At the Gates Release Dark New Song ‘The Paradox’
Just over one month out from the release of The Nightmare of Being, melodic death metal icons At the Gates have debuted the new track "The Paradox."
The sinister new song is the second single to be released off the record and follows the equally dark "Spectre of Extinction." Both tracks appear at the top of the 10-track album and it's clear that At the Gates are navigating some new sonic territory across their latest pair of singles, placing emphasis on an overwhelmingly foul atmosphere, even utilizing some choir elements in the latest offering.
Watch the music video for "The Paradox" toward the bottom of the page and read the lyrics (via Genius) below as well.
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"Humanity is the biggest paradox. We as humans always want justification for the big things: death, the meaning of life, etc. Our knowledge of being mortals drives us away from being human, hence the paradox. We invent defense mechanisms to protect us from the thought of death, religion, different –isms, etc.," offered frontman Tomas Lindberg.
He continued, "This first time our producer Jens Bogren heard this song, he said, 'This is a monster!' It touches on some core parts of the At The Gates sound, but builds further, on top of that, some classic NWOBHM/Mercyful Fate vibes thrown in for good measure. It is a death metal song, but has its progressive moments. Enjoy!"
Regarding the video, Lindberg added, "This was a very fun video to record, as we tried to create most of the “special effects” in an analog way, and not just to be added in the editing. Hence we were drenched in tons of crushed coal and soil, which took over a week and a lot of showers to get out of our hair, haha. We really wanted an oppressive, apocalyptic emotion for this video. And Patric Ullaeus, being the master that he is, went all the way to make that happen!"
"The overall theme deals with the topic of pessimism, and I have been diving deep down in pessimistic philosophers," Lindberg, who we interviewed about also being a schoolteacher, previously said of the themes present on The Nightmare of Being.
"Trying to understand this way of looking at the world. It is not a negative album, more a gateway into new ideas for me personally, trying out different perspectives. You could call the album an introduction to pessimism as a concept, I guess. It is a very dark album, but not negative," he continued.
The Nightmare of Being comes out on July 2 on Century Media. Pre-order your copy here.
At the Gates, "The Paradox" Lyrics
Prodigious dreams, entangled and black
Coiled in the corners of life
Hallucinations, engraved in our bones
Futile, monotonous livesThe poison circle, eyes within eyes
How black our madness to be
Spectral salvation, unfurling itself
Through labyrinthian nightsTo carry these dead notes
As we stare into the abyss
Our ruin, twisted and black
Into the starving voidDehumanization of our art and culture
Parent of horrors to be
Mankind is nothing but self-conscious flesh
The triumph of our own deceitThe structures thеy now crumble
The fevеred liturgy
Black with the scars of madness
We hide within our cryptsThrough mad winds of terror
Dreams are disturbed
In pulse after heaven-wide pulse
Older than darkness, colors unknown
Within the pit of deathHeroic dreams now trampled
By figures in rust-colored robes
A region, illuminated
Into the nuclear dawnThe structures they now crumble
The fevered liturgy
Black with the scars of madness
We hide within our cryptsAnd as all hope turns to black
Into the dreamless night
As all hope turns to black
Of pessimism and paradoxNo hope – all black
No hope – all blackAnd as all hope turns to black
Into the dreamless night
As all hope turns to black
Of pessimism and paradoxOf pessimism and paradox
Of pessimism and paradox