Customer Reviews

Jester Race: Black Ash Inheritance

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of their earlier albums, The Jester Race/Black-Ash Inheritance (a combination of a full-length album and an EP) remains my favorite in my now-complete In Flames collection. From the acoustic beginnings of the stunning song "Moonshield" (in my opinion, In Flames' best song to date), the five Swedes deliver an undeniably damn-near flawless performance with this one. It keeps one's attention through a balanced mix of heavy melodic "death" metal (I really hate calling it that, because death metal is such a bland, boring, and unimaginative subgenre in general) and mellow acoustic tunes, in a vein similar to fellow Swedish metal masters Opeth. But where Opeth makes long, epic songs with many tempo changes, In Flames' songs are typically average length with more predictable switches from the heaviness to the softer parts. The Gothenborg sound, originated by the band, may be a little difficult to get into, as it is somewhat of a primitive sound (deliberately, enhancing the atmosphere created by the music). In contrast to Opeth, In Flames concentrates more on heavy parts, whereas with Opeth, you often get a nearly equal balance of heavy & acoustic. Both schemes work well, and it's hard to decide which scenario is more appealing. Lyrically, In Flames is one of the more introspective bands, not focusing on satanism or killing religious people or any of that overdone and cliche [stuff]. Their lyrics make you think, and most people can relate to them. It's almost like a narration of life, albeit with somewhat of a dark twist thrown in at points.

So now, my faithful review-reader, I invite thee... open thy mind and check out In Flames today! If you're not a complete bonehead, you'll probably like what you hear (of course, if you don't like it, that doesn't necessarily make you a complete bonehead by default...).

The first two albums I owned by In Flames were STYE and RTR. I enjoyed both of them greatly. But I read many reviews from long-time fans who did not seem to appreciate the change of styles. So I went out and got Jester Race because I wanted to hear some of their old stuff. I now have all their CD's and can see where the depressed fans are coming from. Don't get me wrong, I still love Soundtrack and Reroute, but they are certainly more mainstream and less stellar than their earlier works. Jester, Whoracle, and Clayman are simply AMAZING. If you have only heard their newer stuff, you are missing out. If you are a fan of Reroute and Soundtrack, but don't like the older stuff, then you are obviously just a pathetic MTV watching pansy. If epic, melody-driven metal is what you like, GET OLD IN FLAMES!!!! Oh, and Moonshield is one of the best songs EVER by the way.

Back in the mid-90's metal was going through a bit of a dull period (not that it's any better now, come to think of it). Nothing was really special anymore, grunge had run its course, the intensity of death metal had came and went, and melody and technicality in rock music was already becoming a thing of the past. Something new and different was needed to give metal that extra punch that it once had. What could be done to do this? Apparently, five guys from Sweden had found the answer, giving birth to In Flames, and the now trademark melodic death sound. While their first album, Lunar Strain, showed great potential, it was a bit too unpolished to really be considered a classic. However, when their second full-length LP, the Jester Race, was released, it proved to be everything In Flames first album could and should have been, and a lot more.

The Jester Race is a brilliant album in every sense of the word, from the crunchy rhythm guitar riffs and melodic lead guitar interplay, to the throaty, thought-provoking lyrics. Like many great albums, it'll probably require more than a few listens before you grasp the full scope of the music, but once you do, you'll realize just how much effort was put into this release. One minute you'll be listening to a brilliant acoustic melody, and the next you'll be treated to some of the greatest melodic guitar since Iron Maiden's prime. Hats off to Jesper, the main songwriter and lead guitarist, he truly has a gift for melody and catchy riffs. Each time I listen to this album, I find something new to appreciate and enjoy.

The album has many, many highlights, from the unique and beautiful instrumental The Jester's Dance, (I've never heard ANYTHING like that before!) to the perfect balance of beauty and heaviness in the title track, this album just blows you away track for track. If there's anything that could really be considered disappointing about this album, it's that the band never does anything really epic here, nor have they ever afterwards (their songs all average about four minutes, and they have yet to exceed five and a half minutes in a song!) but that's really a small complaint and is only really based upon my own personal tastes anyway.

I'll finish the review off with a track-by-track synopsis of the album:

1.Moonshield-a pretty good song, but probably not the best suited song for an album opener. Many people consider it one of In Flames best songs. I don't, but it's still pretty good. It only gets better from here. 7/10

2.The Jester's Dance- one of the most unique instrumentals ever crafted. It's a bit short, but that's probably why it's so good; it definitely leaves you wanting more afterwards. 9/10

3.Artifacts of the Black Rain- a faster, more rocking song with an addictive riff and great melodic guitar. Has everything you could want in an In Flames song; one of my favorites. 10/10

4.Graveland- a heavy, pounding, track. Not as good as the previous, but definitely a song that gets you moving with good rhythm. 8/10

5.Lord Hypnos- another awesome song. Starts with an extremely catchy lead riff, then gets very heavy, then towards the middle there is a great, chugging rhythm. 9/10

6.Dead Eternity- my personal favorite of the album. This song is just totally incredible from start to finish. It starts off fast, chances to a nice chugging riff once again, then fades away into the main lead riff. From there this song just goes all over the place, and every second of it is amazing! An In Flames masterpiece. 10/10

7.The Jester Race- another one of the best songs on the album. The interesting thing is this song starts off with a catchy melody somewhat resembling the melody from The Jester's Dance. The song is dominated by a very catchy and heavy main riff. One of the only songs on the album with a real chorus, and probably the catchiest song on the album. 10/10

8.December Flower- starts out with very speedy drums and guitar, at first sounding a bit like the beginning of Dead Eternity. It then changes track with great rhythm and lead guitar swapping, and a catchy melody. The lengthy solo halfway through is pure bliss! Excellent song. 9/10

9.Wayfaerer- the albums second instrumental, and much longer than The Jester's Dance. Starts off great, with some awesome tempo changes in the beginning, and a good lead riff. Once the keyboard comes in, however, it starts to get a little bit cheesy, and loses some appeal, but it's still pretty good. However, it is nowhere near as good as In Flames' later instrumentals. 7.5/10

10.Dead God in Me- some people love this song; I think it's okay. The last minute of the song, where they improve the main riff a bit, is what saves it for me, but the rest of it could have been a bit better. Overall, a decent song, and fitting for a closer, just needed a bit more fine tuning. 8/10

Buy this album whenever you have the chance. It gave birth to a whole new sound and style and is definitely one of the best albums of the 90's.

In Flames is truly an amazing band. While you could really say that any band you like is amazing, I believe that the statement is honest when referring to IF. No band has reinvented themselves as many times as these masters and still stayed amazing with each album. From the raw, primitive sounding melodic death of "The Jester Race" and "Whoracle" to the more modern-metal well-produced melo-death of Colony and Clayman, and even to the simpler and more rhythm-based efforts of Reroute to Remain and Soundtrack to Your Escape, IF have found ways to amaze and touch fans, old and new, with their lyrics, music, songwriting, and Anders' always intense and emotional vocal delivery. I believe that everything has to be perfect to make a band "amazing". And I believe that is the case with In Flames.

This is one of IF's most respected works, and it's quite clear why. The musicianship is nothing short of phenomenal. The dual guitar team of Jesper Stromblad and Bjorn Gelotte is unmatched by all I can think of but Hammet and Hetfield. The two blaze through beautiful riff after beautiful riff like it's nothing, truly, for the lack of a better word, an aspiring guitarist's wet dream. I have nothing but praise for the two on this album, as riffs featured in tracks such as "Artifacts of the Black Rain", "Moonshield", Lord Hypnos" and "Dead Eternity" have the ability to captivate me every time. If you're a guitarist, or even a bassist, you're going to have a hard time not dropping your jaw while listening to this album. Stromblad and Gelotte also play acoustically quite a bit on this album. The album starts off with the IF classic "Moonshield", featuring the two harmonizing beautifully (as usual) before kicking into a powerful electric riff. There are also acoustic bits here and there throughout the album, which adds greatly to the melody.

The rhythm section of the group, while no doubt outshined by the guitarists, is still excellent. The drumming is very well done, as the drummer, whose name I cannot remember, can do his job without overplaying himself, which works in some bands, but not in a band like IF. He keeps the pulse going with steady metal beats, the occasional double bass, and every now and then some light-speed pummeling, which can be heard for example in the track "Dead Eternity". The bassist isn't mixed as loud as the rest of the band, and being a bassist, I wish it weren't this way, but sadly it is, which is the only low-point of the album. With a good ear you can distinguish what he's doing, otherwise it will just blend in too much and you won't even notice it's there.

Anders Friden is one of my favorite vocalists in metal. In this album, his lyrics deal with more fantasy-oriented themes, telling tales of "a lone silent warrior in a fantasy world" ("Artifacts of the Black Rain") and chaos-filled worlds of constant war ("Graveland"). What I like about Anders' lyrics is that no matter what he writes them about, they can still always find a way to touch me. On this album, it's like remembering those fantasy stories filled with castles, warriors and magic and the way they used to fascinate you. Anders delivers them through a raging growl of a voice, but he does it with such emotion that you can't help but feel moved (if you can understand what he's saying, that is-I always read along with the lyrics in the booklet). Fans of the Nintendo 64 who remember playing the game "Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" will know what I'm talking about. Remember the feeling you'd get while playing that game? That feeling that you're really in this beautiful make-believe world? I get the same feeling while listening to this album. For those of you who haven't played the game, think of the feeling you got while reading the book or watching the movie "Lord of the Rings". The book / film just had the power to take you to this land, and for a few hours have you believe that it truly exists. Again, that's what Friden's lyrics in this album make me think.

The tracks on this album are all heavily melodic. Even the heaviest tracks have a huge sense of melody in them. My personal favorites are "Moonshield" (of course), the beautiful but short instrumental "The Jester's Dace", "Artifacts of the Black Rain", "Lord Hypnos", "Dead Eternity", and one of the best instrumentals I've ever heard, entitled "Wayfaerer". This best showcases the complexity and creativity of the group's two guitarists. A four minute and thirty second epic composed of breathtaking riff after breathtaking riff, only to go into an even more breathtaking solo, and then back to another riff. I still don't see why this song isn't more known in the metal community, as I truly believe it's a masterpiece.

So there you have it. All the reviews for this album I've read, not just on this site, but everywhere, are nothing but rave. The album also comes with the "Black Ash Inheritance" EP which features two amazing new tracks, "Goliaths Disarm Their Davids" and "Gyroscope", the latter of which was released again in exactly the same form on the "Whoracle" album. Then there's the "Acoustic Medley", basically an "Acoustic Medley" of tracks from "The Jester Race", including "Moonshield" and "Artifacts of the Black Rain". The EP ends with a live version of their song "Behind Space", but the sound quality is horrible, with the drums sounding shoddy, the guitars TOO loud, the bass inaudible, and the vocals too raw sounding. I still listen to the track sometimes, but I'd much rather hear it in a worthy quality, as a band like In Flames deserves it. Now, the answer to the question...DOES it take any talent to play metal music? Listen to any given track from this album, and listen closely, and decide for yourself.

IN FLAMES - Jester's Race / Black Ash Inheritance
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From the opening Acoustics, into the dueling, melodic guitars, Moonshield is an instant classic and to this day remains in my top 5 In Flames Songs. The next 9 songs (The Jester's Race part) have a hard act to follow but do a great job at keeping this entire album strong. Everything on this album is fantastic... This was really the beginning of In Flames, it was Anders first full length with the band, Bjorn (now on guitars) was actually the drummer on this disk and does a great job behind the kit. While the guitar work was handled by Jesper Stromblad and Glenn Ljungstrom who provided some of the best duel melodic guitar work the Metal Community has ever heard. Johann Larsson, who with Ljungstrom, are no longer in the band, handle the low-end and provides a great backing for the guitars.

This album is considered by the `Purists' to be the Magnum Opus of In Flames' career... In many ways I am inclined to agree. Whoracle, Colony and Clayman are all classics as well, but The Jester's Race was the first raw step of a band that would help define the Melodic Death Genre.

As a bonus the disk comes with Black Ash Inheritance EP is also included. The EP includs 3 studio tracks: Goliaths Disarms their David, Gyroscope (Another Classic!) and Acoustic Medley... As well as a rough live version of Behind Space.

For anyone who may only be familiar with their newer work I strongly suggested checking out their back catalogue.

Favorite Songs: Moonshield, December Flowers, Artifacts of the Black Rain and Gyroscope.
-5 Stars.


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When I first bought this album, it was under a lot of pressure to perform. I already owned their newest releases, and I loved those. So I figured, if that's their bad stuff, this has to be great, right? Also, the first time I played this album was right after listening the Opeth's "Blackwater Park" for the first time, so it had a tough act to follow.
At first, i wasn't too impressed. The band certainly sounded different than on their newer releases, but I wasn't really struck by anything. As the cd played, though, I started liking it better. The 3rd song had a good sound, then the 4th was better. The 5th was better than that, and the 6th was better still. By the 7th song, (the title track) I was totally hooked. Going back and listening through I found that I had warmed up to the earlier songs, as well. I have since listened all the way through this cd a dozen times or so, and I can honestly say there isn't a bad song to be found.
A review of the tracks would go something like this:

1. Moonshield: beautiful guitar harmonies blended flawlessly with death vocals. awesome. 10/10

2. The Jester's Dance: short instrumental piece which sounds a bit like what moonshield would be like without vocals. good. 7/10

3. Artifacts of the Black Rain: a strong song, though nothing in particular that really jumps out at me personally. 7/10

4. Graveland: song that gives an excellent example of what the "clean" style vocals used on this album sound like, which is cool. 8/10

5. Lord Hypnos: one of the catchier songs on the album, it also has a quicker pace and more direct sound than most on this cd. sounds great. 10/10

6. Dead Eternity: slows things back down, at least in the intro. another song with some of the cool sounding, deep, clean vocals. quite good. 9/10

7. The Jester Race: my personal favorite on this album. this song has both pretty, clean guitars and heavy, aggressive riffs. the vocals are more fast paced, and the chorus, though slightly repetetive, is very catchy. the mega-deep effect vocals briefly employed in the middle of the song sound awesome. 10/10

8. December Flower: another of the more aggressive songs, both vocally and instrumentally. very good. 9/10

9. Wayfaerer: a longer instrumental. starts out tougher sounding, then mellows into some beautiful soloing. 8/10

10. Dead God in Me: an aggressive, "angry at my father" type of track. the theme screams "Good Charlotte", but don't worry, the sum is purely melodic death metal. 8/10

After those songs come the Black Ash Inheritance tracks, which, while all pretty good, don't really jump out at me, so just assume 7/10 for all those. The single exception here being "Goliaths Disarm Their Davids", which is more like 9/10.

Well, like I said in the title: now I understand. When old In Flames fans complain about how the band has ruined their sound, I see what they are comparing the new albums to. The In Flames material from this era blends deep, aggressive death style vocals seamlessly with beautiful guitar harmonies as well as crunching riffs. The stunning ability to be mellow, harmonic, and pretty while still playing with pure metal force is amazing. The newest release (Come Clarity) is good, but if you want something GREAT, grab The Jester Race ~ Black Ash Inheritance.

Ever since this superb release from In Flames was unleashed upon the masses of metal fans in need of something more, the praises of this album have never stopped flowing. Even with the release of their first full-length album, "Lunar Strain", it was obvious that they were a band unlike any other. So it is not surprising at all that with the release of only their second full-length album, the name IN FLAMES would forever be written down in the annals of Melodic Death Metal lore, never to be erased or blotted out by the passage of time. Just as other styles of music have had artists who have broken the mold, so it is that IN FLAMES have brought forth this ground-breaking release that will forever change the way that Melodic Death Metal music is looked upon. Never again will there be another release like it.
This album starts out innocently enough by drawing you into the enthralling acoustic intro of "Moonshield" before inundating your senses with the pleasing heaviness of the verse riff. Amazing as this one song is, the rest of the CD never relents from its merciless assault against the very foundation of what you think it takes to make an outstanding record. Whether it is the epic songs such as "Artifacts Of The Black Rain" and "The Jester Race", or the powerful, captivating instrumentals "The Jester's Dance" and "Wayfaerer", this much is certain- no one who listens to this CD will become bored.
Anders Friden steps up in a major way on his first full-length outing with his new band. His voice delivers enough brute force to be powerfully effective, but still clear enough for the vocals to be heard. Such a voice as this contributes a force of great magnitude to the entire album.
Then there is the epic leadwork performed by the talented guitar duo of Jesper Stromblad and Glenn Ljungstrom. They are a perfect union, both complimenting and supplimenting each other's leads and rhythms. However, their union is not limited to relying on each other, as they have more than enough talent to stand on their own.
Of course, Johann Larsson and Bjorn Gelotte cannot be passed over without mention, as this album would not have ever been created without their incredible musicianship on the bass and drums, respectively. Johann gives the rest of his band a solid backing with the bass, even though it does not stand out as prominently as it does on the next album, "Whoracle". Bjorn's blazing talent behind the drumset is the fuel for the rest of the band's fire. His dynamic playing and talent is more than capable of keeping up with the rest of the band.
Every song on the album is worth listening to. Each one has its own story to tell you. But the song that most impresses me is the track originally from "Black-Ash Inheritance", "Goliaths Disarm Their Davids". The many elements to this song, along with one absolutely mind-blowing solo in it, make this one of IN FLAMES' best songs ever, in my opinion.
Suffice it to say, this album is one-of-a-kind. With just a single release, IN FLAMES have created a whole new aspect of Melodic Death Metal and have taken it beyond what was thought impossible to reach. I would highly recommend buying this CD. After all, epic releases such as this will not be available forever.

I am simply amazed when i hear this album (and "Whoracle"). The raging metal mixec with the classical melodies just floor me.

Moonshield - 10/10 - Perfect opener. i love the acoustic intro
The Jester's Dance - 7.5/10 - Not bad, but a little short
Artifacts of the Black Rain - 11/10 - Best song on the album.
Graveland - 6.5/10 - The only song i dont listen to. a little
below average
Lord Hypnos - 8.5/10 - Wonderful song.
Dead Eternity - 8.5/10 - Love the intro,love the riffs
The Jester Race - 9/10 again, cool riffs.
December Flower - 10/10 - Best guitar solo theyve ever done.
Wayfaerer - 9/10 - Very cool acoustic instrumental
Deadad God in Me - 10/10 - Perfect, epic closer

In Flames is one of the world's best bands straight up. I have been listening to all sorts of heavy metal for since I can't remember and after exploring every single metal scene in the world, as small as they might be, the one that creates the most beautiful music and that fascinates me the most, is the European Metal Scene, in particular the Gothenburg Metal Scene that was created partly by In Flames.

In Flames plays a type of metal that has plenty of rhythm which creates the headbanging atmosphere, without ignoring other essential components that make up songs, like harmony and melody. In Flames has a lot of melody. But neither component in their songs is taken to point that it becomes annoying. What I'm saying is that you get death metal bands that have plenty of palm muting and rhythm in their songs but nothing else while other bands have too much melody. In Flames has plenty of both but not too much. I like to call their style of music "Melodic Death Metal". In a way it is much closer to black metal than to death metal but I don't care.

In Flames after releasing what might be metal's greatest debut album "Luna Strain", came up with what for me is their greatest piece of work, "The Jester Race".

This album is responsible for opening up a whole new world of Heavy Metal for me. It is the reason why I love music so much. In my mind In Flames' greatest masterpiece of them all. I keep it next to my heart.

Opening with a strong track "Moonshield", the album hits you and keeps on beating you to the point that you cry throughout. I'm not kidding, one of the only 2 albums that has ever made me cry. I totally love this album so If I were to review each song, I would give them all 10/10. However I will not do that.

I will start by saying that "Moonshield" is one of the only songs from this album that the band usually plays live. In Fact the only song featered in the Tokyo Showdown from "The Jester Race". A pity I say since all these songs deserve to be played live all the time. However when you have so many amazing songs it is difficult to chose.

The secong track "The Jester's Dance" is by far the best instrumental song In Flames has ever composed. "Artifacts Of The Black Rain", "Lord Hypnos", "Dead Eternity", "The Jester Race", and "Dead God In Me" however are the best songs on this album. "Lord Hypnos" and "The Jester Race" being my favourite. They are so powerful, beautiful, and outstanding I couldn't believe my ears when I first heard them. I was totally blown away. "Dead God In Me" which is the same song from their first album "Lunar Strain" except with different lyrics, has one of the best riffs ever 1:22 minutes into the song.

There is no weak song in this album. However just like every other album it has a weakest song. In This case it is the instrumental "Wayfarer" which is a strong track but it does not come close to the rest of he tracks on this album especially if you are to compare it to the other instrumental song "The Jester's Dance".

If you have never heard of In Flames, I would recommend you start by bying this album, eventually you will want to own all of them trust me.

Like drinking fine and complex wine, you will want to listen to this album over and over and over. With each sip from the goblet, a new fabric of reality is experienced and savored. Yup, it's your typical "A-class album" in your collection.

In Flames truly earns your hard-earned dollars here. The layers of harmonius diligent guitar work will leave you in awe. Wondering if you should buy this album? Have no doubts. This album has everything. Galloping thrash, multiple riffs in each track, power vocals, furious drum work, and most of all, truly unique and emotional lead guitar. WE ARE TALKING SKILLED SOPHISTICATED HARMONIES AND THOUGHTFUL COMPOSITIONS!

I can't name too many albums in my collection that feature melodious lead guitar musicianship quality in almost EACH track. Have no fears however: The melodies do not betray the utter power and aggression in this one. In Flames has a cool doomsday vision and spite for the human race that only makes their aggression all the more sincere. Audio steroids.

It is tough to say which tracks are my favorite. They each tell a "needed story" towards understanding the fate of our Jester Race!...

Track 2 The Jester's Dance and track 13 Acoustic Medley are beautiful instrumental pieces that appropriately flaunt the musical influences behind the band which are impressive to say the least. Living up in northern Europe with nothing to do but milk cows all day and listen to every metal album under the sun will do that!

Track 3 Artifacts of the Black Rain; track 5 Lord Hypnos; and track 9 Wayfaerer all have unique sounding lead guitar work that will transport your heart and soul to another time and place...

Track 6 Dead Eternity has a specific lead guitar composition that creates an emotion unlike any other in the freaking genre! It is an ominous emotion you will have to experience for yourself. It is a turning point in the album and will haunt you (in a good way).

Track 8 December Flower is pure foot tapper. Even the lyrics are geniusly positioned to compliment the rhythm chorus in this one. And just when you might think the track is too much of a contrite foot-tapper, In Flames drops a cinderblock on your head with mind-spitting speed-thrash solos.

Track 11 Goliaths Disarm their Davids is a climactic build-up of energy. The lead guitar work is inspired by the unseen gods and the vocals will leave your ears bleeding for more.

If you appreciate musicianship and thrash metal with a death metal vocalist, then you will wear out your CD like I do mine. 5 of 5 stars.