At the Gates

Instrumental to the formation of melodic death metal, this short-lived Swedish band released Terminal Spirit Disease in 1994. Featuring brief songs packed with sweeping tempo changes and the throaty bark of singer Tomas Lindberg, Terminal Spirit Disease laid the groundwork for what many consider At the Gates' masterpiece, Slaughter of the Soul, which came out a year later and was nominated for a Swedish Grammy. Check the title cut as well as "And the World Returned" for examples of what many considered a refreshing inventiveness in 1994.