At the Gates are currently at work on a follow-up to 2014's At War with Reality, but the Swedish melodic death metallers have announced that founding guitarist Anders Björler won't be a part of the group moving forward.
A statement made by the group through their Facebook page revealed that Björler "will no longer write, record or play with us live," saying that "that special spark was no longer with him the last year." The post reveals that the band are currently in search of a replacement for the guitarist.
In the same post, Björler had this to say about his departure from the group:
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!
Find the statements below.
A statement made by the group through their Facebook page revealed that Björler "will no longer write, record or play with us live," saying that "that special spark was no longer with him the last year." The post reveals that the band are currently in search of a replacement for the guitarist.
In the same post, Björler had this to say about his departure from the group:
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!
Find the statements below.