In Flames
Come Clarity

THE REVIEW

How to recover after a collapse that started in 2002 with "Reroute To Remain" and was followed by the blandness of "Soundtrack To Your Escape"? Let's face it, "The Tokyo Showdown" beautifully closed the first chapter of In Flames' history, a period dotted with excellent albums that, for better or worse, contributed along with Dark Tranquillity to the birth and development of Melodic Death Metal.

The problem is that in the second part of the Swedish band's adventure, there's very little Death. Industrial, alternative, and Nu-metal triumph, the influence of American Metal triumphs.

This "Come Clarity" doesn't stray too far from the previously adopted solutions, but undoubtedly it's a good album. Yes, the band comes out well from that "Soundtrack" that had disappointed so much.
The sound of the album is aggressive from the very first notes. The initial hammering of "Take This Life" doesn't go unnoticed, as does Anders Fridén's vocal performance, which (apart from the clean parts, always very beautiful) assumes all the canons of a Nu-Metal singer. The first track flows well, it's heavy and melodic. The following "Leeches" opens with a very electronic riff. Here too, heaviness and melody coexist perfectly, with a great performance by Fridén and guitarists Gelotte and Strömbland, who insert fitting riffs.
Only one word would be enough to describe "Reflect The Storm": beautiful. One of the most fitting tracks of the entire work, with a fantastic chorus, dragging and melancholic melody.
The opening trio is rated highly. It can be said without hesitation that the band has recovered significantly compared to the old album. It's a pity for the short duration of the tracks ("Leeches" lasts barely three minutes), but this doesn't disturb too much.
We approach the central part of the album with three very different tracks, "Dead End", "Scream" and the title track "Come Clarity". The first is a real gem, where amidst the bone-crushing riffs, female voices and notable melodic parts are nestled. The second is frantic and perhaps more predictable, with great work by the two guitarists. The title track is a ballad like many (too many) have been written, but as such it's also a beautiful song, enriched by a nice acoustic arpeggio and an intensely vocal performance.

The album surprises, it's not the peak of originality, and it certainly can't be compared to "Jester Race" or "Colony", but at least up to this point, it doesn't disappoint. However, the riffs of "Vacuum" already have a "heard it before" feel and we're just halfway through the album. Nothing new, beautiful melodic parts, and simple choruses that immediately stick in the head. "Pacing Death's Trail" doesn't present anything new (in fact, the beginning seems like the exact copy of the previous track slowed down), the following "Crawl Through Knives" is more enjoyable, a perfect synthesis between melody and power, without too much electronics and unnecessary frills.
Several tracks are still missing, but the album really has little more to say. "Versus Terminus" is almost useless in its banality, "Our Infinite Struggle" is saved by a more articulated structure, while "Vanishing Light" is simply boring.
The concluding "Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone", besides being the longest track (and long here is really an overstatement, barely five minutes), is also the most peculiar. Let yourself be accompanied by the delicate keyboard lines, until the final outburst of power.

A good performance for a band that seemed doomed. Perhaps not very original, and certainly no longer Death Metal. The presence of many songs doesn't make it heavy, as most tracks don't reach four minutes in length, it simply doesn't help the listener distinguish individual tracks. It would have been better with fewer songs and a greater average duration.