In Flames - The Jester Race review
| Band: | In Flames |
| Album: | The Jester Race |
| Style: | Gothenburg metal |
| Release date: | February 1996 |
01. Moonshield
02. The Jester's Dance
03. Artifacts Of The Black Rain
04. Graveland
05. Lord Hypnos
06. Dead Eternity
07. The Jester Race
08. December Flower
09. Wayfaerer
10. Dead God In Me
11. Goliaths Disarm Their Davids [2002 re-release bonus]
12. Gyroscope [2002 re-release bonus]
13. Acoustic Medley [2002 re-release bonus]
14. Behind Space [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
The Jester Race is the best album from In Flames era pure Melodic Death Metal, unfortunately for the fans of this precise style, that would also be the last. The Swedish band was still playing a lot of acoustic almost classical music, and was still very close to its alter ego Dark Tranquillity. Honestly I love both "versions" of In Flames music and it's obvious for me that their "pre-Whoracle" work reached its climax with the album The Jester Race.
As a general statement, the entire album is darker than any other In Flames albums and, incredible as it may seem, it's also the most melodic. Just listen to the splendid opener 'Moonshield' or the masterpiece 'The Jester Race' and you'll get it. 'The Jesters Dance' is a great instrumental track [probably the best In Flames instrumental] and also a recurrent melody for the title track. However, one of my favorites is still track 3, 'Artifact Of The Black Rain', a genuine ID of what In Flames was in 1995: innovation, huge melodies, great riffs, all of that was already in that song.
But one of the most surprising songs is 'December Flower', which happens to be a perfect definition for the phrase "melodic death". And, of course, the level of brutality is also very high on songs such as 'Dead God In Me' or 'Dead Eternity'. So what we have here is an excellent album with several influences.
With The Jester Race, In Flames manages to catch listeners and to make them travel through the dark lands of their Melodic Death Metal world. Great compositions such as 'The Jester Race', 'Moonshield', 'Artifacts Of The Black Rain' and 'Lord Hypnos' must appeal to everyone of you one day. So why don't you try today?
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 8 |
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Written on 02.09.2003 by
Bringing you reviews of quality music and interesting questions such as: "A picture is worth a thousand words. How many words is a song worth?" I have only got so much patience and skills, you do the math. |
Comments
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| dark awakening Posts: 574  |
I totally agree! Great album, great riffs, great feeling! 
---- Baptized in a lake of acid tears...
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| Slottet av Take Account deleted |
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| Hypnos Posts: 5 |
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| DeadEternity Account deleted |
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| BloodTears ANA-thema elite Posts: 11835  |
This album blew me away since the first time i listened to it, Its guitar work is stunning. Every song in it its great in my opinion, thats why this album is so much better than all the albums In Flames released since then. Undoubtly, my favourite In Flames' album. I would give it a 9 at least.
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| Unconsecrated Perpetual Ascent Posts: 868  |
I agree with the review...No doubt about it that this is their best album 
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| BlankFile Posts: 686 |
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| In_tallica Posts: 151  |
Incredibly good album! from start to end! A true masterpiece, allthough i can't decide if this or whoracle is the best In Flames album... In any way, it's PERFECT, not a scratch on it!
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| Sepulchre Lord Hypnos Posts: 189  |
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
Its a great album, not as good as Whoracle and Colony in my opinion. but its classic, first of the really good in flames albuns (i didnt like Lunar Strain, Subterranean was much better) that make history. 9,3 / 10.
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| Jason W. Razorbliss staff Posts: 3523  |
"Whoracle" is the album that introduced me to In Flames, but this is the album that I still cannot get enough of! And I agree with you here - "Artifacts of the Black Rain" is one of the band's best, and is my personal all-time favorite of their songs 
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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| Duy Hung Account deleted |
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| flamey Posts: 109  |
This and Whoracle, are the best melodic death metal albums in my opinion. I've been listening to both for a few years non stop, and I've heard so many melodic death metal bands in the meantime, but no, nothing can top this album's melodies. I can only say, IN FLAMES WE TRUST!
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| dasyatidae Posts: 34  |
This is one of my favorite albums ever.
---- Sorry for my bad english.
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920  |
Awesome. Ah, old good days.
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| LeChron James Helvetesfossen Posts: 3561  |
I'm a huge fan of the song Wayfaerer. i dont know what, but i am.
---- Kick Ass, Die Young Less is More Stay Pure Stay Poor Music was my life, music brought me to life and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz in my head that only I can hear.
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| Metalbound7 Posts: 229  |
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| In_tallica Posts: 151 |
Best album ever in my opinion. It took me some time to realize it, but i finally came to the right conclusion 
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| Entropic Silence Posts: 251  |
Great leads, great riffs, but the acoustic guitars make it for me. Alas, where has it all gone...
---- VICTORY!!!!! (They love it in France)
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437  |
I like the review but not so much the album to call it the best from In Flames. I am hearing it for a long time and i am still trying to find a very very good song. but i can not. clayman in my eyes is better!!!
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| Panterica Posts: 341  |
Written by Guest on 11.08.2006 at 03:15 That because no one can see when one song end and another start. December Flower is the only song with a solo? What a shame, I expected to insane leads style COB or something. Still it's a fine album, donno if their best but surely good.
---- Li'ed - Prog-Metal from Jerusalem https://open.spotify.com/artist/7aZWDrAAvDSLMaSmDSE8zA https://www.facebook.com/LiedBandMusic http://lied-band.bandcamp.com/
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466  |
Their best, I think. The only thing that bugs me are the vocals. Those growls are too intense for this album, being so melodic as it is.
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| Adjuchas Shaman Account deleted |
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| Ankh Amen Account deleted |
Ankh Amen
Account deleted
My favourite metal album ever. Wayfaerer  Adjuchas Shaman: Nuff said!  
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| JimInFlames Posts: 10  |
Wayfaerer  Written by Guest on 03.02.2010 at 08:51 Adjuchas, at their new album will it be: '' She lost her extra weight, she stopped drinking ketchup and she wants me back again because Im the best she ever had''  
---- Archaic pearls of sleep and death, The voice of December losing its breath. And the floweryard of white and gray is haunted, Is haunted.
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| enumaelis Posts: 266  |
Written by JimInFlames on 15.02.2011 at 22:16 Hehe I'd say about the next album that she runaway with her boyfriend quite far, probably to USA, she made dreadlocks with her hair, ate more ketchup than ever and got many different friends not related at all with the ones she had before :lol:
---- http://enumaelis.blogspot.com/
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| AngelofDeth Cyborg Raptor Posts: 1183  |
Written by Guest on 03.02.2010 at 08:51 perfect
---- pewpew.. gotcha
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| EmeraldSword Posts: 179  |
Well said Adjuchas Shaman. It's the highs and lows of a relationship and how people rationalize staying interested far too long. Sadly, I don't foresee In Flames returning to its roots ever again.
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| FrozenJoy Posts: 60 |
Haha, Adjuchas Shaman just made me laugh my ass off with some of the descriptions... But the thing's funny and sad at the same time... I can't believe what In Flames turned out to be  ... Anyway, this album is one of the highlights of melodeath, and it's fuckin awesome! All the songs are killers, especially Moonshield, The Jester's Dance, Artifacts of the Black Rain, Dead Eternity and Wayfaerer...But, there's something weird about Graveland... It has some of the best lyrics I've ever heard, and since I read them, it's one of my favourite tracks... It's weird, because I know it's clearly not the best one...
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