for classic eighties metal and surfaced in a time where the three kings in front of Jesus (Dissection, Sacramentum und Vinterland) were the name of the game, stealing some fame, blame and shame from lesser known bands. But the kings are all gone now. Strange, you would think this shit lasts forever. What the actual fuck, Vinterland? Gates of Ishtar evolved into a more streamlined and straightforward Goetheborg melodic death act during the second and third album. Hold your horses and silence the alarm bells, this stylistic turn did not result in a performative drop in quality as it was witnessed in the works of other bands. What the actual fucking fuck of the fucky Mc Fuckface, Sacramentum? Gates of Ishtar did pull off their change because they did not surf on the aesthetics of the time without being excellent musicians to start with. Their last album is certainly a testament to that. Ah, the memories. I was walking the cold winter streets at night, completely heartbroken and alone, occasionally gazing into the lights of stranger's windows, wishing for something to ease the pain. "At Dusk and Forever" was there for me like a good friend and made things a bit easier.

There are some but not that many hyperspeed blasts or double bass driven passages on this album, for most of the time we are confronted with a rather weird interpretation of overly fast thrash beats that for some reason always remind me of the ferocious scalping of Chris Witchhunter on Agent Orange. This skeleton of slightly mechanical and very tight banging provides enough fertile ground for the highly emotional leads and typically Swedish riff attacks that scream at you about pain and suffering like you just shot and ate their favorite baby lamb from the barn. Melodic death metal united two headstrong fronts of perception that were always a tiny bit at war with each other, this is very easy going, pleasing and understanding music at heart but the performance makes you feel like you are torn apart by two equally pissed off horny witches. Aggression and sugar sweet melancholy, a highly dangerous mix that brought many artists to their knees. It's impossible to not feel the invisible hands of At the Gates on this record, the pushy rhythm chunks and quick string weasels of "Slaughter of the Soul" did certainly make their rounds in one of the composer's living room. A very influential album indeed, although Gates of Ishtar went for a way more catchy approach. Without suffocating the harshness. Damn, sometimes I ask myself how these people even do that.

Gates of Ishtar are masters of flow and progression, their songs always feel very organic and warm, no matter the style. Their riffs were always the right combination of odd otherworldliness, harmonic waves of condolences and brightly dancing anger. The screams are as wide, raspy and excited as if their origin lies in a young humanoid tiger cyborg on a bloody revenge quest. With just enough restrained technicality to align themselves with the steps of the songs instead of just barking senselessly over them, the vocals most certainly are a pleasure to attend. They still sound sensitive and secretive despite their grandiose extrovert whipping.

I still turn to the excited and downright crushing funeral chant of youth that lives in this album when the things and the people go hard on me. There is some soft solitude found in the dreams of this record. Great band, great album, get this please!

Lighting the curtains on fire as they being to draw closed - 73%

autothrall, January 27th, 2023
Written based on this version: 1998, CD, Invasion Records

Three years, three albums released, but by the time At Dusk and Forever dropped it became tearfully clear that Gates of Isthar might not erupt like I once thought they would, that they might become another drop in the bucket of melodeath history. This was still right in that timeframe where At the Gates had taken over the universe because of some nasty vocals, a great guitar tone and one of the best breakdowns since Reign in Blood, so these Swedes were perfectly poised to succeed in that wake. But something was happening...bands like Soilwork and Darkane were about to arrive and make it all much more interesting, whereas this band were still playing it pretty close to the hilt when emulating the Big Three of that scene, and interest just seemed to dwindle.

It's not the fault of At Dusk and Forever, because if anything, this one gives the band an energetic kick that takes them back to the orbit of the debut, a little less washed out than The Dawn of Flames. The old cover art for this one looks absolutely fucking horrible, and I don't even think it was meant for this album, with the logo and title font looking like shit. Who in their right minds at Invasion or within the ranks of the band thought this was anything but an eyesore? They had a great logo. Fortunately, the sound is a bit better, they weren't using Dan this time, but still managed to get what might be their best, most propulsive guitar tone, which seamlessly infused the force and heaviness of the riffing with the actual melodies they're threading through it. The bass is a bit grainier than before, the drums perhaps not the best mixed of their catalogue, but it still seemed brighter than the previous album, and the band was just ripping through these tracks like they were blowing their noses...in a good way.

Ultimately, it's my least favorite of their three albums, because it all seemed to blend together for me, and still does now. It's possible that I just became too overfed with this particular style, hearing so many dozens of bands forming melodies in such comparable patterns, and finding nothing to really push the envelope anywhere beyond what I'd expect. This is fiery as hell, perhaps their most passionate and desperate performance, sort of a foreshadowing for the style Dimension Zero would adopt, and I do like some of the leads here and riffs in general ("Battles to Come", etc), but the Swedes seemed a little stuck in time and unable to really progress themselves forward or sideways into any more curious pastures, so they remained for their entire career a meat & potatoes melodeath band on that fateful second tier. Granted, a pretty damn good one, worth the hype they once stood on...AND may stand on once more, because ladies and gentlemen, the Gates of Ishtar are open yet again, we'll have to see what strides boldly forth from them.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

From dawn till dusk - 83%

iLamer, October 19th, 2012

With this release, the gates of the mighty goddess Ishtar closed itself, after releasing 3 albums in 3 consecutive years. Starting in 1992, the band established themselves in the "melodeath" scene with their somewhat generic take on the genre. You can still sense some black here and there and traces of thrash, but nothing out of the ordinary. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean they're your average At The Gates-clone, their albums still represent a different sound each, "At Dusk and Forever" taking the most straightforward one.

Straightforward and direct being the slogan, the Album begins with "Wounds". A fast-paced, steady rhythm forms the framework for the crunchy yet melodic riffs. I often hear melodic death being described as "power metal with guttural vocals", while it contains some truth, regardless if it's used in a negative sense, for this album "speed metal with guttural vocals" would be more fitting. And thats what it basically is: a solid and melodic speed metal album with raspy vocals with a blackened touch.

Every track contains catchy riffs and melodies, enough flavor to please the melodic crowd and gritty enough to justify the metal label. With the exception of the last one, they all do stand on their own without standing out, as they all take part in shaping this quite short album. "Forever Beach", the final track, with the first 3 minutes mostly composed with only drums and synthesizers. Then, a long guitar solo kicks in, perfectly accentuating the atmosphere. Despite being an inconsistency in the albums sound, it further adds another layer to this piece of work

Not overly modern, the production is fitting for this brand of music. Trebly yet sharp, distant but close, the sad but still warm atmosphere evokes an image of the sun waiting for the dusk, dispensing melancholy and warmth. Just listen to the last half of "Always", the second-slowest part on the album after "Forever Beach".

In the end, this album provides nothing new. But still, this is one of the rare melodic death releases which doesn't feel like disposable goods. The riffs are plenty, always luring me back. I can't find many faults with it, as it doesn't stray away too much from the formula, which may be its biggest fault, but the formula is executed in all its glory, adding a great release into the average-laden melodic death catalogue. This marks the end of the Gates of Ishtar, a good time to choose to close its gates forever.

A Small Gem - 90%

CHRISTI_NS_ANITY8, March 6th, 2008

I believe that Gates Of Ishtar are one of the most overlooked bands in death metal. There’s no excuse for not knowing them. They started as melodic death metal one with blackened touch during the great first album, to turn into a more At The Gates oriented style in this last album. The production is sharp and all the instruments are brilliant and well audible.

The up tempo, typical of this genres in a track like “Wounds”, are perfectly mixed with more melodic breaks where the band really shows the skills in this genre. The impact is never considered the most important thing in their sound but it’s a natural support to the sad melodies that make this genre and this album a real, small cult.

Every track has a sad melody in the guitars, even if it’s masked under violence and aggressive parts. The refrain on “The Nightfall” is damn good, as the following sad solo. The emotions that these parts give to me is something indescribable; it’s like being in front of a lonely landscape only with your music, reflecting on the sad side of your life. These tracks are always very good and even an excellent one like the title track is blown away by the great “Battles To Come” with a great epic feeling and fast bass drum work.

Even a two minute track like “The Burning Sky” is based on melody even if the drums are on non-stop blast beats. Great fucking melodic death!! There are some keys melodies too that we can find on “Never Alone Again” along with good tempo changes and if you can go beyond the blast beats on “Always” you can really hear great heartbreaking melodies with a despair break from the middle to the end.

“Forever Beach” is a sort of keys/guitars outro that sets end to a small cult in the underground that any melodic death metal fan should at least have heard talking about.

Damn good - 89%

stormcrusher, February 11th, 2007

As if you didn't already know, Gates of Ishtar are a very underrated band. It seems like no one I talk to knows or has heard of them, which is a shame because they were an extrememly talented and stylish band. Let me describe their style a bit. They basically play a type of melodic death metal that is no holds barred, by that I mean they pull out all the stops on most every song and forge ahead constantly, keeping the fast thrash pace throughout most of the entire song. Of course, they mix it up once in a while, but overall...you get the idea. Think a mixture of Dissection and Razor. It's had a pretty unique sound actually. Basically if you're a fan of REAL melodic death metal (I'm not talking about the new Bodom album here) that is creative and inventive, you'll probably like these guys.

Now, I've heard all three of their albums (have yet to hear the demo though) and I'd have to say this one is probably the thrashiest out of the three. Not to say it's less original or anything, It just keeps up the no holds barred feel more than the other albums. Hell, I might even call this their defining album (by this time It seems like they had really nailed their style down). This is the kind of album you can listen to the whole way through and enjoy every minute. I'd be hard pressed to pick the best songs, but I think most would agree "Wounds" "The Nightfall" and "Battles To Come" are probably the most memorable, the first two being very pummeling yet highly emotional high-speed riff fests and the later being a very cool and melodic speed metal song.

Overall, if you're a fan of melodic death metal that's fast, thrashy, and epic in scale, check this, or any of their other albums out. You wont be dissapointed.