Customer Reviews

Jester Race

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

One of my favorite new school death metal bands. This band from Gothenburg, Sweden are one of the originators of the melodic black/death style (along with fellow Swedes: Dissection, Dark Tranquillity and the now disbanded At the Gates). In Flames are a little different to the aforementioned bands in their brilliant use of melodies. TJR is choke full of melodies, from the opening acoustic intro of opener "Moonshield", the beautiful instrumental "The Jester's Dance", to the last track "Dead God In Me", all the songs are rich with melodies. The two guitarists use a lot of twin harmonies, sometimes one guitar playing a slightly different riff, always doing interesting things with their instruments. "Lord Hypnos" is one example of the incredible dueling guitar work. The incredibly clear production captures this perfectly. The leads are also always pleasing, heavier on melodies than on flashiness or forced complexity. I have to admit that their musical style brings to mind Helloween and some Iron Maiden but done in a much more brutal way, carrying the intensity of death metal all the way. The vocals of new throat-man, Anders Friden (sang on Dark Tranquillity's debut - Ed) are a shrieky cry combining growling and black metal style shrieks. Very brutal, desperate and complements the music. This powerful vocal delivery is maintained throughout the album. In Flames' rhythm section is not too brutal or fast, just midpaced and quite standard fare. No fancy rolls and fills, just a steady rhythm as foundation for the rampaging guitars. Mind you, the drums and bass are not weak by any standard. I thoroughly enjoyed this album and this is definitely very high on my playlist. The combination of melodies and heaviness is just right. I have to admit that this is the first album I heard featuring Gothenburg melodic black/death and I was so impressed I practically sought after any album from bands playing this thrilling style.

This is one of the best albums I've ever owned and a pure, unadulerated metal classic to boot. From the opening acoustic medly intro of Moonshield you know that there is something special about this album. The following song consists of amazing melodic leads and tasteful growling (Anders used to be pretty good at it), as well as a gorgeous calm acoustic section in the middle. The next song, the instrumental The Jester's Dance, has mind-bendingly melodic guitar harmonies and it just beautiful. Artifacts of the Black Rain has amazing leads, as does Graveland, Lord Hypnos, Dead Eternity...there are no weak songs here.

December Flower...WHOA. This song is goddamn amazing. It goes at like 10x speed at the start then settles into an awesome groove with nice growling, then in the middle throws the most AMAZING solo ever recorded at you. This solo alone is worth buying the album before...it is my favourite solo of all time. The song The Jester Race is also a classic. A intensely catchy song, the intro is awesome and it has a nice little solo at the end.

Wayfaerer is the best instrumental that In Flames ever recorded, very heavy and groovy, and once again absolutely fantastic leads and even some mad keyboard action in there. Dead God in Me is also worthy for mention, for its dancing guitars and awesome riffage, as well as a midsection so groovy and awesome you can't help but tap your foot.

This album has it all. Spectacular guitars. Great Lyrics. Awesome songwriting. The Jester's Race is one of the first melodic metal albums I ever acquired and has since become one of those albums that just doesn't get old to me. The Gallery by Dark Tranquillity is one such classic as well, but whereas that album has weird song structures, The Jester's Race is easier to follow, but the riffs are just infectious. There are no things weak with this album.

Its a shame that In Flames started to slowly drift downhill...but I would also recommend the following three albums after this one. Get this album and learn the true beauty of metal.

I first heard about this band when I was getting in to Dark Tranquillity. I really like them and I heard that former vocalist Anders Fridén is now with In Flames so I decided to check them out. And I am glad I did because this is one of my favorite melodic albums. Every song is brilliantly drawn out. Not many bands today come close to matching these guitar riffs. My favorite songs would have to be "Artifacts of the black rain", "Dead Eternity", "Moonshield", and "December Flower". When I first started to listen to this type of heavy metal I had to get used to the vocal style. I quickly grew to enjoy it. So take my advice. If you like heavy metal with a melodic edge, or even like other music, get this album.

In Flames stormed out of Gothenburg with _The Jester Race_, the album that put them on the map. It's commonly called "melodic death metal" but that seems to me so contradictory. Honestly, the music is not even really heavy in such a way that the term "DEATH metal" is appropriate, melodic or not. The style is entirely different. It is, however, positively melodic and even the growling vocals of Anders Friden are integrated in such a way that they might not be threatening to virginal ears. Stylistic considerations aside, In Flames' writing is damn impressive. The entire album oozes guitar melodies that would give Iron Maiden a run for their money (see "December Flower", "Artifacts of the Black Rain", "Lord Hypnos", etc...). In Flames shares more with Iron Maiden than anyone I can think of, but even with the occasional galloping rhythm and slick guitar harmonies they aren't derivative. In Flames crunches harder and is overall heavier than the esteemed Maiden. But whatever it sounds like, this album is all about the guitar melodies. Ignore that Anders Friden is always gasping for breath and that some of the song structures are lurching and random. The creativity of the guitar interplay, the crunchy intensity, and the sheer melodic brilliance of it all...it never ceases to amaze me. The occasional acoustic guitar passage and slight Celtic inflection makes it all the more interesting. It's an album that belongs in the grubby hands of any fan of melodic yet aggressive metal, although maybe people should stop referencing death/black metal to cut down on the foolish people who complain that it doesn't sound like Cannibal Corpse or Emperor...

This was my second outing with the melodic death metal band "In Flames". My first being "Clayman" I was interested to see how the band matured from "Jester Race" to the aformentioned title. they have seriously matured a lot. While the band maintains that same melodic guitar from "Clayman", I noticed the vocals on "Clayman" are much more audible then on TJR. I definitly overlooked this and got used to it quickly because Jesper and Ljungstrom simply never cease to amaze me with their intricate melodies.

The songs on this CD range from a celtic type atmosphere such as in "Moonshield", to pure rage and energy such as "Graveland". Standout songs on this CD include: "Dead Eternity", "The Jesters Dance", "Artifacts in the Black Rain", and "The Jester Race". One of my favorites on the disk is definitly "The Jesters Dance". Its soleley an instrumental and it is damn captivating. The music just sucks me in and the riff that begins and ends the song is simply amazing. "Dead Eternity" is definitly another top song which shows Flames rage and also it showcases the top vocal performance on the album from Friden and the music builds up giving the song an "Epic" feel.

All in all this CD is a must by for any metal head. I guarentee you will not be dissapointed by any of the songs. The music is intricate and amazing enough in it self to warrant a purchase. The band comes together really nicely and I eagerly await March 7th when I plan on picking up "Colony", "Lunar Strain&Subteranean", and "Whoracle". This has become one of my if not my favorite band right now. I highly recomend them.

Like the big four of thrash metal (Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax) in the 80's; there is a big three in the mid 90's which start a new wave of metal. Mixing the melodic sounds of Iron Maiden, the aggression of Slayer, and medieval elements the three bands form what is not called, "Gothenburg metal," or "Melodic death metal." The three bands are At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity and In Flames. The Jester Race is the first release off Nuclear blast and the hail by many to be their finest hour. With songs like, "Artifacts of The Black rain," and, "The Jester Race," In Flames doesn't mess around when it comes to rockin'. Although this album is their most, "Medieval," influenced album (which isn't a bad thing), it started In Flames out on a quest of kicking ass.

People have gotten their style confused, especially on The Jester Race. Some say death metal, some say some say melo-death. Those who catagorize them as the latter are correct. Here are two paragraphs written about each style (Credit goes to SoTL for these).

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Death Metal: The other evolution of Thrash, this branch of bands went in a very different direction with the Thrash prototype, they thickened the guitar tone, inserted a lot of musicianship, morbidity, groove and speed (yes even more). Double bass sections are usually faster, more blast beats are used and riffs are usually a lot more technical. However the main thing that sets DM apart is the vocals. Vibrato soaked growls that are projected from the abdomen and shaped with the throat, this is as important part of the music as any of the instruments. Morbid Angel, Cryptopsy, Origin, and Death are all good examples of Death Metal.

Melodic Death Metal: Or "Melo-Death" is a combination of Power Metal structures with those of Death Metal, Maidenesque twin guitar harmonies are used liberally, drums usually contain a certain amount of rhythm and groove, technicality is at a mid to high level and vocals are usually growled, although at a higher pitch than standard Death Metal. In Flames, Soilwork, At The Gates and Arch Enemy are all examples of Melo-Death.

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As you can see, there is a distinct difference, and you can see that In Flames falls into the second catagory. Nobody can deny this album has incredible melodies, and growled vocals. If you are a fan of melo-death the style, or just want to try out a new band, The Jester Race is the perfect album for you.

Following my favourite "Subterranean" mini-cd, that I would give more than five stars, "The Jester Race" is also excellent. I guess, this album is a fine mix of melodic heavy metal with death-metal music. Every theme is great, but best achievements are Moonshield, The Jester Dance, Artifacts Of The Black Rain, Lord Hypnos, Dead Eternity and December Flower. This has got to be one of the important albums for the band's career. If you're a metal lover then is a must have.

This cd was my introduction to the band, and really to the whole field of melodic death metal in general, and I must say it really blew my mind. Every track on here is perfect, unique in itself but also part of the greater whole. The riffs are somehow catchy and yet depressing at the same time. And the lyrics, man, they're some of the most poetic I've heard in the genre. It seems to be sortof a concept album about a race of aliens who transport their bodies into machines or something, but some of the tracks are also about other things, like the self-destructiveness of man. This cd is awesome, and should be listened to all the way through but if I had to pick a few tracks that stood out I would probably say "Dead Eternity" (one of the most depressing combinations of lyrics & melody I've heard), the title track, "Graveland" and "Artifacts of the Black Rain". Also check out In Flames' other albums, they're an awesome band.

I must admit to jumping on the In Flames bandwagon a little later than most of the metal community. While always a fan of other Swedish melodic death metal bands such as Dark Tranquillity and At the Gates, I seemed to overlook In Flames, feeling they were maybe not as heavy, maybe even a little bit more sugary than the aforementioned bands. I guess the reason for that was that I had only ever really heard the first few songs off The Jester Race. Looking back, I don't think my metal maturity had progressed much passed the "this album kicks my butt" stage, so the Iron Maiden-like leads and concentrated melody just didn't do it for my Morbid Angel-obsessed teenage angst. A decade on and I can't help but regret my narrow-mindedness as not only is this really very classy and pioneering, it's actually pretty heavy. The Jester Race sees vocalist Anders Friden enter the line-up and while he does his thing quite well here, I think his vocals would improve on later outings. Musicianship is once again top notch and there's certainly nothing wrong with the production. But it's the song writing that makes this album a step up from everything In Flames released before it. Good variety and a lot of obvious effort makes for an absorbing listen all the way through.

The Jester Race is commonly seen as In Flames' finest moment. Although I may not agree with this statement, it is certainly a fine album and one that captures the Swedes sound perfectly. It's not as regularly aggressive as the preceding Subterranean, nor as streamlined as the proceeding Whoracle. It lies somewhere in between, mixing up the acoustic, riffs and melodies with unadulterated metal. It's actually a fairly restrained album, rarely hitting top gear, which is maybe why I find it so thoroughly comforting, even relaxing, while still feeling the need to raise the devil's horns in recognition of all things metal. An album for everyone into melodic death metal, not only due to its classic status, but due to its upmarket entertainment value.