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THE REVIEW
In a dystopian and twilight future, an inert spectator of the decay of a human race that is now outdated, the heirs to the Throne of Earth belong to the advanced race of Jester. Submission and conquest are the imperatives of an evolutionary idea that leaves no space for the obsolete Earth civilization.
A hardly desirable fate that In Flames foresaw and developed in their second work "The Jester Race" back in 1995, which includes other excellent releases like "Sloughter Of The Soul" by At The Gates and "The Gallery" by Dark Tranquillity.
In short...Göteborg caput (metal) mundi.
Total immersion from the opener "Moonshield" where the hoarse and deep scream of Anders Fridén rules over a folk-inspired, fluid, and hyper-melodic riff. From the very beginning, we realize we are dealing with a band in dazzling form, capable of caressing us and suddenly lashing out with a Melodic Death Metal of devastating impact.
"And how I covet the dances and the flames,
in the depth of the sunset, peach-colored,
to taste its dew.
The wind blows from me and its fire
to steal the colors.
I am the Moonshield."
The dynamic instrumental "The Jester's Dance" introduces us to "Artifacts Of The Black Rain" where guitars weave notes onto a compact and tireless rhythmic setup.
Brief and epic, "Graveland" proudly exhibits a soul that is both Death and groovy. A great piece for headbanging!
"Lord Hypnos" presents a linear structure up to its midway, when unexpectedly a semi-acoustic interlude pushes us towards a chromatic and engaging finale, while the tomb-like bass and the double pedal of "Dead Eternity" support perhaps the least successful song of the set.
Just a very slight dip in quality, but if this is the price to pay for the nine exact minutes of the tandem "The Jester Race"-"December Flower", well...bring it on!
In the title track we encounter the most captivating refrain of the album that literally explodes after a high-adrenaline verse; everything is in its right place, including the beautiful final solo.
"The harvest of corpses for a dead man
is a banquet composed of bread left to rot
and a murky poisonous wine."
Speaking of solos: minute 1:27 of "December Flower". Fredrick Johansson, special guest courtesy of fellow countrymen Dark Tranquillity, offers us something transcendental, unique, astonishing, and from his fingers pours a clear cascade in the form of ascending and descending scales. 40 seconds to replay infinitely. Absolute highlight!
"And the flowering field is adorned with pure white and gray shades
is adorned.
White as the dawning of snowflakes.
The heroic emblem of life."
Echoes of Iron Maiden peep out in the vaguely progressive "Wayfaerer", an instrumental track that precedes the tenth and final track "Dead God In Me."
Double pedal and a more vehement interpretation of an album that will delight a substantial crowd of listeners.
No contraindications. Excellent. Anytime you want.
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Summary by Bot
The review praises In Flames' second album, The Jester Race, as a landmark in melodic death metal from the Gothenburg scene. It highlights strong vocal performances, dynamic riffs, and memorable guitar solos, particularly on "December Flower." Despite a minor dip in one track, the album's powerful moments and cohesive structure make it a definitive metal release. The reviewer sees it as an intense and immersive listening experience for metal fans.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
In Flames
In Flames are a Swedish metal band from Gothenburg, widely associated with (and often credited as pioneers of) melodic death metal. Reviews on DeBaser focus on their influential 1990s/early-2000s run and the later stylistic shift toward more mainstream, electronic, alternative/metalcore-leaning elements that divided listeners.22 Reviews
Other reviews
By wwwhatemoornet
Finally, we can listen to the real vocal abilities of Fridén, literally blossomed like a little country flower after the questionable performance on Dark Tranquillity’s Skydancer.
An album and a band that use easily assimilated melody as their best weapon, not exaggerating in doses but balancing it wisely to give everything a longevity that distances any In Flames CD from the ephemeral.
By Wallego
The epicness is present in every part!
I would classify this The Jester Race among the absolute masterpieces of Death Metal.
