Review by illusionist for In Flames - The Jester Race (1996)
Gothernburg's crown jewel
Long Long Ago, In Flames were not just another alt. metal band, but rather a titanic pioneering force in the realm of Melodic Death Metal. With this seminal release, they combined the aggression and atmosphere of the extreme metal underground with the accessibility of 80s melodic heavy metal more seamlessly than any band before them. Some scorned the band for "polluting" death metal with their unrivaled melodic sensibility, but what they started on this album could not be stopped.
Even In Flames' most ardent detractors cannot deny that the band had a knack for b e a u t i f u l heartfelt melodies. This shows up in the acoustic passages (Moonshield, Jester's Dance), the guitar leads & riffs (Dead Eternity, December Flower), and even the solos (Wayfaerer, Dead God In Me). During In Flames' five-year heyday (Subterranean through Whoracle), literally every guitar melody they crafted was solid gold. And even though Anders Friden probably isn't as talented as Subterranean vocalist Henke Forss (let alone Mikael Stanne), he sounds better on this album than he ever has since (he actually has a low register with some legitimately powerful death growls here!). Jesper Stromblad is one of my favorite guitarists and he is consistently great on this disc as well. The band is going at full force and you can just tell they were really enjoying writing and playing this music together. The production isn't as pristine and polished as on successor albums, which I actually count as a plus. It lends the music a sort of mystique they would lose later, though I love the next few albums as well. From "Moonshield" (one of the best album intros ever with its folky acoustic passage and how it transitions into the sorrowful melodic riffing) to the epic closer "Dead God In Me", every song here is instantly memorable and could be listed as a highlight.
The Jester Race, along with At The Gates' Slaughter of the Soul, inspired legions of imitators over the next decade and still today. But THIS album was the original - and remains a work of unique inspiration and quality.