Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for In Flames - Come Clarity (2006)
Well, time for In Flames album revisit #2! Come Clarity has been known as the band's transitional album between their earlier melodeath roots and their later alt-metal era. There are also some claims that this is the closest the band has gone to metalcore territory ala Trivium. Although I haven't listened to In Flames for several years, aside from their new album Foregone, I remember thinking Come Clarity was a solid album. Now let's see my opinion still stands....
Indeed, Come Clarity is a transitional album for In Flames. However, it still has a lot of the melodeath side of their sound, albeit in a more modern approach with metalcore elements. The alt-metal of their subsequent albums is more prominently used in a few tracks, both the mainstream and experimental ones.
Unleashing this modernized melodeath sound right out of the gate, "Take This Life" is the perfect kick-A way to start. Next up, "Leeches" has odd keyboard effects present, but I like the contrast between the heavy verses and melodic chorus. "Reflect the Storm" has that blend of melancholy and mainstream, particularly in the chorus that shows vocalist Anders Friden expanding his vocal abilities. Adding more to the experimentation is "Dead End" which features Lisa Miskovsky. When I first heard the start of that first verse, I almost thought it was a Paramore song. She sounds quite confident here, and the end result is a lovely duet. Although In Flames has done a few tracks with guest female singing before, that one might turn off some longtime fans. "Scream" brings back their earlier roots without much experimentation, though it's not that impressive.
The title track calms things down as an alt-metal power ballad. The fact that it's chosen as the album's title track foreshadows their later path. I actually loved that one during my time in The Gateway, but now I realize it's not as great as I thought it was. Another indicator of me not being suited for that clan. The braver and heavier "Vacuum" picks up the pace greatly. I can almost say the same about "Pacing Death's Trail". Next track "Crawl Through Knives" was originally meant to be this album's title track. I kinda wish it was though because it's the perfect diverse display of the band's transitional sound. I would recommend that track for anyone trying modern melodeath for the first time.
"Versus Terminus" is another example of trying too hard to sound like the band's earlier selves. "Our Infinite Struggle" makes up for that as a memorable highlight, heavy all the way while only cooling down for the great midsection. Sadly, we have "Vanishing Light" which is the worst track in their melodeath side, not doing anything interesting. "Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone" is one of the band's most experimental songs yet, sounding so haunting yet leaving me confused and wondering why it even exists.
All in all, Come Clarity is simultaneously In Flames' last melodeath album until Foregone and the first to show the mainstream diversity of their subsequent releases that would turn away longtime fans and bring in new ones. Having heard both of that band's eras before, I'm already used to what's been going on in this album and wouldn't totally put it down even at its weakest moments. I can understand the evolution. So although it can never beat the glory of their old-school melodeath offerings, Come Clarity is still pretty good for at least half of the album, and it's hard to deny its status as a major turning point for the band. It's clear as day....
Favorites: "Take This Life", "Reflect the Storm", "Dead End", "Vacuum", "Crawl Through Knives", "Our Infinite Struggle"