In Flames

[Gothic InuYasha]

In Flames is probably my most favorite European Metal band. Who else likes them?

[Jakehammaren]

I'm an extremely avid In Flames fan. They were one of my first true Metal experiences, and I hold them close to my heart to this day. Every album from Lunar Strain up to Clayman are nearly musical perfection. Reroute to Remain was great, of course, but it seemed a bit lacking as far as what made In Flames one of the greatest bands ever. Then Soundtrack to Your Escape hit, and it was a huge letdown for many fans, me being one of them. There was an extremely disturbing lack of guitar solos, the gorgeous dual harmonies and massive, soaring riffs were nearly nonexistant, and the vocals often degressed into an almost Nu-Metal whine. There were some decent tracks on that album (My Sweet Shadow, In Search for I, and Borders and Shading come to mind), but overall, it was the lamest In Flames album EVER.

Now we all await the release of In Flames' next endeavor, titled "Come Clarity". I actually managed to score a copy of it last week - two months before its official release.

Alright, the first thing to worry about is the cover of the album. Looks, of course, mean absolutely nothing in the Metal world as long as your music is good. But still... In Flames has had intersting artwork and such from day one, from the helix on the moon for Lunar Strain, to the futuristic city on the cover of Colony. Come Clarity's cover does not reflect what I think of when I think In Flames. It's a sketchy drawing of a man clutching his chest, from which some blood drips. In the other hand he holds his heart. This could be cool, but the way it's done makes it look like it belongs on the cover of a Hawthorne Heights CD rather than an In Flames masterpiece.

On the bright side, good things happened when I popped in the disc. Track one is titled "Take This Life", and will be the rollout single for the album. I thought to myself that this was a pretty solid track, with a very catchy chorus. I was bobbing my head a bit, caught myself singing along when the second chorus rolled around.

Then something [I]awesome[/I] happened. At about 2:14, a riffing pattern emerges that made me jump out of my seat and scream "OH HELL YES!". It sounded very, very reminiscent of the In Flames that's been missing since Colony or Clayman. It's a short section of the song, but still... it exists.

Moments like this occur throughout the entire album. Bits and pieces of the old In Flames magic reappears from time to time across the album, and it's glorious. Unfortunately, there's also quite a bit of filler, and it gets skippable at moments. Overall, it's a HUGE step forward from Soundtrack to Your Escape, which is definately good.

Here's a little track-by-track review as far as my opinions and tastes are concerned:

1. [B]Take This Life[/B] - This song is nothing special until the chorus and the bridge. The chorus is very, very catchy, in a good way. The highlight of this song is the bridge. At about 2:14, an absolutely sublime old-school In Flames style riff happens. I find myself hitting the rewind button multiple times just to hear this part again. Very cool.

2. [B]Leeches[/B] - This song also harbors a viciously addictive chorus. It also presents to us the first guitar solo of the album, which is another reason to rejoice. It's not extremely fast or technical, but it's still a guitar solo, and it still rocks. It'll bring back memories of moments from better In Flames days.

3. [B]Reflect the Storm[/B] - A somewhat average song, but some cool riffery occurs from time to time. The vocals get whiny during the chorus, which is annoying. There's an almost-guitar-solo, which could have been cool, but they just sort of drop it. Like I said, it's a very average song.

4. [B]Dead End[/B] - This is an interesting one. It features Lisa Miskovsky, a Swedish vocal talent. Her voice is very nice, and adds an interesting twist to this song and is a refreshing juxtaposition to Ander's screaming. The verse is cool, and the apre-chorus breakdown is interesting as well, but the chorus is a bit lacking. After the second chorus, awesomeness happens again in the form of a sweet riffing pattern that will put a smile on your In Flames loving face. This track one of the highlights of the album.

5. [B]Scream[/B] - An attempt at a catchy chorus just kind of gets annoying. It could have been worse, but it's not great. Unfortunately, there are some extremely Nu-Metal moments that will make many Metal lovers cry foul.

6. [B]Come Clarity[/B] - The title track is one of the lamest songs on the album. Switching it up with accoustic guitars is just fine, and In Flames has done it very successfully in the past. Unfortunately, this song is not very cool. In fact, I probably wouldn't have known it was In Flames if it wasn't on the freakin' album. The chorus is very whiny and annoying, and the verses are just filler. Fortunately, the whole thing is rescued by a pretty sweet guitar solo just before the chorus repeats for the final time (thank God).

7. [B]Vacuum[/B] - A decent chorus and some cool riffery makes this song more tolerable. The bridge almost becomes awesome, but they drop an excellent idea and sort of drift off. This song is alright, but again, nothing special.

8. [B]Pacing Death's Trail[/B] - You're immediately kicked in the face by awesome as this song starts off. I love the opening riff. The song stays pretty awesome, too, with a bridge that kicks, and constant pulse-pounding In Flames action. Definately another highlight of the album.

9. [B]Crawl Through Knives[/B] - Killer opening riff. The beginning of this song will have your head banging and your air-guitar flying. The verse is solid, but not amazing. Some cool riffery happens here and there, so it's a satisfying track. The chorus is decent but not great. The bridge contains a guitar solo that's not spectacular, but a solo nonetheless.

10. [B]Versus Terminus[/B] - This is a pretty cool song, but seems a bit lacking. The chorus is decent but forgettable, and the bridge doesn't offer a whole lot. Could be worse, but could be a hell of a lot better.

11. [B]Our Infinite Struggle[/B] - This one starts strong and offers some interesting music, but nothing extraordinary. There is a very cool mellow break during the bridge that switches it up very nicely.

12. [B]Vanishing Light[/B] - This one's pretty good until the verse, which is an annoying sticatto orgy, but picks up just before the chorus. Then we get another sticatto crapthrowing party, which is yet again rescued by the chorus. The bridge is generic, but a cool riff happens toward the end. Overall, this is a very average song.

13. [B]Your Bedtime Story is Scaring Everyone[/B] - This is just an outro track of sound-effects.


Well, there you have it. The album is alright, but I want to hear better from the In Flames team. We've heard what they can do - let's pray they show us again.

[Gothic InuYasha]

WOW! You pretty much analyzed In Flames right down to the last detail. Do you take notes? lol. im joking of course

Honestly I like just about everything they have done [U]except[/U] for soundtrack to your escape. My favorite album is Lunar Strain/Subterrain because it has that European sound and that... how should I say... mysterious and paranormal feeling to it. Dreamscape is a perfect example of that 'mysterious and paranormal' feeling. Why you ask... im not sure. Maybe because they're smooth flow of rhythm and power combines and creates an 'out of this world' sound that is relaxing & energizing at the same time. You can trip out to that song man :hippy:

The songs 'In Flames' and 'Biosphere' are perfect examples of the european sound they have. God I love those songs. There's this one song they have... I forget what it's called.. *thinking* It's an instrumental song... the title is some wierd Sweedish word I can't even pronounce... and I believe it's on their Lunar Strain/ Subterrain album...bah! damn! I have no idea. You probably know what i'm talking about.

I love that song (whatever the hell it's called)

[Jakehammaren]

I think the instrumental you're talking about is Hargalaten. And yes, it's pretty sweet.

While the really old-school In Flames owns completely, I like Jester Race, Whoracle, Colony, and Clayman the best. Their mid-era sound was the most powerful, developed style they've ever had. Every note of those albums just plain rules. The way they crafted that dual-guitar sound... beautiful. Sadly, those days are gone. :bawl:

[Gothic InuYasha]

[QUOTE=Jakehammaren]I think the instrumental you're talking about is Hargalaten. And yes, it's pretty sweet.

While the really old-school In Flames owns completely, I like Jester Race, Whoracle, Colony, and Clayman the best. Their mid-era sound was the most powerful, developed style they've ever had. Every note of those albums just plain rules. The way they crafted that dual-guitar sound... beautiful. Sadly, those days are gone. :bawl:[/QUOTE]
Clayman is definitly *** kicking, Whoreacle is good too. Colony... eh.... not so high on my list. It's not bad, just not as good as their other albums. Soundtrack to your escape was horrible (in my opinion). Hopefuly they regain their old charm again. That song.. Hargalaten.. I think that's it. I really don't know. They have a few instrumental songs. I'm not quite sure if that's it. Do you know of any sites where I can get song clips. Perhaps I can take a listen and see if that's the song i'm thinking of.

[Jakehammaren]

Interesting... you see, Colony is my favorite album of theirs. I guess we'll just agree to disagree here.

The reason I said the instrumental you were thinking of is probably Hargalaten because you mentioned the title being a Swedish word, and that's the only song with a Swedish name. It's a violin/guitar medley.

Yeah, Soundtrack to Your Escape did pretty much suck. You'll probably be pretty disappointed with Come Clarity when it comes out... there's only 3 or 4 songs that are worth the time, and they still can't compare to glory day In Flames. It's definately better than STYE though.

[Guest zanpakutou]

Me! i like In flames, they're awsome. Jotun, Man made god, Swim, trigger, and Computer of the computer age, are ones that i like the most. i still like their other songs. but yeah, those ones that i mentioned are my favorites.

[Gothic InuYasha]

[i]"It's a violin/guitar medley."[/i]

Nevermind.That's not the song i'm thinking of then. Though that is a great song. The song I'm thinking of is all guitars & drums. No violins. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SONG!!! *beats his head* DAMN IT!!! I'm never going to know.


Oh yeah! I was listening to Music Choice last night and I came across the song "Come Clarity" and it was f'in sweet as hell man. Not quite the standards of Lunar Strain/Subterrain but pretty close. I must say I think I might enjoy this new album. You said if I didn't like 'Soundtrack to your escape' I probably wouldn't like this... I don't know. It sounds like a good deal. Maybe if I visit their site I can get a preview of the new album. It didn't live up to your standards but maybe i'll like it. Who knows?

[Box Hoy]

They're pretty good but I have yet to listen to a whole lot of them. I guess I was a little reluctant to listen to them after seeing all that other **** that was put out when I first got into heavier metal like Darkest Hour, and the victory records bull.

I'll take a look and see what I think.

[Gothic InuYasha]

In Flames is a great band. You'll like them alot. I still haven't goten sick of them.

[Jakehammaren]

Yeah, but steer clear of the newest albums. I can see you getting really into Whoracle, BoxHoy. I'd say give that album a go.

And actually I think that Come Clarity is a big step up from Soundtrack. I think you'll like Come Clarity if you didn't like STYE just because it's a better album.

[Gothic InuYasha]

I listened to "Take This Life" just a few nights ago. It was so-so. Not the greatest, not the worst. I was hoping for a phenominal album. Just listening to "Take This Life" and "Come Clairity" so far i'd have to say I think this album is going to be decent (though I expect more than that).

*sigh* dissapointment.

[Jakehammaren]

Hahaha! See, you feel exactly how I felt!

But you [I]know[/I] you had that friggin' chorus in Take This Life stuck in your head for the rest of the day. :laugh:

[Box Hoy]

Alright, I downloaded some stuff from a fan site I found.
Song, Episode 666 is a great song in my opinion.

[Jakehammaren]

Yeah, Episode 666 is a great song. It's from their "Golden Era", which ended with the release of the album Reroute to Remain (which was still, in my opinion, a great album - but it did send the band in the direction that landed it with the greatly detested disaster Soundtrack to Your Escape). If you like Episode 666, check out more songs from the album Whoracle.

Actually, based on what I know of your tastes, you'd probably love the album Soundtrack to Your Escape. Most diehard fans of In Flames mark that album as the death of the band, but I'd bet money you'd love it. Give a listen to the songs The Quiet Place, My Sweet Shadow, and Like You Better Dead and and tell me what you think.

[Gothic InuYasha]

I never listened to "Golden Era". Though i'm a big In Flames fan I don't know everything about them. How many albums do they have? Wich ones are the best?

[Box Hoy]

Alright, under your guidence Jake, I went to the local rock store near where I live. They had alot of In Flames stuff there. So I went and got "Whoracle" and "Colony."

Whoracle is by far the greatest I've heard from them while Colony is not exactly as great. Worlds Within the Margin is pretty a pretty good song off of Whoracle.

[Jakehammaren]

See, I liked Colony better. But to each his own, eh? My favorite songs on Whoracle are Gyroscope, Dialogue With the Stars, and The Hive.

I really encourage you to keep exploring In Flames. Every album is great. Even Soundtrack to Your Escape, heralded as the death of the band, has some really good songs on it. BoxHoy, I suggest Clayman as your next purchase. It's the album that followed Colony.

You can[URL=http://everdying.com/main/media.php]click here[/URL] to check out all their music videos. Watch "Only For the Weak", "Pinball Map", "Cloud Connected", "Trigger", and "My Sweet Shadow" in particular. The videos for "My Sweet Shadow" and "The Quiet Place" will provide you with a good look at how their newer stuff sounds. I'm not a huge fan of it, but it's not bad.

As for your post, Gothic InuYasha: I don't think I was very clear on this. "Golden Era" isn't an album. I was referring to the albums including and between the Jester Race and Clayman. Here's a discography (not including EPs and MCDs):

Lunar Strain
Subterranean
The Jester Race
Whoracle
Colony
Clayman
Reroute to Remain
Soundtrack to Your Escape
Come Clarity

The best albums in [I]my[/I] opinion are The Jester Race, Whoracle, Colony, and Clayman. My favorite overall album is Colony, but I can see you enjoying Whoracle the most. I guess your best bet is to sample each album and decide for yourself.

And I STRONGLY SUGGEST TO EVERYONE to buy their DVD, "Used and Abused: In Live We Trust"!!! They have a live set in which they play every song from Soundtrack to Your Escape straight through, and then proceed to play stuff from the older albums. Even if you're not a fan of STYE, it sounds great live, and the old stuff is absolutely sublime. I was absolutely giddy when Moonshield kicked in... it's a religious experience.

[Gothic InuYasha]

I can't find the damn Lunar Strain/ Subterrain album anywere. I had to buy the Lunar Strain album, now I have to wait to get Subterrain and then i'll be set. I also have to get Colony and Whoracle. Why is it so damn hard to get good music. I had to travel 40 miles to the nearest fye just to get some decent music. I was eyeballing this Obituary CD and i'm debating on weather or not to get it. I'm also trying to find a certain Dimmu Borgir album. It has this one song i really like. It's called 'A Sucubus In Rapture'. Does anybody know what album it is?

[Jakehammaren]

You should order your music directly from the record labels. Nuclear Blast USA offers great music at an average of $9-12 per disc and the shipping isn't bad at all.

[Gothic InuYasha]

Isn't that an online shop. I think you need a credit card number to do something like that.

[Rhym]

[quote name='Gothic InuYasha']Clayman is definitly *** kicking, Whoreacle is good too. Colony... eh.... not so high on my list. It's not bad, just not as good as their other albums. Soundtrack to your escape was horrible (in my opinion). Hopefuly they regain their old charm again. [/quote][FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Wow! This is phenomenal! Someone on OtakuBoards who likes In Flames, an actual metal band, for their [i]good[/i] stuff and not STYE! Normally we only get the sort of people who are like "OH EMM GEE I LUVV N' FLAMEZZ SNOUDTARCK 2 UR EXKAPE IZ LIEK TEH BEST ALBUM EVAR NOT LIEK THERE URLY STUFF W/ TEH FAST PLAYING THAT HURST MY EARS!!1!! N' FLAMEZZ 4-EVARR!!!"

Amazing! Someone with intelligence when it comes to music! No offence, Nü-metalers.

...

Well, okay, maybe a little bit of offence.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Jakehammaren]

[quote name='Gothic InuYasha']Isn't that an online shop. I think you need a credit card number to do something like that.[/quote]

Actually, I was referring to their mail-order service. You can get a free pamflet from them every time you buy any Nuclear Blast CD's.

[Gothic InuYasha]

[QUOTE=Rhym][font=Times New Roman][color=darkslategray]Wow! This is phenomenal! Someone on OtakuBoards who likes In Flames, an actual metal band, for their [i]good[/i] stuff and not STYE! Normally we only get the sort of people who are like "OH EMM GEE I LUVV N' FLAMEZZ SNOUDTARCK 2 UR EXKAPE IZ LIEK TEH BEST ALBUM EVAR NOT LIEK THERE URLY STUFF W/ TEH FAST PLAYING THAT HURST MY EARS!!1!! N' FLAMEZZ 4-EVARR!!!"

Amazing! Someone with intelligence when it comes to music! No offence, Nü-metalers.

...

Well, okay, maybe a little bit of offence.[/color][/font][/QUOTE]Wow! Thanks dude! I appreciate your... appreciation of good music. See, I knew there would be a [u]few[/u] people in this world with some taste.:animesmil

Honestly the only people on this entire site with taste are Jakehammeran, Boy Hox, you and me...

Damn... we're all alone. Everyone else pretty much sucks. lol. I'm joking. Please don't get on my back mr.moderator (omnipotent jerks).

Anyway, Yeah. This is all coming together smoothly. Our little congragation is begining to grow. I'm glad.

Here's a list of other great bands:

Dimmu Borgir < a big one
Old Mans Child < a really big one
Mayhem Death Angel
Death
Dark Funeral Lamb of God
Cephalic Carnage
Demons & Wizards
Nevermore
Arch Enemy
Opeth
Trivium
Nile
Behemoth
Cannibal Corpse
Leprosy
Amon Amarth
In Flames < and yet another big one
Deicide
Engorged
Morbid Angel