Greetings, Decibel readers.
I’ll never forget the first time I heard At the Gates. Like a lot of people in my age cohort, in high school in the early-2000s, my first introduction to the band was via Slaughter of the Soul. In my case, a friend told me to check out the song “Suicide Nation,” which I promptly downloaded — probably on Limewire or Kazaa. And of course, I was struck by the gun-cocking, the brutal-yet-catchy guitar riffs and the intense rhythm section. But then there were the vocals: that brilliant and unmistakable blend that matched a desperate melancholy with a powerful defiance, the essence of the band’s music and of Tomas Lindberg’s place in that sound. His vocal style evolved and shifted with age, from the raw early days of Gardens of Grief and The Red in the Sky is Ours to the refined excellence he achieved in the early 90s and thereafter, but the essence was always the same, as evidenced by latter-day bangers like “At War With Reality.”
Although I never got to see the band during its original run, I was lucky enough to see them a few times since their reunion — including the Decibel Magazine Tour in 2015 and Decibel Metal and Beer Fest in 2018. I’m not sure which performance was my favorite, though the festival probably has a slight edge because they played “Kingdom Gone.” Tomas was a commanding, charismatic presence on stage, but never outlandish or self-aggrandizing. He was a true fan of metal, and of Decibel, and he will be sorely missed by all of us.
A life ends, but the art and legacy remains. Perhaps the best parting message from Tomas is the poignant line from “City of Screaming Statues”: “The struggle of the soul depends on the strength of your will.”
RIP Tomas Lindberg
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Castle Rat – The Bestiary
God damn those are some good riffs. And in a style of metal that’s often plagued with, um … interesting vocal styles, it’s great to hear a voice like Riley Pinkerton’s: a confident and measured delivery that carries the sonic narrative forward. Also, don’t forget to pick up Decibel #252 to read more about the band and the new album.
Stream: Apple Music
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Gawthrop – Kuboa
YO. Now I can hear why Sentient Ruin was so pumped to get this one out there. If you crave the sludge, look no further, friends.
Stream: Apple Music
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Igorr – Amen
The latest from metal’s most prominent avant-garde practitioners. It’s a little odd to use words like “reliable” and “consistent” for a band that thrives on unpredictability, but I think fans of the band’s zany and wild ways will find much to like here. There’s something oddly cinematic about this release — in a just world, Hollywood would come calling for a song like “Ancient Sun.”
Stream: Apple Music
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Paradise Lost – Ascension
I mean, it’s Paradise Lost. At this point, the band is just adding more and more good music to their vast catalog, weaving various threads from their long stylistic history into modern classics. I was a huge fan of The Plague Within and Medusa, as both albums leaned heavily on Gothic while also drawing from the band’s more melodic output. This album still retains the heaviness but makes a more conspicuous nod to Icon and Draconian Times. It’s an album rich with gloomy atmosphere, but don’t worry, it still rocks.
Stream: Apple Music
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Species – Changelings
Those vocals!!! If you really like Cynic and Atheist but want something a little more thrashy (in the mode of Coroner and Annihilator perhaps) with vocals that are totally NUTS, then you need to hear this.
Stream: Apple Music
The post Five For Friday: September 19, 2025 appeared first on Decibel Magazine.