Customer Reviews

Jester Race: Reloaded

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

 

 

Originally released in 1995, The Jester Race was the third album from Swedish death metal band In Flames. If you only know the band from their recent work, you may be surprised to hear what they sounded like back in the 90's, when they played melodic death metal and were regarded as one of the best at it.

I actually enjoy the band's newer albums, but they don't remotely compare to the perfection they unleashed in the few short years between The Jester Race, Whoracle and Colony. Devastating rhythms were paired with Maiden-esque melodies for a completely accessible, but completely heavy brand of death metal. These are melodies that will be running through your head days after you hear the album, and not in an annoying way.

The Jester Race is really the point where what you'd consider the Gothenburg sound was crystallized. The album is just a level beyond where In Flames was at with Lunar Strain (Dig) and Subterranean, in terms of melodies and songwriting as well as the vocals. Anders Friden was one of the best death metal vocalists because he never really had that Cookie Monster sound. It's less brutal than those first two albums, but I still think what the band was doing at this point is legendary.

Even though I prefer Whoracle (it was my first death metal album), The Jester Race really is the definitive In Flames album, and has to be considered the benchmark for melodic death metal (at least post-Slaughter of the Soul). It's a must-have In Flames album, a must-have melodic death metal album, and one that most metal fans really need to own.

Edition Notes: Nuclear Blast reissued The Jester Race in 2002, adding the Black Ash Inheritance EP as bonus tracks and remastering the sound. Other than the very cheap-looking digipack, it's an ideal reissue.

Edition Notes 2: Nuclear Blast reissued The Jester Race yet again in 2009 as part of their Re-gouged, sorry - Re-loaded, series. It's essentially the same as the 2002 reissue, only now it comes in one of those weird "super jewel cases" instead of the digipack. If you already have the 2002 reissue, there's no reason to replace it.

This is a great example of melodic death metal at it's finest! The only people who could be pissed off by such an album are those who think that black metal is the best thing since sliced bread. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

The CD was a purchase for my son for Christmas. As far as I know he is enjoying the CD.

First off let me just say, I honestly can say I love In Flames, well old In Flames. Its one those bands that when I play their music it instantly sparks emotion and nostalgia. Jester Race is my favorite IF album by far, if not one of my favorites of all time. This album to me is like an soundtrack to a journey that takes place deep in your imagination. I can just hit play and I'm somewhere else and in a whole other world. That's why I never understood why their 2004 album "Soundtrack To Your Escape" was named that. The title really didn't fit that album at all. If anything The Jester Race and Whoracle deserve the claim of being a soundtrack to your escape. Personally I look at In Flames as being two complete different bands, early In Flames and New In Flames. Early In Flames focused on a creative and imaginative escape from life. Each song took you on an adventure far from the grips of reality. The music was beautiful and even atmospheric in its own way. The lyrics were poetic and fit perfect with the music. They even included beautifully crafted instrumentals, The Jesters Dance and Wayfaerer alone blow away the majority of metal that comes out today and that's just a piece of this bands talent and amazing creativity and ability. For these reasons fans of old In Flames feel a special connection with them and their early work. I once met the band at Ozzfest a few years ago and I told them what I think of them as best as I could.."You guys are like the Mozart of metal" I meant it then and I still do to this day, but I don't feel I could honestly say it to them today. What they've become isn't the In Flames that touches on our souls. It isn't imaginative and epic like before. They switched their formula, the guitars are in the back and the singing is the front of the band now. The new Anders is pretty much emo. His newer lyrics aren't very thought provoking, they're far from the poetic lyrics he once wrote. The singing, don't even get me started about the singing. Anyways, this is a review for Jester Race, so I'll wrap it up. Coming from a fan who is passionate about this band and its older days, this is the definitive masterpiece from In Flames. Every song transcends you to an amazing place. This is an album that makes you look at metal in a whole different light. Whoever gave this album one star probably doesn't venture too far out of his/her safe zone that they created. For some people Metallica and Megadeth does it for them, for me I feel like In Flames helped me graduate through metal. And sad as it is, the new In Flames has helped me venture away from the band and into similar music. Its the cycle of metal I suppose. It's rare that a bands first few albums will have the same amazing feel and drive as their later work. In Flames is a good example of that. They simply lost theyre magic and changed their brilliant formula. They should of asked their fans, because If it's not broke, don't fix it. Pick this album up, you will not be disappointed if you are interested in this kind of music/metal. If you have only heard newer In Flames you don't know what your missing. If I were stranded on a deserted island and could bring a discman and alot of batteries and some cd's(yeaa I know, its ancient techology now) without a doubt "In Flames - The Jester Race" would be the first I'd pick to go with me. I might even pick the album over food. By the way my favorite songs from this album are "Wayfaerer" "December Flower" "Dead Eternity" and "Lord Hypnos" and trust me the rest are just as amazing. I just find myself playing these a little more then the rest. To the old school IF fans, thanks for reading. I hope some of the things I wrote tap into your thoughts as well.

"pop metal pastiche that lacks purpose" reviewed by: A Dinosaur-Shaped Car "Homosexual Porn" .... Oooh Why am I not surprised!!!

(Off the mark title by faaaar, literally your heads up your @@S!!)

This is groundbreaking "Benchmark for Melodic Death Metal" as Justin Gaines has already mentioned, obviously someone who knows what he is talking about, just look at his review.

Thought I'd come in deffence for an un-called for review and help the much deserved ratings for this gem. -MELODIC DEATH METAL at its FINEST!!!!!

5 Star Album, as for fans of the As-of late In Flames .... this album is a different animal and it can KILL YOU!!!!

Even from the getgo, before flat-out jumping on the cynical mallcore bandwagon, this band seemed cheap and devoid of personality. They got their grandiose, otherworldly concepts from Dissection and Emperor, they got their desperate barked vocal style from Rotting Christ, and they got their death metalized NWoBHM riff style from late At The Gates and Carcass. So what _is_ this band that isn't just a blatant emulation of something else? Proving they never had a thematic center, In Flames compromised to radio-friendly "alt metal" cliches after only a few albums and left a legacy of heavy music-cheapening nothingness.