At The Gates will be issuing a new 3-DVD set entitled “The Flames Of The End” overseas on February 22nd, 2010 through Earache. The outing will come housed in a six panel DVD digipak set and sport a 40-age color booklet.
The first DVD in the set is titled “Under a Serpent Sun – The Story Of At The Gates” and will feature a brand new documentary of the band and their history filmed and directed by guitarist Anders Bjorler. The documentary, which runs over two hours, details the bands entire career and features exclusive interviews and footage.
Disc 2 of the set is dubbed “Purgatory Unleashed – Live At Wacken” and features the bands 2008 75 minute live set which took place at the annual “Wacken Festival“. Disc 3 will carry the title of “Only The Dead Are Smiling” and will feature 26 live performances of the band performing around the globe from 1991 through to 2008.
Band guitarist Andreas Bjorler had the following to offer on the set:
“It’s now almost two-and-a-half years after the first telephone call to the guys regarding the reunion plans for 2008. Looking back at it today, I am very pleased and happy we pulled it off in the short amount of time and clearing all the planning hurdles with our other bands; The Haunted, Disfear, Brujeria, Nemhain, Slakattack etc.
“I started preparing for the documentary ‘Under A Serpent Sun’ already in 2007. I got myself a new camera, ’cause the old one gave up on me. The downside to my filming plans was actually reliving all the feelings associated with At the Gates. I didn’t want to miss anything.
I talked to fans, journalists, and everybody was just overwhelmed by the whole thing. All of us basically took the time to experience this tour to the fullest extent. We appreciated every second of it, because we knew that in a few months it would all be over. All the troubles of the past were washed away. We were basically enjoying touring again.
“After the reunion tour, I sat down and had a look at all the material we had collected. We had a bunch of stuff filmed from pretty much everywhere we played. The quality was very diverse, but at the same time intriguing, and it gave me the inspiration to continue on the documentary.
I had made some interviews beforehand with Tomas, and continued tracking down people with knowledge of the past – Alf, Jesper Jarold from At the Gates, and a bunch of people from other bands at the time. We hunted down a few hundred old pictures, old crappy VHS and HI-8 recordings from the rehearsal room, live shows, on the road footage etc… ending up with a 130-minute documentary.
I want to express gratitude to the people helping us out with old material: photos, videos, stories etc… It wouldn’t have been possible without your help!
“The Wacken show was planned ahead as being the #1 show on the upcoming DVD. It captured us at our finest moment, just after the US tour, and it’s definitely one of our finest moments. We were blown away of the fact that we actually played for 60,000 people.
“So, enjoy ‘The Flames of the End’ DVD box set. We have really put our hearts into this release, and it’s a fine last document of the band.”
For now, a trailer for the release has been made available online and can be found below:
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fa6PeVuSmI
