When we were choosing the cover we wanted a red very intense yet abstract picture. We couldn't find any picture which filled our wishes, so Anders and his father took the picture themselves. It's a picture of a hand holding an onyx (kind of a stone). There is no special meaning to it except that it captured the feel we were looking for.
The Red in the Sky... was AT THE GATES' debut album, released on this day in 1992, and the first after signing with Deaf Records (Peaceville). The deal was for three albums, the last being Terminal Spirit Disease in 1994. They didn't renew the contract and signed with Earache for their last album - before re-forming a few years later - Slaughter of the Soul in 1995.
In all modern listings the release date is given as this day in 1992, although this ad gives a different date:
...it's a really mixed emotions awaked by our music and our sound. The main complain has been the sound, but that don't get us in a bad mood in any way. I would say that it has been positively received generally. But yes, we've had some negative reviews, but not from the underground though. I have to defend us by saying we're not playing to please the masses. We would rather have 1 devouted fan instead of 10 who're just buying our music 'cause it's a trend. Although I'm really happy to sell many records, and good reviews in the major mags sure helps to do that. We will always do what we like and believe in and if other people like it as well then I'm happy.
...we did consider to use Sunlight for "The Red in the Sky..." but that studio was not available at the time when we wanted to record. So we had that choice to enter Art "fucking expensive" studios or to wait a couple of months for Sunlight to be available. A choice we will regret for the rest of our lives was that we chose Art studios. That studio deserves to be unknown, no make that forgotten!
...it was never in our intention to produce it outselves, it just turned out that way since the soundengineer almost never showed up to the recording sessions. He just told us which buttons to press. So yes, we had a very hard time with finding the sound we did and although it was no the sound we were looking for and a lot of people criticize it, we were in the end quite pleased, 'cause it's something we've done outselves. Although if it would have been recorded today it would not sound like that at all, soundwise. Considering it as a mark of what we were about at the recording time, we're proud of the sound, and the whole impression it makes.
- Adrian Erlandsson / At the Gates interview, Carrion #3 1993