Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Come Clarity, February 15, 2006
Well here we are. The 8th studio album from the highly acclaimed Melodic Death metal band, In Flames is out. However as most fans agree, the last two albums have been somewhat disappointing. Especially Soundtrack To Your Escape, with the lack of proper solos and Anders screaming vocals, to name a few problems. (Some have even gone so far to call them nu-metal, which is absolutely absurd, because nu-metal isn't even real metal - it's alternative metal with hip-hop/rap influences). So In Flames have brought a new album out, with "more guitar solos" and is "more upbeat." But the question still remains...are they the old In Flames, or the new? To be honest they've sort of combined the two sounds, as Anders described this album as a `best of In Flames.'
They are some strong moments in the album but also some weak. Firstly, when I think of the older In Flames, I think of well-constructed, highly melodic songs, such as Colony, Jotun, etc. Basically everything from the Jester Race to the Clayman era. These new songs don't really sound like that anymore. The harmonics between the guitars are not so strong, and don't interlock in a decent melody to remind me of the `Food for the Gods' music. On the whole the songs in the past were more epic, majestic and out of this world. Come Clarity presents a little more modernized songs. Secondly Anders voice hasn't really improved since STYE. It's not a proper death growl, unlike the other albums. It's more like a constrained scream. I'm not saying death screams aren't good, but they don't fit with In Flames' style. For example, Alexi Laiho has a high-pitched GROWL that goes well with Children of Bodom's music but Anders' SCREAM is too forced. Thirdly, some of the drumming gets out of control. Instead of the old blast beats, it's just a pounding overlay of noise. This can be felt most prominently in "Take this life", which also features Anders appalling screams. However a great solo slightly redeems the song.
Don't worry though. There are plenty of good aspects in the album: I'm only fussy because I'm a huge fan of their older stuff, and people who like both new and old, tend to agree their older material is more superficial and easily surpasses RTR and STYE. "Leeches" is a monster of a track. Only 2.55 minutes long, it bursts with energy the whole way through, including the 38-second solo. In has almost an Industrial sound to it, and a very catchy beat. "Reflect the storm" has the old In Flames classic style (albeit Anders voice).
Another good thing is that Anders clean vocals have definitely improved. On STYE his voice sounded strangled, but they are much better now. "Come Clarity" is a shocker. It sounds nothing like a melodic death metal song, but a slow but heavy power metal song. There is beautiful clean vocals, with Anders singing "I want you to lead me, take me somewhere, just don't want to live, in a dream one more day." This could hardly be called a `melodic DEATH metal song.' Especially with the lyrics.
"Pacing Death's Trail" has a very catchy beat, and is exactly like the old In Flames, lyrics, music, drumming and everything. Anders voice goes pretty well with this song.
"Crawl through knives", "Vacuum" "Versus Terminus" and "Our Infinite Struggle" all have `death growls/(screams)' for the verses but clean singing for their chorus.
An interesting song is "Dead End" which features the female vocals of Lisa Miskovsky. It fits rather well with the music, and chorus (clean singing by Anders), and contrasts vividly with the death screams.
A song to be wary of is "Scream." This is rubbish for In Flames' standards. In fact a mediocre band should be ashamed of producing such nonsense. Basically as far as the music goes think: Linkin Park. A cruel comparison, but when hearing the chorus it's exactly what it sounds like. Obviously it's a lot heavier, but it's just an embarrassment. The lyrics go like "I say scream, you scream. Scream, we scream but no one listens", with Anders literally screaming the words. Gah. Avoid at all costs. The song isn't even structured well; it's boring and annoying.
"Your bedtime story is scaring everyone" is a slow atmospheric long song to close the album. It's slightly pointless though. You get 3.45 minutes of scuffling noises, with a chord here and there, then Anders voice suddenly booms out and ends at 4.30 leaving some more scuffling noises.
In a nutshell: Anders clean singing voice is great; his growling is no longer a proper growl but a bark; Jesper and Bjorn play well, but they don't harmonise enough (except for a few old-sounding songs like "Dead end", which has the Godly harmonies); the bass is good, but the guitars cover the sound sometimes; and Daniel's drumming is good (epecially in "reflect the storm", but in some songs ("Take this life" and "scream") there's an excess of pounding instead of the well crafted blast bleats.
Now this may seem like a harsh review, but considering In Flames are my favourite band, I have very high expectations of them, and this is a review mainly to old-school fans. For a random band, this album would probably get 5 stars. To new fans of In Flames or melodic death metal, I'd advise you to get the first 5 albums first!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best In Flames Album Since Colony-Best of The Old and New, February 8, 2006
MY OPINION: Ive been an avid In Flames fan since the days of Whoracle. Ive seen the band only once, which was on last years edition of the Ozzfest, but I own all their albums (including reissues), so I can give a good, honest review of their albums easily. Now, as most of their hardcore fans, I initially was kinda of thrown off by their change from complete melodic death metal to thier incarnation now, but it has grown on me immensly and I now enjoy Reroute to Remain and Soundtrack to your Escape as much as, say, Colony and Clayman. So, enough of blabbering about the old days :P. On to the review.
1.Take This Life-The opening song wastes no time in blasting you in the face. A killer riff lays over some of Anders' most frantic vocal work this side of R2R. A good song, albeit not the best on the album. Also the first single. 9/10
2.Leeches-This song got me right from the beginning. The drumming and riff fits so well that the song just, well, works. I really dig the vocals and lyrics here, and it showcases a return to form with a solo from Bjorn. 10/10
3.Reflect the Storm-WOW! Thats all I have to say abou this one. Totally old-school In Flames, the kind of band I fell in love with from the beginning. A killer harmony in the beginning lashes with machine-gun drumming and riffage from Bjorn and Jesper. This song is one of the highlights of the album, aside from some others. 12/10
4.Dead End-Now heres something I wasn't expecting; A female singer on an In Flames album? New, not really innovative, but quite new for this band in itself. Ander's voice meldes well with Lisa Miskovsky's, making the song different from the others. The song is well done, but not the best on the album, but still quite good. 8/10
5.Scream-Decent song, probably the most generic on the album, aside from a few others, but it is still well done. Hey, In Flames can't really do bad things anyway. 7/10
6.Come Clarity-Holy hell. Incredible. Beautiful guitar work from Jesper in the beginning harkens back to the glory days of The Jester Race, and more specifically, Moonshield. Just listen to Peter's bass on this one. Thumping like the heartbeat of the devil! One of the highlights of the album by far! 10/10
7.Vacuum-Another song that shows a general blending of old and new In Flames. Very good song in my opinion, but not the best. Great guitar work and drumming as usual though. 8/10
8.Pacing Death's Trail-Enjoyed this song myself. Quite a good one. Again, not the best, or even one of the main highlights of the album, but still a great song on its own. 8/10
9.Crawl Through Knives-I absolutely love this song. Great music (with some cool staccatos on the main riff), killer lyrics and vocal melodies. An all-together great song. Right up there as a highlight of this album. 10/10
10.Versus Terminus-Another decent song, but not one of my pics for best songs. Great job though on its own. 8/10
11.Our Infinite Struggle-Dig this song. Good job by the guys with this one. One of the better average songs on the album but not quite a highlight. 8/10
12.Vanishing Light-Pretty good song here I must say, once again, as with the last few songs, not one of the better, but still good. (If you cant tell, the last part of the album isn't its strongest, as in most cases, except for Opeth, which I suggest checking out!) 7/10
13.Your Bedtime Story is Scaring Everyone-Picks back up alittle here in the end. This song is quite odd, and a bit slow getting started, but all-in-all, I like the song itself. Not really a highlight or anything but worth a listen just cause of the weird title. 8/10
BOTTOME LINE: This album is a great album, and a true return to form for the guys. They mixed what worked from the old with what worked from the new and made an album worthy of PLENTY attention from fans and non-fans alike. Hopefully this will bring back some of their old fans who can't except change. Check it out, you shouldn't be dissapointed, but if you're looking for The Jester's Race, this isn't it. Keep that in mind, and you'll enjoy this kiler album. Peace!
Highlights: Take This Life, Leeches, Reflect the Storm(!!), Come Clarity, Crawl Through Knives
OVERALL: 9.5/10
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Calculated and Cynical, April 8, 2006
Give In Flames credit. Self-crowned leader Anders Friden and his merry band of suddenly hairy troublemakers know how to manipulate their market. After their 2004 release, Soundtrack to Your Escape, divided their fanbase into two very different and very spiteful camps, it would have been the natural inclination of any band to choose one or the other as their main base at the very real risk of completely losing the other.
But, Friden and company are too clever for such prosaic solutions. Witness their 2006 release, Come Clarity, which somewhat straddles the fence between the melodic sound of early In Flames and the newer thrash that has been their steady goal since Clayman, and promises to keep some members of both sides buying their releases. Replete with vocals that sound as if Jon Davis and Alex Varkatzas had performed some weird fusion ritual and lyrical themes (and artwork) that resurrect those drawings in the notebook by that goth chick who sat beside you in high school ten years ago, this album is best described as slightly less than an hour of juvenile catharsis.
That should not be misconstrued as to say that Come Clarity is flawless or in any way revolutionary or even memorable. The band has discovered the dreaded "wall of noise" production used recently to such unfortunately great commercial success by such acts as Slayer and Chimaira. Apparently, this was decided as much to bury the increasingly simplistic riffs and rhythms within the sonic equivalent of an ocean of molasses as it was for artistic value. The whole of the album is comprised of predictible fast-paced thrash ("Take This Life," "Reflect the Storm," and at least half a dozen other tracks), mid-tempo anthems to angst ("Leeches," the title track, and a number of others), and a spectacularly horrific attempt to recapture the hearts of early fans with "Dead End." Featuring guest female vocals by Lisa Miskovsky, "Dead End" is so cynically enterprising that it is a great mystery as to why In Flames isn't already running their own Fortune 500 company and bilking customers out of their money on an even larger scale. Album closer "Your Bedtime Story is Scaring Everyone" is every bit a throwaway joke as anything recorded by perennial comedy-thrashers GWAR.
Every track, though, is tied together by the fact that every instrument and even the vocals are mixed at volumes that differ only by small margins, making efforts to pick out and analyze a specific component only slightly more successful than trying to drill through a brick wall with your nose. It takes a good half-dozen listens to stumble through the impenetrable fog that permeates the sound before the sheer banality of the musicianship becomes apparent. In Flames has come a long way from the days of The Jester Race and Whoracle, but many would argue that they are headed in the wrong direction.
Ultimately, Come Clarity succeeds most in making an incredible racket. Full of much growling and gnashing of teeth but lacking any depth or substance, this album is best regarded as a blatant attempt to cash in on the conflict that exists between the two halves of In Flames fan base. The band has raised self-aggrandizement to an art form, something that music has not seen since Metallica's 1990s antics. It's not as if we missed it, either.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
album Come Clarity 
