At The Gates Announce the Return of Guitarist Anders Björler
Some massive news is coming out of the At The Gates camp, as the swedish melodic death metal icons revealed that their founding guitarist Anders Björler is once again back in the lineup.
Björler originally left back in 2017, after a prolonged period where the band says “that special spark was no longer with him” for at least a year. The guitarist himself even said at the time that “the passion is just gone” and that it had nothing to do with any love lost with his bandmates.
It’s a good thing the split was a peaceful and amicable one, as vocalist Tomas Lindberg Redant said in a prepared statement that Björler’s return preceded the band’s work on the follow up to The Nightmare of Being.
“It is with great pleasure we welcome Anders Björler, one of the founding members, back into the band. We are excited to tell you that we are already starting the work on the follow up to The Nightmare of Being, with the same line up that wrote Terminal Spirit Disease, Slaughter of the Soul and At War with Reality. Anders’ first show back in the band will be Damnation Fest in the UK, and he will join us on the European tour together with In Flames later this year. Great times! It really feels like a second rebirth of the band, and we are looking forward to this new chapter!”
For those keeping score, At The Gates fans will get to experience the band with Björler next month when Damnation Festival takes place on November 5 in Manchester, U.K.
In his own prepared statement, Björler said he was excited to come back to At The Gates, stating that his lost passion for playing in the band had returned after being away for a couple years.
“It feels like coming home for sure. I have been missing the guys of course, but also playing the guitar, writing music and the artistic creativity in general. I’ve been watching from the sidelines for a number of years, and I’ve been very proud of what they have created in my absence. I am really looking forward to writing a new album and getting back to playing live shows again…”
Following their show at Damnation Festival, the band will hit the road throughout Europe with In Flames, Imminence, and Orbit Culture. If you’re in the area, be sure to check out the dates below to see if they’ll be in your neck of the woods.
At The Gates European tour dates
w/ In Flames, Imminence, Orbit Culture
Nov. 12, 2022 – Tallinn (Estonia) – Noblesser Foundry
Nov. 13, 2022 – Riga Latvia) – Palladium
Nov. 15, 2022 – Katowice (Poland) – MCK
Nov. 16, 2022 – Prague (Czech Republic) – Mala Sportovni Hala
Nov. 18, 2022 – Ludwigsburg (Germany) – MHP Arena
Nov. 20, 2022 – London (UK) – O2 Academy Brixton
Nov. 21, 2022 – Esch-Sur-Alzette (Luxembourg) – Rockhal
Nov. 22, 2022 – Strasbourg (France) – La Laiterie
Nov. 23, 2022 – Paris (France) – Bataclan
Nov. 25, 2022 – Bilbao (Spain) – Santana 27
Nov. 26, 2022 – Madrid (Spain) – Riviera
Nov. 27, 2022 – Barcelona (Spain) – Razzmatazz
Nov. 28, 2022 – Lyon (France) – Le Transbordeur
Nov. 30, 2022 – Zurich (Switzerland) – Samsung Hall
Dec. 1, 2022 – Milan (Italy) – Alcatraz
Dec. 2, 2022 – Vienna (Austria) – Gasometer
Dec. 3, 2022 – Leipzig (Germany) – Haus Auensee
Dec. 4, 2022 – Cologne (Germany) – Palladium
Dec. 6, 2022 – Tilburg (The Netherlands) – 013
Dec. 7, 2022 – Brussels (Belgium) – AB
Dec. 8, 2022 – Wiesbaden (Germany) – Schlachthof
Dec. 9, 2022 – Hamburg (Germany) – Edel Optics Arena
Dec. 10, 2022 – Copenhagen (Denmark) – Store Vega
Dec. 11, 2022 – Oslo (Norway) – Spektrum
Dec. 14, 2022 – Helsinki (Finland) – Ice Hall
Dec. 16, 2022 – Stockholm (Sweden) – Hovet
Dec. 17, 2022 – Gothenburg (Sweden) – Scandinavium
