In Flames - Come Clarity
2006 Nuclear Blast America

Track Listing:
1.  Take This Life
2.  Leeches
3.  Reflect The Storm
4.  Dead End
5.  Scream
6.  Come Clarity
7.  Vacuum
8.  Pacing Death's Trail
9.  Crawl Through Knives
10. End Of Things
11. Our Infinite Struggle
12. Vanishing Light
13. Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone

Line-Up:
Vocals:  Anders Friden
Guitars:  Björn Gelotte, Jesper Strömblad
Bass:  Peter Iwers
Drums:  Daniel Svensson

Website:  www.inflames.com

Follow The Hollow's Rating:  A-
Overall Rating:  A-

Also be sure to read:
In Flames - Clayman by Shev
In Flames - Reroute To Remain by Skin Splitter
In Flames - Soundtrack To Your Escape by Skin Splitter
In Flames - Whoracle by Skin Splitter

Follow The Hollow's Review:
Anyone that hasn't heard of In Flames in the metal world must be a total idiot, or still living in 1984.  In Flames has become the best selling and most popular of the famed Gothenburg sound, known otherwise as Melodic Death Metal.  In Flames, for their part, have been known for their guitar work.  However, during the last two albums, Reroute To Remain and Soundtrack To Your Escape, a lot of it was sacrificed when In Flames tuned their guitars a step further, into B, instead of their previous records to date, all of which done in C.  This might not mean anything to you, but it made all the difference.  Instead of having lovely harmonies, it was all lost in a bunch of low-end distorted notes resembling nu-metal.  Not to mention the terrible drum sound, which made the snare drum sound like gunshots and made the bass drum sound like a mosquito fart.  (I'm not joking, listen to it yourself).

Reroute To Remain and Soundtrack To Your Escape turned off a lot of In Flames' old school fans.  Yet, suprisingly, those two records only increased In Flames' popularity.  I don't know if In Flames have tuned back up, but for this album, harmonies and guitar lines are actually distinguishable.  This will make all the fans that have only become In Flames fans since their recent signing onto Ferret Records wet themselves.  This album will make them realize how much time they've been wasting with As I Lay Dying and Zao.  This is the album where In Flames is no longer underground, no one can deny it anymore (although some, including I, may say this happened after The Jester Race).  The thing I noticed about this album, is that almost all of the choruses are sung, so they all have to have some kind of melody.  What will make or break a song will be what is in between the choruses.

Song summaries include:

1. Take This Life - A fast paced opener, thrashy-verse, but will well placed guitar harmonies.  The chorus of this song is the highlight.  While we're not back up to Jester Race standards, In Flames has certainly come a long way since Reroute To Remain, and this is definetly a step in the right direction.  A-

2. Leeches - This one is a bit harder to judge.  After I had just finished saying In Flames took a step in the right direction, this song opens up with a weird somewhat industrial feel.  It goes into an uneventful verse, but then the chorus reminds me why I have this album.  The solo between 1:40 and 2:20 is probably the highlight of the song.  B

3. Reflect The Storm - Reflect the storm might just be the best song on the album.  The chorus, once again, is brilliant.  It makes me want to drift off into my happy place.  This song as well has a great solo, effective without being too extravagant.  The only thing I can say bad about this is at the end when only the drums are left, and it sounds like Daniel is drumming on cardboard boxes.  What the fuck!  A

4. Dead End - Great beginning, reminiscent of Wayfarer sped up a bit.  And then, when we're bracing ourselves for the onslaught of Anders' screams, we're greeted with the soft voice of a female guest vocalist!  For anybody who's not much of an Anders fan, this one is good.  I don't mind Anders that much, so I was fine either way.  Great guitar work, great solo again, the drums absolutely drive this whole song the entire time.  A

5. Scream - After three good songs, and one mediocre song, I was hoping this album was going to be smooth sailing.  But no, with the first opening notes, I knew my dreams were crushed.  This is the typical In Flames song that is used to show that In Flames still has the "Death" in Melodic Death.  Listen to Transparent or Better Off Dead and you should have a pretty good idea what I'm talking about.  Except those two songs are better than this.  This one actually does make me want to scream.  C-

6. Come Clarity - After the dreadful listening experience that was "Scream", I was skeptical about what to expect next.  But, luckily, it was an accoustic intro that kept me listening.  When has In Flames started with an accoustic intro and possible turned into something bad?  As far as I know, never.  This song is a ballad, with nice guitars, decent vocals, and even some piano in the verse to help give it a relaxed feel.  A

7. Vacuum - The song starts out terribly and makes me want to put on Dark Tranquillity, to compare.  I almost did, except a strong pre-chorus rescues this song because that's all there is to save it.  Weak chorus.  Weak intro.  Midway you can even hear steel drums.  But then at 2:27, you're taken right back to old In Flames style guitar, Whoracle-era.  If it weren't for that bridge and the pre-chorus.  Ironic that this song is named Vacuum, because it does, in fact, suck.  C

8. Pacing Death's Trail - A solid song.  I cant say anything bad about it.  The thing that stands out the most on this song is Daniel's drumming, which usually only served as a metronome in previous albums.  B+

9. Crawl Through Knives - Crawl Through Knives was the original album title, before it was changed to Come Clarity.  What I'm trying to say is that Crawl Through Knives is a good song to sum up the whole album.  If you don't like this song, you probably wont like the others on the album.  A

10. Versus Terminus - HERE IT IS.  The song I've been waiting for the whole album.  Or at least I thought.  Great up-tempo intro and verse, and then, it seems to lose it in the chorus.  After that, the song really undoes itself.  You're introduced to a new riff, but all it is is really a mess of low end notes, while the chorus and verse are repeated.  It's too late though, I still can't get the feeling that that low end riff is coming back.  And it does.  Next!  B

11. Our Infinite Struggle - A seemingly boring song.  Nothing to write home about.  Except when Anders screams in the chorus "You should realize, it hurts!".  Sounds more like an infinite struggle with an STD that keeps coming back.  That's for giving him herpes, you whore!  C

12. Vanishing Light - What's this?  A song, with a good intro, a good verse, good chorus, and overall good tempo?  There must be a catch.  I'll get back to you when I've found it.  2:20, still no apparent reason for me to hate this song.  I have a feeling something's coming, though.  Well, that's it.  3:14, it's over, and I didn't find anything I could hate.  Oh well.  A

13. Your Bedtime Story is Scaring Everyone - This isn't really a song.  More like a soundtrack to a cheesy Pixar animated movie.  I can't rate this, but, if you're not an Anders Frieden fan, listen to this, I guarantee, its Anders Free!

Follow The Hollow's Rating:  A-

Discography (last updated 6.2.06):
Lunar Strain - 1994
Subterranean EP - 1994
The Jester Race - 1995
Black Ash Inheritance EP - 1997
Whoracle - 1997
Colony - 1999
Clayman - 2000
The Tokyo Showdown - 2001
Reroute To Remain - 2002
Trigger EP - 2003
Soundtrack To Your Escape - 2004
Come Clarity - 2006