In Flames was formed by Jesper Strömblad back in 1990. The first line-up consisted of Jesper, Johan Larsson and Glenn Ljungström. A demo was recorded in 1993, and soon after the band got a record deal. A debut album, 'Lunar Strain', was released the year after, on Wrong Again Records, and subsequently a new EP only months later. The band had an ever revolving door of members these first years, with vocals and drums being handled by various in-and-out members. But it did not take long before the album was a classic in the growing New Wave of Swedish Death Metal, aka NWOSDM, aka the Gothenburg sound. With a new line up consisting of Jesper, Johan & Glenn along with two new additions: Anders Fridén on vocals and Björn Gelotte on drums, In Flames signed a license deal with Nuclear Blast Records and soon started recording their break through album, 'The Jester Race', released in 1996.

LUNAR STRAIN/SUBTERRANEAN (1994/1995, 1999) DREAM ON/REGAIN

Behind Space Lunar Strain Starforsaken Dreamspace - instrumental Everlost (Part I) Everlost (Part II) Hårgalåten - instrumental In Flames Upon An Oaken Throne Clad In Shadows Stand Ablaze Everdying Subterranean Timeless - instrumental Biosphere Dead Eternity (bonus-track) The Inborn Lifeless (bonus-track) Eye Of The Beholder (bonus-track for  Korea)	Tracks 1-10	Line-up: Mikael Stanne - Vocals Jesper Strömblad - Guitars, Drums, Keyboards Carl Näslund - Guitars Glenn Ljungström - Guitars Johan Larsson - Bass, Backing Vocals Guests: Ylva Wåhlstedt - Violin Jennica Johansson - Female vocals
	Tracks 11-15	Line-up: Henke Forss - Vocals Jesper Strömblad - Guitar, Keyboard Glenn Ljungström - Guitar Johan Larsson - Bass, Backing Vocals Drums by Daniel Erlandsson and Anders Jivarp

I used to own both In Flames first two releases, on their original Wrong Again Records pressings. But when I discovered this Korean re-release that includes 3 bonus-tracks, I bough it, and traded away the other 2. I've kept the initial reviews though:

'Lunar Strain': In Flames debut album is a good first release. But if this was the first CD I had heard, I don't know if it had kept my interest up for this band. The trademark sound is clearly here, equal amounts of melody and brutality, it's the variety in the songs that I miss. 

Killer tracks: Behind Space, Lunar Strain, In Flames

'Subterranean': The second release from In Flames was this EP. They actually sound more of a death metal band on this, as it lacks most of the melodic approach. I like this release also, but again, it's nothing compared to what was to come.

Killer tracks: Stand Ablaze, Subterranean

The 3 bonus-tracks are more of a collectors curiosity. "Eye Of The Beholder" is a horrible Metallica cover! 

THE JESTER RACE/BLACK-ASH INHERITANCE (1996) NUCLEAR BLAST

'The Jester Race' was the first In Flames album I heard. Actually I had seen a video for the title track on Headbanger's Ball, and totally lost it!! It sounded so great, I just had to check this band out! But the record stores in my hometown is not famous for having a wide selection of metal discs, so it was going to be several months before this one showed up. But finally buying it, and listening to it, I was amazed! How was it possible for a band to sound so melodic, yet so very brutal? They had the death metal vocals, but the music is standard heavy metal! They also incorporated Swedish folk music. INCREDIBLE! The stylish cover is penned by Andreas Marschall, famous for his work with Blind Guardian, Running Wild etc. A MUST!

June 2002: I used to own a shaped picture-disc of an EP called 'Black-Ash Inheritance'. But I sold it, together with most of my LP collection. So when I found this digi-pack version, with both the album, and the EP, I just had to have it. As the EP includes non-album tracks, and the booklet also contains all the lyrics, this was a cool find! I never noticed this before, but Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall) makes a vocal-appearance on the track "Dead Eternity".

Killer tracks: Moonshield, The Jester Race, Artifacts Of The Black Rain

WHORACLE (1997) NUCLEAR BLAST

I was actually quite disappointment with this album, when I first heard it. The first tracks was awesome, but the rest didn't do much of an impression. But after having listened to the thing several times, it became clear to me that this was just as good as their previous efforts. No other band does this as well as In Flames! "Everything Counts" is a cover of a Depeche Mode song!?!

Killer tracks: Jotun, Gyroscope, Episode 666

COLONY (1999) NUCLEAR BLAST

Again In Flames deliver astonishing melodic death metal. Again they are miles ahead of any competition. I even think they better themselves on each new effort, and not many bands continue to release amazing albums time after time! In Flames also bring in piano, organ and keyboards on this one. "Behind Space '99" is an unnecessary re-recording of the song from their debut album.

There's one thing I have forgotten to mention about In Flames. In my opinion much of their melodic sound is inspired by Swedish folk music. That's why tunes like "Pallar Andars Visa" and "Hårgalåten" continue to appear. They have Swedish titles, and clearly tributes to the bands musical heritage. ENJOY! A MUST!!

Killer tracks: Coerced Coexistence, Colony, Embody The Invisible, Ordinary Story

CLAYMAN (2000) NUCLEAR BLAST

And In Flames does it again. They release their 5th full-length album, and the best one to date!! Amazing! How is it possible! Can somebody tell me another band that has released their best album, so far into their career? In Flames are in a league of their own, and now clearly one of my favorite bands! The intensity just never stops, and I cannot seem to grow weary of this album! JUST BUY IT, cause it is truly A MUST!!! "World Of Promises" is a Treat cover. My CD is a limited edition with 3D cover, and a bonus track.

Killer tacks: Bullet Ride, Pinball Map, Only For The weak, Clayman, Swim

THE TOKYO SHOWDOWN - LIVE IN JAPAN 2000 (2001) NUCLEAR BLAST

Although In Flames are one of my favorite bands, and they have been to Norway at least 3 times, I still haven't seen them live. And one of the reasons for it, is that I have heard they aren't a very good live band. Then on the tour for 'Clayman' things have changed. I heard that their live-efforts were now very good. So it is only natural that this live CD comes now. And I like this one as well. A great live-feeling, and a killer set list! Why they didn't include this or that song, will always be the question though. But in the end the album sounds quite good as it does. My CD is a special edition that came with a puzzle!

November 2002: Now I've seen them live! And they were GREAT! Got all my stuff signed too!

REROUTE TO REMAIN - FOURTEEN SONGS OF CONSCIOUS INSANITY (2002) NUCLEAR BLAST

After releasing nothing but stellar albums for nearly a decade, a disappointment was just bound to happen. And of the 14 new tracks on 'Reroute To Remain', I only really dig 5. In Flames themselves have claimed that they really tried to reinvent themselves a bit on this album, trying out a new studio, a new producer and so on. And they have created a new sound, without really stepping away from what we are used to from the Gothenburg melodic death-squad. The biggest change, for me, lies in the increased use of clean vocals. There were some rumors that In Flames had gone NU-metal, after touring with Slipknot, but that is a lot of horse! I can only say that this disc is miles ahead of most other bands these days, as it contains brutal melodic metal of high class. But as an In Flames release, I'm a bit disappointed. The title track is still one of the bands best efforts.

Killer tracks: Reroute To Remain, Trigger, Cloud Connected, Free Fall

CLOUD CONNECTED (2002) NUCLEAR BLAST (CD-Single)

A very short CD-single for the track "Cloud Connected". Also featured is the video-clip for the same track, and a previously unreleased live version of "Colony".

TRIGGER (2003) NUCLEAR BLAST (EP + DVD)

CD: Trigger (Single Edit) Watch Them Feed Land Of Confusion Cloud Connected (Club Connected Remix) Moonshield (C64 Karaoke Version) DVD: Trigger - video Cloud Connected - video

By now, I'm so hooked on this band, I have to own everything they release that includes exclusive material. And this EP is in that matter no exception. The most interesting song here must be the cover of Genesis' "Land Of Confusion". Named song is by far one of my favorite pop/rock songs from the 80's. I'm not sure I like In Flames' version all that well though. "Watch Them Feed" is a brand new song. Also noticeable is the remake of "Moonshield", done to sound like the music from the old Commodore 64 games from my childhood! I also like the 2 video-clips.

THE QUIET PLACE (2004) NUCLEAR BLAST (CD-Single)

Yet another CD-single from In Flames. Nuclear Blast really knows how to milk the most out of their most popular bands. Another previously unreleased live-track, and a remix of an instrumental are unfortunately reasons enough for me to pick it up :( There exists two version of this single, containing these different tracks: 2. "Borders And Shading" and 3. "Touch Of Red".

SOUNDTRACK TO YOUR ESCAPE (2004) NUCLEAR BLAST (Digi-pack)

F(r)iend The Quiet Place Dead Alone Touch of Red Like You Better Dead My Sweet Shadow Evil In A Closet In Search For I Borders And Shading Superhero Of The Computer Rage Dial 595-Escape Bottled Discover Me Like Emptiness (Bonus track)

Line-up: Anders Fridén - Vocals Björn Gelotte - Guitars Jesper Strömblad - Guitars Peter Iwers - Bass Daniel Svensson - Drums

My hands were almost shaking of anticipation when I first put this CD into my car stereo. I'd already heard 2 tracks from the album; First, "The Quiet Place" sounded as an obvious flirt with a more commercial sound, and I didn't like it. Secondly, "Borders And Shading" sounded to me like an excellent In Flames tune, but with the same "modern" vibe that 'Reroute To Remain' was saturated with. The first song, called 'F(r)iend' (clever title), hit my ears, and I was stunned. This was another killer tune! My hopes were now ignited, only to fall to the ground again. I couldn't seem to get into most of the other tracks on "Soundtrack To Your Escape". The extensive use of keyboards and sampled did not at all appeal to me. Many of the songs were almost impossible to tell apart. And even Daniel's snare drum sounded like it was produced by Lars Ulrich himself. In Flames had finally fallen from their thrown as the kings of NWOSDM, as far as I was concerned. But since I'm probably one of the most die hard fans of this band, I was not going to give up that easily. The album got spun over and over, to insure myself that I was not missing out on anything. So my thought on this album are now as follows:

In Flames have released a new album a bit too early. They have managed to mix the sound of 'Reroute To Remain' with the songwriting of 'Colony'. 'Soundtrack To Your Escape' shows a band on autopilot, rather than a innovative force in the metal movement. Many of the songs sound like a rehash of old ideas., even going as far as to rip their own riffs off on occasions. BUT, the new album also shows a band with a talent for spicing up their tunes with finesse and subtle details. You need to really get into the songs, rather than to only listen loosely to them. Once the tunes get under your skin, they start to grow. And when they do that, you might discover that In Flames are still the leaders of their genre. Anders vocals are more varied than ever, and I also feel that the songs are more then ever written around the vocals, in stead of vice versa. That might indicate that this album is more of a band effort than any of their other releases (I might be deadly wrong on this issue though). I still miss the splendid guitar-work of past albums, and I still say that the samples and most of the use of keyboard could have been taken away. 'Soundtrack To Your Escape' will never become a favorite of mine, but it is certainly still a fine piece of music!

My digi-pack version contains a bonus track. That song is actually one of my favorite tracks on the album. I do see why it didn't make the cut for the regular album version, as it incorporates a main riff that is almost identical to the one in the song "Borders And Shading".

Killer tracks: F(r)iend, The Quiet Place, In Search For I, Borders And Shading, Bottled, Discover Me Like Emptiness

COME CLARITY (2006) NUCLEAR BLAST (Limited Edition w/DVD)

CD: Take This Life Leeches Reflect The Storm Dead End Scream Come Clarity Vacuum Pacing Death's Trail Crawl Through Knives Versus Terminus Our Infinite Struggle Vanishing Light Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone	Line-up: Anders Fridén - Vocals Björn Gelotte - Guitars Jesper Strömblad - Guitars Peter Iwers - Bass Daniel Svensson - Drums Guests: Örjan Örnklo - Keys & Programming Lisa Miskovsky - Female Vocals on 4
DVD: Take This Life Leeches Reflect The Storm Dead End Scream Come Clarity Vacuum Pacing Death's Trail Crawl Through Knives Versus Terminus Our Infinite Struggle Vanishing Light Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone

Originally entitled 'Crawl Through Knives', 'Come Clarity' is yet another stepping stone in In Flames' rise to the top. This album shows a band that can take the best of what they have done in the past, and create something fresh. To me it sounds like a mix of everything they've dabbled with in the past. Imagine a mix of 'Colony' and 'Reroute To Remain' maybe? In my ears this is a much improved effort compared to their last two CD's. The entire album is rock solid, and there are way more killers then fillers. A couple of things do keep me from bringing out the finest superlatives though. The lead guitars are a bit too far back in the mix at times, thus making the downtuned rhythms more prominent, which in turn gives the music that "modern" metalcore vibe. Too bad, because Jesper's guitar-sound was what I fell in love with regarding this band, in the first place. I also dislike some of the programmed effects throughout the album. They just seem unnecessary. But luckily these are minor complaints, as I really dig what I hear on 'Come Clarity'. In fact, songs like "Reflect The Storm" and "Come Clarity" have quickly become favorites of mine, easily competing with the older material! All the songs are varied, and I love the inclusion of Lisa Miskovsky on "Dead End". She adds a lot of emotion to that song, and this is one of the best examples of how to incorporate female vocals to extreme music, in my opinion. All in all a return to form! This limited edition comes with a bonus DVD, showing the band play through the entire album in their rehearsal room. It's shot in b/w and it is supposed to look like it's very old, so the picture has these disturbances, and even "jumps" every now and then. Fun to watch a song or 2, but it gets really tiresome quickly. It doesn't exactly looks like they are playing what we hear through the speakers, as the finished album is much to produced to look intact with a live performance.

Killer tracks: Take This Life, Reflect The Storm, Dead End, Come Clarity, Crawl Through Knives, Versus Terminus, Our Infinite Struggle

THE MIRROR'S TRUTH (2008) NUCLEAR BLAST (EP)

In Flames are back with a new album. But first we get treated to this nice little EP, containing 3 non-album tracks! The title track really gives me a nice throwback to some of the bands older material. Sure, the modern production and Anders vocals are of the more recent variety. But the overall feel is a little more melodic, and varied, just like on 'Whoracle' and 'Clayman', for instance. And the 3 other tracks follow in the same manner. If "Eraser" is a "throw-away" track, then I cannot believe how strong the material on the upcoming album must be! This is heavy, emotional and melodic, just the way I like In Flames. This EP really gives me a good feeling towards the new album.

A SENSE OF PURPOSE (2008) NUCLEAR BLAST (Limited Edition CD/DVD)

CD: The Mirror's Truth Disconnected Sleepless Again Alias I'm The Highway Delight And Angers Move Through Me The Chosen Pessimist Sober And Irrelevant Condemned Drenched In Fear March To The Shore

Line-up: Anders Fridén - Vocals Björn Gelotte - Guitars Jesper Strömblad - Guitars Peter Iwers - Bass Guitar Daniel Svensson - Drums

DVD: Introductions (03. Sept. - 09. Sept. 2007) The Boat Trip (10. Sept - 16. Sept. 2007) Drums, Drums, Drums (17. Sept. - 23. Sept. 2007) Bass, Booze & Balls (24. Sept. - 30. Sept. 2007) Guitar Sweatshop (1. Oct. - 07. Oct. 2007) Diggin' In The Dirt (08. Oct. - 14 Oct. 2007) Are We There Yet? (15. Oct. - 21 Oct. 2007) High Stakes (22 Oct. - 28. Oct. 2007) Guitar Smorgasbord (29. Oct. - 04. Nov. 2007) Rollin' (05. Nov. - 11. Nov. 2007) Bare To The Bone(s) (12. Nov. - 18. Nov. 2007) This Is The End (19. Nov. - 30- Nov. 2007) + hidden feature

In Flames' 8th album is upon us. And I for one was really psyched about it, after loving 'The Mirror's Truth' EP, and their last album, 'Come Clarity'. But high expectations are seldom done justice. And this is all too apparent when listening to 'A Sense Of Purpose'. How on earth did they manage to deliver the 3 strongest In Flames tracks on an EP, and let the full album be filled with mediocre, sub-par fillers? This is beyond me. Still I regrettably have to put the brother part of the material on  'A Sense Of Purpose' in the latter category. Whereas Anders cleaner vocals worked just fine for me on 'Come Clarity', they come off all emo-like and whiney here. I really do love much of the instrumental work here though, and it seems that especially Jesper once again has found that cool folk-music inspired vibe back here and there. But sadly much of it is ruined in sappy radio songs, that seem tailor made for the American metalcore market. There is not enough aggression here! I harvest sort of an ambivalent feeling towards this album though. It is strange in that I seem to like songs that are musically pretty far apart. On one hand I find the album samey, as most of the songs are in this slow-paced throttle. But on the other hand, I really do like a slow ballady thing like "Sleepless Again". Then I go on to detest the following "Alias", another very slow number, and probably the furthest thing away from melodic death metal that In Flames have ever recorded! And so the album goes on and on. Sadly most of it sounds uninspired or without guts! In fact there isn't much diversity to track down at all. We know the guys can play, and we know they can write killer music, but here all we get is pristine production! One of my favorite bands might never be the same again.

This limited edition digi-pack comes with another stupid slipcase, extra artwork inside the fold-out digi cover, and a DVD. It is yet another of those documentaries about the recording of the album. Mostly done with an unsteady hand held camera, and really not documenting anything of interest (unless Daniel playing the drums with his privates is something you get off on!), this is something you'll definitely only watch once, and maybe not even the whole thing through.

Killer tracks: The Mirror's Truth, Sleepless Again, Move Through Me, Drenched In Fear

Related artists:

Hammerfall. Arch Enemy, Gardenian, Armageddon