Während die Recordings in verschiedenen Studios in Schweden stattfanden – Drums im Studio Gröndal mit Jens Bogren, Gitarren und Bass mit  Andy La Rocque im Sonic Train Studio und Gesang im Welfare Sounds mit Per Stålberg –, wurde die komplette Scheibe in den Fascination Street Studios (Amon Amarth, Opeth, Kreator, etc.) von Jens Bogren gemischt und gemastert. Die visuelle Umsetzung steuerte Eva Nahon bei.

AT THE GATES-Sänger Tomas Lindberg Redant kommentiert das Albumkonzept: "The overall theme deals with the topic of pessimism, and I have been diving deep down in pessimistic philosophers. Trying to understand this way of looking at the world. It is not a negative album, more a gateway into new ideas for me personally, trying out different perspectives. You could call the album an introduction to pessimism as a concept, I guess. It is a very dark album, but not negative…  It still sounds like AT THE GATES, 100 percent. It is just more of everything….”

Tracklist:
1. Spectre of Extinction
2. The Paradox
3. The Nightmare of Being
4. Garden of Cyrus
5. Touched by the White Hands of Death
6. The Fall into Time
7. Cult of Salvation
8. The Abstract Enthroned
9. Cosmic Pessimism
10. Eternal Winter of Reason

AT THE GATES – Live:
23.-26.06.2021 Nummijärvi (Finland) - Nummirock Metal Festival
07.-10.07.2021 Ballenstadt (germany) - Rock Harz Festival
15.-17.07.2021 Gävle (Sweden) - Gefle Metal Festival
15.-18.07.2021 Anyksciai (Lithuania) - Devilstone Festival
25.-31.07.2021 Tolmin (Slovenia) - MetalDays
29.-31.07.2021 Wacken (Germany) - Wacken Open Air