Review by Jack on August 22, 2001.

I must stress that this album review is written in appreciation of music, and not specifically metal either. Those with an appreciation of the art of music; read on; if you are narrow minded in your perceptions of music; read on anyway, as this album may endeavour to change that...

Ulver and Garm (Christophorus G. Rygg or Trickster G., whichever you prefer) were at one stage the essential dark/black metal band. Through “Vargnatt” they started with traditional (?) black metal, “Bergtatt” saw Ulver expand their black/dark origins to incorporate folk and acoustic influences with harmonic clean voices. “Nattens Madrigal” was an extreme noise thoroughfare with a brutal black assault on the senses (said to be recorded in the forest too). “Themes From William Blake's Marriage Of Heaven And Hell”, Ulver were heading down a more avant-garde path to infamy. The “Metamorphosis” EP once again broke the trend of Ulver’s current music trend, and experimented with electronics and synthesizer samples...

Thus we have Ulver and Garm in their present cycle. “Perdition City”. ‘Music to an interior film’ is what is stated on the album cover. ‘...Music for the stations before and after sleep’ is inscribed under the track listing on the reverse. Muddled signs and apprehension crept into my mind once I read those statements. “Perdition City” is no-way known, in any definition of the term; ‘metal’. But crikey it’s a bloody good listen!

Ulver’s latest incantation; the contemporary, city strolling “Perdition City” has Ulver creating gaps in their song structures to pave the way for the thoughts and projections for each and every individual. Essentially, in essence, you and I create “Perdition City”, however much a horrifying or terrific that thought may be, it is the reality. We are the protagonists in Ulver’s new accomplishment. For me “Perdition City” is either a dark sprawling Central Business District (CBD) area in current time or a bleak 1930’s seedy jazz night club, or often both.

Saxophone and synthesizer dominates this release... along with the gaps I was talking about earlier, whether this is good or bad, is obviously up to each individual to discern. Vocals are used like synthesizers are used in your average death metal tune. Not at all, or barely present. There are no real standout tracks, “Perdition City” should be experienced like an Opeth release, from track 1 to track: # (#: insert whatever the last song number is on each album).

Bottom Line: The bottom line is that “Perdition City” is not the metal Ulver we once knew and loved, whether this is good or bad is a tough call to make, “Perdition City” will be forged by the listener, up to you to discern whether your experience of the neo-Ulver will be good or bad.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Death8699 on September 23, 2018.

Rehash from the Slaughter of the Soul days, this fresh new release is ATG's finest in years. With a "raw" production sound, these melodic death metal freaks pound out some serious melodic death. Still have the fire after all these years, amazing they're still kicking ass with their signature sound. Total Gothenburg type quintet and they did a great job here. Happy that I found this album at the record store, I wasn't aware that they are still active and touring for the new release. They hit home with me. The music is flashback to Slaughter... with a modern form of melodic death. And the vocals haven't really changed either. Still high pitched voice and heavy down tuned guitars.

These guys have nothing but good things to contribute to the metal community. Not everyone is pleased with the sound of melodic death, but I am. They really don't have many leads (if any) it's mostly rhythm guitars. That's fine by me, I was never really a fan of theirs in the lead department. The music is dark and it's probably the most dark release I've heard more so than their predecessor. This album does justice in the metal community it just has so much to offer. Every song is unique and awesome. I've found that they really are stuck to their roots and that's what made the most difference in their album.

The tempos aren't very fast just the guitars set the tone for each song. The vocals match well with the music. They're really a talented band and never dying out. It seems like they're going to do more writing. Let's hope. The album is about 45 minutes long and only has a few bits of non-distortion guitars. The intro to the album is actually acoustic and the outro has (I think) a violin. There are small piano bits too, but not for an extensive period of time. The guitars are mostly the tone to the album. I like how it's raw because it makes the music more dark and depressing. Something I think that they're good at.

I actually found the album before I knew it was on Spotify. I was happy to get a physical copy to this release. It's a great album and the musicianship is appalling. They truly know how to make their music to people's liking. I've found them to be a band that truly is a milestone in the community of metal. I would suggest that people into any genre of metal buy this album and show the band support for creating excellent music and keep on keeping on as they age. The fire is still alive in them and maybe that'll be for an eternity till they're no more. Do yourself a favor and check this one out. If you liked Slaughter of the Soul, I'm sure this will hit home with you.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

(Originally written for: http://www.secret-face.com/)

Review by Alex on May 19, 2018.

I never was a fan of At The Gates. I frequently caught ear of their name throughout the years by many people but I never bothered to give their material a chance. I was given a promo of To Drink from The Night Itself and thought to myself ‘why not?’. I needed to take a break from the barbarism of the upcoming Temple Nightside album (in which I'm addicted to at the moment) so this served as a sedative. 

To Drink from The Night Itself is a well compact album that spans 44 minutes in length. It has moments that feel thrashy and aggressive, whilst some sound melancholic/despondent. The self-titled track is an awesome starter, its main riff is catchy and supported by fast thrash metal drumming. It's one of the more candid tracks on the album when addressing the structure. There is something I picked up on quickly during my time spent headbanging to and examining the music; the first 3 songs sound almost identical to each other, they seemed to be builds of the primary riff of the self-titled track. Its as if they were initially 1 track that was designed based on 1 conceptual guitar riff. That riff raises its head during the beginning of each of the songs then passively submerges itself below the melody. “Daggers of Black Haze” has a saddening tone which I hated. That melancholy continuous into the following 3 tracks. They definitely have that “dsbm” guitar vibe, but there's also an aggressive side showcased in the verses which I was happy for. The tone is shifted more towards anger when “Labyrinth of Tombs” makes its appearance. The guitars sound more foreboding and seem to be borrowing influences of blackened melodic death metal for the solo and lead riff. 

All of the songs featured on To Drink from The Night Itself are moderately fast and rarely go past the 4-minute mark. The best highlights for me are “In Death They Shall Burn” and “To Drink From The Night Itself”. For those interested in the production; it sounds clear enough but has a bit of a haze over it. The volume seemed to have fluctuated on one instance but remained well leveled prior to and after the encounter. These negative properties of the production dissipate as the music plays on therefore becoming less of an issue due to the enjoyable tunes. 

To Drink from The Night Itself is a conventional album throughout its spin. I still have the melody of the self-titled stuck in my mind. If I enjoyed it despite the grieving moments, then I suppose fans of the band and genre will too.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10

Review by Adam M on May 9, 2018.

The new At the Gates brings more of the melodic death metal punch that is so fun and overwhelming.  This music is abrasive yet lets the melodic side flow freely throughout.  The nice balance of the band means that they’re comfortable and it’s nice to see this band finally find their form.  The two recent comeback albums have been great, but I slightly prefer At War With Reality.  It just seems the songs stuck to my mind and were more memorable on that release. 

There is still plenty of moments to get entranced in your mind on this disc, they are just further between each other and don’t have the same amount of power this time around.  Instead, we are left with a collection of songs that melds together and displays the newfound vision of the band at every corner.  At the Gates have found a forumula for success and though they have deviated very little recently,To Drink From the Night Itself has all the hallmarks of a classic At the Gates album.  Very strong rhythms and catchy chorus sections about and have an effect on the listener. One will becomed entranced yet again by the strong melodies the band brings to the table.  I guess you can’t have too much of a good thing, but on the next release I do wish At the Gates would be more progressive. 

There is still much left in the tank and the Swedish style is really a golden one.  The band have found their footing and released a monstrous album with To Drink From the Night Itself although I do find myself preferring At War With Reality slightly.  This is still a furious and melodious inferno of an album that might find its way onto my year end list come that time.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10