Search - In Flames :: Come Clarity

Possibly the best modern In Flames album

K. Lichosyt | Chicago, IL | 03/30/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Come Clarity is the best album Sweden's In Flames has put out in long, long time. Their previous two albums, Reroute to Remain and Soundtrack to Your Escape, had a few good songs on them and were full of new ideas, but they paled in comparison to the band's earlier work. They seemed to represent a transition phase for the band, as if they were looking to redefine their sound but couldn't pinpoint exactly what worked and what didn't.



Thankfully, that phase seems to be over, and this new album will certainly appeal to fans of punchy, well-written heavy music. More importantly, it will allow In Flames enthusiasts to breathe a collective sigh of relief, since it seems that the band has some life left after all.



In Flames was one of the originators of the "Gothenburg" sound along with Dark Tranquility and At the Gates. This particular style of music paved the way for many of the modern metal bands you'll hear these days (quick, technical heavy metal coupled with plenty of melody and harsh vocals). In fact, the sticker on the cover of Come Clarity says "the band that paved the way for As I Lay Dying, Shadows Fall, and Killswitch Engage." The kicker is that In Flames is much better than all those bands, and they have the stunning back catalogue to prove it.



After expanding their audience considerably throughout the past few years with a more "accessible" style, they've managed to revisit their sound from the Colony (1999) and Clayman (2000) albums to an extent, which were full of fast paced tracks with great musicianship from every member of the band. It's not the melodic death metal from the mid-90's by any means, but it's still an excellent return to form for In Flames.



Come Clarity is more guitar-driven, more technical, more interesting, and heavier than their recent albums. The song writing is incredibly fine tuned and incorporates the effective parts of RtR and STYE, meaning a catchy chorus here and there, stellar production and songs that'll translate well to the stage (specifically "Take This Life," "Scream," and "Vacuum."). The acoustic breaks from the early days have all but disappeared for the most part, since the band doesn't really play acoustic guitars live (although "Come Clarity" is mainly an acoustic-driven song).



Most of the songs are pretty darn heavy (especially the second half of the disc) and will initiate mosh pits and headbanging worldwide. Some songs are downright awesome, including "Leeches," "Dead End" (which features Swedish pop starlet Lisa Miskovsky as a guest vocalist), "Versus Terminus" and "Our Infinite Struggle." The only downside to the album is that the great melodic guitar lines from classics like "Artifacts of the Black Rain," "Jotun," and "Embody the Invisible" are still kind of lacking.



This is not Lunar Strain, The Jester Race or even Whoracle. Those days have passed and the band has crossed the point of no return (without sounding forced, anyway). The chances of a "December Flow II" are slim to nil, and some may say that the band is past their prime. Simpler songs, different vocals and weaker lyrics may be synonymous with modern In Flames, but Come Clarity is still a step in the right direction. The band has somewhat redefined their sound after several years of mediocrity, while rekindling a fire that has been absent in recent years.



In Flames is a highly, highly recommended band for metal fans, with a half dozen great albums and only a couple stinkers. Their live DVD, 2005's "Used and Abused... In Live We Trust" showcases the band tearing up the stage and is a good way to get acquainted with them (especially Set 2 of the Sticky Fingers show, which is basically a "greatest hits" of sorts). If you yearn for something a little closer to old school Swedish metal, you may want to check out Dark Tranquility's most recent albums, "Character" and "Fiction," but Come Clarity should definitely remain a blip on any metal fan's radar."