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In Flames - The Jester Race



8.8 | 1536 votes |
Release date: 20 February 1996
Style: Gothenburg metal

Owners:

1917 have it
119 want it
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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]

Top 20 albums of 1996: 3
Top 200 albums of all time: 89

Additional info
Recorded and mixed at Studio Fredman, November 1995. Produced by Frederik Nordström & In Flames. Engineered by Frederik Nordström & Patrick Hellgren.

Re-Released in 2002 by Nuclear Blast with the Black-Ash Inheritance [EP] as bonus tracks.

Staff review by
Dream Taster
Rating:
8.6
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.

Read more ››
published 02.09.2003 | Comments (32)

22.02.2011
Nostalgic reminder: exactly fifteen years ago melodic death metal was still a respectable genre instead of a curse word, and we all thought In Flames were the tits!

Crazy times, crazy times... now get the hell off my playground!

Thryce's picks | More picks ››

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Comments

Comments: 48   Visited by: 2289 users
22.07.2010 - 09:42
sulavmetal

Moonshield, The Jester's Dance, Artifacts Of The Black Rain, Dead Eternity, The Jester Race, December Flower, Wayfaerer, Gyroscope, Acoustic Medley. All the bests song from Inflames in one album. This is an awesom album. Unfortunately inflames in no more the same.
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01.03.2011 - 22:25
DjentDude

This album got me into extreme metal, now I dont listen to hardly anything melodic!
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04.03.2011 - 01:00
Ccoppola20

This band from start? to NOW .. incred. tho.. im not a fan of comeclarity.. mayb someday it will grow on me.. other wise i wana vomit..
and aparently ther coming to the states.. should be intresting to see them w. the dude from soil work..
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04.03.2011 - 02:55
Angelic Storm
Melodious
Although I do not have an aversion to latter day In Flames (although "Soundtrack To Your Escape" is overall, a painfully average album), "The Jester Race" is certainly in a class of it's own. Probably the best In Flames album, although "Whoracle" sure gives it a run for it's money!
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04.03.2011 - 04:51
Ccoppola20

Helll yehh!!!! ^^^^^
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23.11.2011 - 12:40
Rating: 9
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Angelic Storm on 04.03.2011 at 02:55

Although I do not have an aversion to latter day In Flames (although "Soundtrack To Your Escape" is overall, a painfully average album), "The Jester Race" is certainly in a class of it's own. Probably the best In Flames album, although "Whoracle" sure gives it a run for it's money!

I totally agree.
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7.0 means the album is good
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23.11.2011 - 16:00
Rating: 8
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Angelic Storm on 04.03.2011 at 02:55

Although I do not have an aversion to latter day In Flames (although "Soundtrack To Your Escape" is overall, a painfully average album), "The Jester Race" is certainly in a class of it's own. Probably the best In Flames album, although "Whoracle" sure gives it a run for it's money!


In highly enjoy all In flames releases from the beginning up and including Soundtrack To Your Escape, I felt like the Nu-metal influences worked quite perfect on that album. Afterward it went just bad.... CC and ASOP are ultimate shit...
Their latest is a (slow) return to goodness though.

About me favorite albums... pretty much like yours: The Jester Race and Whoracle share the same first spot for me.
My least favorite of all the ones from the period I previosly mentioned is probably Clayman... I just can't enjoy it as much as the others... The connection isn't there at all even though I know the music is good.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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17.03.2012 - 21:54
ThunderAxe1989
Account deleted
This is probably the best In Flames release to date. The melodies are iconic, The production couldn't have been better for these songs. Dare I say, In Flames were ahead of their time? Plus, surprisingly it sounds good when you're faded too
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14.06.2012 - 20:08
GrayWiZZarD
Account deleted
I dont understand why this album is better than clayman.....
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02.10.2012 - 03:31
LordHypnos
Account deleted
Best Melodeath album EVER!!!

Favorite songs:
-Dead Eternity
-Moonshield (the acoustic guitars are pure genius!)
-Artifacts Of The Black Rain
-Lord Hypnos
-December Flower (best IF solo ever)
-The Jester Race (another one with a wonderful solo)
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17.11.2012 - 15:32
megadeath13
Account deleted
Written by Guest on 17.11.2012 at 15:32

A great Melo Death album. The good old days where In Flames were able to record quality albums, not this mediocre metalcore shit.
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21.01.2013 - 04:56
Epictemptation

Yay in flames, awesome album
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04.04.2013 - 22:33
Metropolis_Dream
Account deleted
I loved it back in the day when i got "The Jester Race" as a CD. But after this years this album somehow lost its greatness. "Moonshield" and "Lord Hypnos" never grow old, though.
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17.02.2014 - 09:14
Rating: 9
NorthernDickhead

Much better than Gallery imo.
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20.04.2014 - 12:02
Rating: 8
Sang Dalang Abu

I only love one song in this album. Dead Eternity
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21.04.2014 - 01:00
Rating: 10
Ace Frawley
The Spaceman
Written by Sang Dalang Abu on 20.04.2014 at 12:02

I only love one song in this album. Dead Eternity


That's one of my favourite songs of all-time but surely there are a few more to like on this great album. Oh well, you are hard to please.
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The sun shines over The Fool...
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21.04.2014 - 01:06
Rating: 8
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Ace Frawley on 21.04.2014 at 01:00

Written by Sang Dalang Abu on 20.04.2014 at 12:02

I only love one song in this album. Dead Eternity
Oh well, you are hard to please.

I'd say the opposite... If you only love one song from one album I find it weird to give it such a high rating. But that's just me talking.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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21.04.2014 - 11:26
Rating: 10
Ace Frawley
The Spaceman
Written by X-Ray Rod on 21.04.2014 at 01:06

Written by Ace Frawley on 21.04.2014 at 01:00

Written by Sang Dalang Abu on 20.04.2014 at 12:02

I only love one song in this album. Dead Eternity
Oh well, you are hard to please.

I'd say the opposite... If you only love one song from one album I find it weird to give it such a high rating. But that's just me talking.


Good point, Mr. Doctor. I didn't really consider the factor of the high rating but only liking one song. Strange. Like deadone, I'd only rate an album a 5 or 6 if that were the case.
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The sun shines over The Fool...
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22.04.2014 - 04:13
Rating: 8
Sang Dalang Abu

Written by Ace Frawley on 21.04.2014 at 11:26

Written by X-Ray Rod on 21.04.2014 at 01:06

Written by Ace Frawley on 21.04.2014 at 01:00

Written by Sang Dalang Abu on 20.04.2014 at 12:02

I only love one song in this album. Dead Eternity
Oh well, you are hard to please.

I'd say the opposite... If you only love one song from one album I find it weird to give it such a high rating. But that's just me talking.


Good point, Mr. Doctor. I didn't really consider the factor of the high rating but only liking one song. Strange. Like deadone, I'd only rate an album a 5 or 6 if that were the case.


Oh my, love one song didn't mean I really really like one song
I like all song of this album :
1. Moonshield
2. The Jester's Dance
3. Artifacts Of The Black Rain
4. Graveland
5. Lord Hypnos
6. Dead Eternity
7. The Jester Race
8. December Flower
9. Wayfaerer
10. Dead God In Me

It's just wrong typewriting I mean Dead Eternity is the song almost played than other songs in this album because I like it.
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14.05.2014 - 08:30
Rating: 9
Opethian

Love it. What can i say that hasnt been said about? Guitar work, Vocals and Drums are all ACE! I wish that they could wake up and stop listening to the Producers that have turned them into Garbage ...
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14.05.2014 - 22:17
Rating: 9
Opethian

Written by deadone on 14.05.2014 at 08:55

Written by Opethian on 14.05.2014 at 08:30

I wish that they could wake up and stop listening to the Producers that have turned them into Garbage ...



Wishful thinking indeed. They've got their success making pop metal so why would they revert back?

Even if they went back to melodic DM, it's unlikely they'll ever match the Jester Race as most of the guys who wrote that album have left. The only members left from Jester Race era are Anders Fridén on vocals and Björn Gelotte who played drums and some lead guitar tracks on Jester Race but now plays guitar.

Gelotte only had part credits for 3 songs on Jester Race. Most of the song writing was Jesper Strömblad and Glenn Ljungström, both of whom are no longer in the band.


Gelotte writes virtually all the music these days and we know how that is working out.

But who knows what the future holds.


Amen to that! I personally think he is washed up. Hence the band putting out garbage for years now .. Wishful thinking Indeed


One thing that i am glad they finally got rid of was that Horrible logo. Had Screamo trash written all over it
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01.08.2014 - 17:19
MichaelAngeloT

Yay i love G(old) times
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02.08.2014 - 12:10
Rating: 8
Sang Dalang Abu

Written by MichaelAngeloT on 01.08.2014 at 17:19

Yay i love G(old) times

Good In Flames is old In Flames
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14.11.2014 - 20:03
Ganondox

Well, my favorite track from the album is "Goliaths Disarm Their Davids", but that isn't even on the original issue, where did that song even originally come from? Anyway, this is actually one of my least favorite In Flames albums, I don't get what people find so great about it. It's not that I find it bad, it sounds good, I just that I don't find anything uniquely compelling about it. December Flower has a pretty good guitar solo, but that's about it. While I prefer In Flames to At the Gates in general, I prefer At the Gates material from this time period, nice mix of brutality of melody.
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14.11.2014 - 20:08
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Ganondox on 14.11.2014 at 20:03

Well, my favorite track from the album is "Goliaths Disarm Their Davids", but that isn't even on the original issue, where did that song even originally come from? Anyway, this is actually one of my least favorite In Flames albums, I don't get what people find so great about it. It's not that I find it bad, it sounds good, I just that I don't find anything uniquely compelling about it. December Flower has a pretty good guitar solo, but that's about it. While I prefer In Flames to At the Gates in general, I prefer At the Gates material from this time period, nice mix of brutality of melody.

It's from the Black-Ash Inheritance EP.

This album is great to me because it takes Iron Maiden's good leads (ostensibly) and injects it into something more raw and rough round the edges. I always found Iron Maiden weak as piss but here it sounds darker, has more feeling and more balls, so a win I'd say.
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14.11.2014 - 20:13
Rating: 9
JÄY
Metal slave
Written by Guest on 14.11.2014 at 20:08

Written by Ganondox on 14.11.2014 at 20:03

Well, my favorite track from the album is "Goliaths Disarm Their Davids", but that isn't even on the original issue, where did that song even originally come from? Anyway, this is actually one of my least favorite In Flames albums, I don't get what people find so great about it. It's not that I find it bad, it sounds good, I just that I don't find anything uniquely compelling about it. December Flower has a pretty good guitar solo, but that's about it. While I prefer In Flames to At the Gates in general, I prefer At the Gates material from this time period, nice mix of brutality of melody.

It's from the Black-Ash Inheritance EP.

This album is great to me because it takes Iron Maiden's good leads (ostensibly) and injects it into something more raw and rough round the edges. I always found Iron Maiden weak as piss but here it sounds darker, has more feeling and more balls, so a win I'd say.

The concentration of piss is all relevant to hydration levels... I've had some strong piss, in my days!

Especially after a night of heavy drinking.
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14.11.2014 - 20:15
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by JÄY on 14.11.2014 at 20:13

The concentration of piss is all relevant to hydration levels... I've had some strong piss, in my days!

Especially after a night of heavy drinking.

Iron Maiden to me are the piss-equivalent of a vegetarian health freak who carries a bottle of water around with them everywhere they go and their urine is constantly clear like water
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15.11.2014 - 07:53
Ganondox

Written by Guest on 14.11.2014 at 20:08

Written by Ganondox on 14.11.2014 at 20:03

Well, my favorite track from the album is "Goliaths Disarm Their Davids", but that isn't even on the original issue, where did that song even originally come from? Anyway, this is actually one of my least favorite In Flames albums, I don't get what people find so great about it. It's not that I find it bad, it sounds good, I just that I don't find anything uniquely compelling about it. December Flower has a pretty good guitar solo, but that's about it. While I prefer In Flames to At the Gates in general, I prefer At the Gates material from this time period, nice mix of brutality of melody.

It's from the Black-Ash Inheritance EP.

This album is great to me because it takes Iron Maiden's good leads (ostensibly) and injects it into something more raw and rough round the edges. I always found Iron Maiden weak as piss but here it sounds darker, has more feeling and more balls, so a win I'd say.


And I like my Iron Maiden the way it is, thank you very much.
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15.11.2014 - 07:56
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Ganondox on 15.11.2014 at 07:53


And I like my Iron Maiden the way it is, thank you very much.

Not quite point I was trying to make =P I get very muchly that people like Iron Maiden; something I tend to have to realise on a daily basis despite my own tastes. I was just saying that Jester Race is a twist, albeit a fairly heavy twist, on a sound that happens to appeal to me more than the arguable source material (much like I'm sure you feel new In Flames is something which you enjoy despite internet opinion. Something which is frankly beyond my ken).
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15.11.2014 - 08:02
Ganondox

Written by Guest on 15.11.2014 at 07:56

Written by Ganondox on 15.11.2014 at 07:53


And I like my Iron Maiden the way it is, thank you very much.

Not quite point I was trying to make =P I get very muchly that people like Iron Maiden; something I tend to have to realise on a daily basis despite my own tastes. I was just saying that Jester Race is a twist, albeit a fairly heavy twist, on a sound that happens to appeal to me more than the arguable source material (much like I'm sure you feel new In Flames is something which you enjoy despite internet opinion. Something which is frankly beyond my ken).


Yeah I got what you said, but Iron Maiden as Iron Maiden appeals to me more than Jester-Race-era In Flames, so I don't more from Jester Race.

I wouldn't say that new In Flames appeals to me as much as mid-era In Flames, Colony through Come Clarity.
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