Yes I know this review has been done may a time before and the other reviews will probably totally eclipse mine... but
In Flames have really come back to full form with
Come Clarity. After taking an experimental turn with their two previous albums, the legendary 'Gothenburg Melodeath' band are back to what they do so well; fantastic intertwining harmonised guitar leads, pummeling metal riffs and some truly wonderful vocals from Anders Friden. So, enough with the fanboyisms - a review awaits.
The packaging of this album alone made me want to purchase it. Incredibly poignant artwork embosses the booklet and inside, the lyrics are scribbled amongst more rather twisted images... well it is a metal album. The opening riff of hit single
Take This Life beats your brain with it's almost arhythmic opening riff. All in all, it is a fantastic opening to the album; Anders sets the pace with some brutally delivered lyrics and a soaring pre-chorus. Quite simply, the chorus is epic; every member of the band is really throwing everything into making the overall atmosphere as thick as possible. What makes this album so amicable is not just the brutally clear production; it is the emotion you can FEEL from it. The guitars chug and chime along with some excellent drumming and solid bass - yes, in amongst the more 'metal' aspects, there are some subtle signs of keyboards and synths. This is most notable in the intro to the second track,
Leeches.
Track two continues to bring the listener to their knees with some brutally heavy, melodic and poignant metal. The chorus of the song is quite literally immense; possibly my favourite part of the album (except
Crawl Through Knives) is where they shift into the full chorus. A truly mesmerizing moment on the album.
Now, don't get me wrong here; this album is exceptional in many aspects. What does hinder it though is that it flows together seamlessly...so much so that it takes a good few listens before you can differentiate between some tracks. The title track is truly immense, bringing forth acoustics, soft singing and some fantastic lyrics. The album is full of quirks;
Dead End features Lisa Miskovsky doing some female vocals. She works very well with Anders but overall, it just does not match up with the other tracks.
Crawl Through Knives is possibly the best track of the album in terms of instrumentation and a truly impressive vocal performance from Friden. He goes so brilliantly from some truly fantastic screams to some heartfelt cleanly sung sections within a matter of seconds. Again, in typical style, the chorus is absolutely immense. This is definitely a recommended download if you have not already heard the album or you want something a little different to
Take This Life.
Overall, the album is quite spectacular, considering everybody thought that the band had 'sold out' or whatever. Aside from minor flaws, the album itself is of great quality - however, the final track
Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone is rather odd in that it harks back to the experimental stages shown in previous albums. It is by no means bad but it is certainly an acquired taste. And if I say so myself an absurd song title. But in all honesty, if you are a fan of
In Flames or 'Gotherburg' style melodeath than this is a must own.
Of course, if you are looking to get into some good modern metal which is done by the best - this is also a good place to start.
Recommended Tracks
Take This Life
Leeches
Come Clarity
Crawl Through Knives
