Well this is a huge bummer. Anders Björler is no longer a part of At The Gates. The band has just posted this statement on their Facebook page: “So, it is now official that Anders Björler is no longer a part of At The Gates. He will always be part of the At The Gates family, of course, but he will no longer write, record or play with us live. This is something that we, the rest of the band, have felt was on its way for quite some time, as that special spark was no longer with him the last year. We are grateful for all we have experienced together with him, all the records, all the songs, all the gigs, all the laughs and good times. The rest of us have in the meantime started the work on the follow up to At War With Reality, we already have three songs written, and the direction is set for an intense, hungry follow-up album. Jonas has always written a considerable part of the bands’ material and we are fully confident that the new material will live up to the standards set by our previous records. It is ripping. The four of us still has the burning urge to create death metal together, and we love playing live in front of our fans, so we will go on, with an even stronger intent. While writing the new record, that we intend to record in the beginning of 2018, we are trying out Anders’ replacement. Some auditions are being held as we speak, and we will get back to you with news on the matter as soon as we know more.”

Anders Björler had this to say: “Just a quick note to let everybody know that I am leaving At The Gates permanently. The passion is just gone. There might be a more lengthy statement in the future, but at the moment I feel no need to explain further. This is a personal decision, and it has 100% to do with the music side of things. The reunion in 2008, and the subsequent tours, as well as the comeback album ’AT WAR WITH REALITY’, really helped revisiting our friendship, and it brought us together in a way I will always remember and cherish. I would also like to thank all the people that supported us throughout the reunion shows as well as the ’AT WAR WITH REALITY’ album. Thanks a lot!”

We want to wish Anders the best of luck in his future endeavors, and we want to thank him for his time with At The Gates. They are one of the most important bands in the history of heavy metal, and he was one of the main reasons behind their success. Whoever steps in his spot has huge shoes to fill, but I trust the band to make the right choice for their future. Long live At The Gates!