In Flames
Come Clarity

THE REVIEW

Two years after "Soundtrack To Your Escape", the Swedish quintet returns, representing the modern "melodic death metal" scene better than anyone else, perhaps the only standard-bearers who have distinguished themselves among the myriad of groups imitating each other without standing out with something distinctive. Surely this new work brings all the energy the group has gotten us used to, but it tends to guarantee more catchiness and ease of listening, deliberately aimed at a more mainstream audience. However, one cannot say that the band doesn't know how to entertain even those less passionate about the genre. In fact, this album highlights how approaching the commercial side doesn't seem to be a problem for the band, approaching with more melody in the vocals, some more elaborate electronic components, and a more measured presence of the screaming that made them famous, even to listeners accustomed to a lighter sound, perhaps at the level of Slipknot's Wait and Bleed.

The first track, Take This Life, opens the album beautifully and immediately stands out as a very fine piece, possibly among the best of the entire album. Fast like few others, it introduces the new fusion of melody and screaming which Anders splendidly delivers, without giving too much weight to either component. A great piece. Next is Leeches, a calmer, more relaxing track, which instead introduces electronics that accompany the thrash/death rhythms and truly wicked distortions (the quintet has carried this since its origins) almost perfectly.
Reflect The Storm is a somewhat dull piece, lacking the atmosphere that envelops many other tracks; it quickly shows how the attempt to commercialize without seeming too mainstream can lead to poor results. This is followed by a heavy track, accompanied by a female voice, it's Dead End; perhaps thanks to the candid voice of the singer, in pure Lacuna Coil style, the song is more catchy, and indeed it flows very smoothly despite its significant granitic heaviness.
Scream, with a thrash metal beginning reminiscent of the glorious early years of 'Tallica, brings the listener to a higher level, where mosh and headbanging are mandatory. The song, thanks to the crushing distortions and Anders' madness, is indeed one of the best of the album and knows how to involve like few others. Come Clarity, the title track with a more sugary flavor, accompanied by the acoustic guitar, which we've heard very little from the Swedes, is a beautiful piece, even though the attempt at melodiousness accompanied by more alternative metal phases is not so appreciated as to make the song easily memorable. Vacuum, as fast as it is devastating, is perhaps the song that best connects the impeccable fierceness of the verses with the more melodic and calm choruses, with necessary clean parts. Unfortunately, the song is too typical of In Flames, and this takes away some points from the song, which is excellently composed nonetheless, with sounds almost merging Fear Factory, Slipknot, and the recent Blind Guardian.
Pacing Death's Trail is a classic In Flames piece, with little to say apart from a leading riff that keeps the song's rhythm high despite its incisive repetitiveness. The next track, Crawl Through Knives, with a beginning resembling a death-metal version of Papa Roach, is another pure "In Flames" guaranteed piece with beautiful riffs (though not presenting any particular innovation). Venus Terminus, another piece that doesn't leave a bitter taste for genre fans, with its pounding rhythm, ends up being a bit annoying, perhaps due to the repetitiveness of the riffs and drum patterns that have been heard multiple times not just in this album. Our Infinite Struggle, a song that reflects the fusion of old Flames style with the new simpler one, alternates slow but powerful rhythms with faster and dragging passages, also featuring an arpeggiated chorus that doesn't hurt at all. However, the vocals tend to bring the song's overall level down, with Anders' screaming seeming to buckle under the constant and overwhelming heaviness of the piece. Vanishing Light is the classic In Flames outburst that leaves the work to the guitars. Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone, the final and truly interesting piece, is slow with a progressive atmosphere that keeps the listener hooked for 3 minutes before exploding with distortions and singing that almost feels like a soundtrack.

In the end, this album continues to confirm the band's not always consistent performance, which nonetheless represents the only real certainty in the mainstream death metal scene of recent years and also guarantees the avant-garde Swedish metal school one of the top spots in the rankings of the fiercest genres.
The album is definitely recommended for those who have loved In Flames since Colony through Reroute to Remain and Soundtrack To Your Escape, but also for those who want to explore the contemporary death metal scene, incorporating in fact Come Clarity that fusion of death metal and melody that most represents In Flames of the new millennium.