In Flames today are one of the symbols of the inexplicable discord reigning in the narrow-minded opinions of many so-called "metalheads".
So hated for their bewildering experimentalism, yet idolized for the same reason, the Swedes have always stood out for their sonic explorations aimed at opening new musical horizons, while still utilizing patterns that belong to iconic acts of the genre proposed here. And in the end, there's nothing wrong with such choices, because we all know that, one way or another, "everything belongs to something".
This precious mini-album, released in an original shape-format, served as a teaser for that unparalleled masterpiece, packed with melodies full of bitterness and energy, known as "Whoracle". In the opener "Goliaths disarm their Davids", Strömblad and company delight us with a ride endowed with catchy rhythms and unstoppable melodies. Introduced by the brilliance of gentle keyboards, it stretches into a solo reminiscent of heavy-power, followed by the expertly toned screams of Friden. The pleasant "sonic war" in the twin guitars flows pleasingly and elegantly where Gelotte's rhythms expand simple yet pressing.
Truly, the sense of "groove" and immediacy is the strength of the band. "Gyroscope" indulges in a seductive acoustic spin before exploding into a very harmonious mid-tempo. Once again, the singing theatrically tears apart, combining very harsh grunts with a tone that at times ventures into a darker and more guttural approach. The folk obsession of the band's early period sweetens us in "Acoustic medley", a brief episode among gentle classical guitars echoing the melodious leads of "Artifacts of the black rain" from the previous "The Jester Race". A dreamy appetizer before the final storm.
The closing track, in fact, turns out to be the "live" version of one of the combo's most beloved anthems. I am referring to the abrasive "Behind space" from the debut "Lunar Strain", here offered in a version of overwhelming power and malice.
The riffing "burns" agile and precise, Anders' shrieks are slashes of feral brutality while the rhythmic assault shines with black-death dynamism ('At the Gates' as usual..)
A mini representing the constant evolution in the sound of the band that will open new horizons, winning over the opinion of the media and fans hungry for melodic sounds after the Scandinavian death assault of the early nineties. Classy.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Goliaths Disarm Their Davids (04:56)
Bible Arm on social hell spins its downward spiral
with each year of unprogression a fine of failure is added
closer than ever to the edge, a faith in resident martyrs
strong object track my body, my body down.
eyes, disappearing rebirth of light
between a labyrinth of errors and the key to the suicide era
digging through the graves of giants, words fly to me
a lonely load, like a promise failing miserably
running through like an alphabet of hate
to shake the entire organism, closer than ever, ever to the edge
eyes, disappearing rebirth of light
between a labyrinth of errors and the key to the suicide era
i kill for the code, to disarm this mess
of psychotic chaos that once i mixed up myself
disarm
02 Gyroscope (03:26)
Geology is digging through my brain
A manta engulfing the world
To throw it up once again
To a guild of lifted daggers
Neo-wolf, but older again
Than the Lupus itself
Linked its fur to the Gyroscope of time
A collection of failures
A diabolical sequence of stabs
Written in cutting stone
From the fossilized den of thieves
Our lives die
Neo-wolf, but older again
Than the Lupus itself
Linked its fur to the Gyroscope of time
A collection of failures
I see the nursing all mother
Spitting out a trail of termites
In the mouth of her first born hope
With smog-filled rebellion
Apathy dressed in violence
White, insectoid legs
Curse her lips and her mouth receptive
Only to pain
Neo-wolf, but older again
Than the Lupus itself
Linked its fur to the Gyroscope of time
A collection of failures
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