Band:	In Flames
Album:	The Tokyo Showdown
Style:	Alternative metal, Gothenburg metal
Release date:	September 2001

01. Bullet Ride
02. Embody The Invisible
03. Jotun
04. Food For The Gods
05. Moonshield
06. Clayman
07. Swim
08. Behind Space
09. Only For The Weak
10. Gyroscope
11. Scorn
12. Ordinary Story
13. Pinball Map
14. Colony
15. Episode 666

For me this album was the biggest musical letdown of 2001. I mean, this IS In Flames, isn's it? How can an album that has Episode 666, Ordinary Story, Moonshield, Only For The Weak, Pinball Map, Colony and other great classics all on the same cd, be anything but one of the greatest albums of all time?

Well, it seems In Flames found a way. No, I'm not complaining about the overwhelming amount of material from Clayman, which is given one-third of the album. No, in fact, while a bit more of their older material would have been appreciated, I was quite pleased with their song selection. The problem here is that the sound is TERRIBLE for an In Flames album. The guitars are as thin as can be, Anders seems to have lost almost all vocal ability, and half the time, I'm left wondering whether Daniel is playing drums or pots and pans. Now, in fairness, it's not always like that, but it is far too often.

Now, if you're like me, you're going to buy this anyways because, hey, it's In Flames, and when you see an In Flames album you don's have, you buy it, pure and simple. But chances are that after you listen to this once or twice, you're going to put it on the shelf and go back to listening to their studio albums. If you're new to In Flames, do not make this your introduction. Buy any other album first. Oh well, at least I can have the satisfaction of knowing I helped support them by buying this.