SMASH MAG

They’ve been called gods. They hail from Gothenburg Sweden and, for some time, they have been one of the many bands on the forefront of the Swedish melodic death-metal scene. Gods they certainly have been for on February 7th comes the unleashing of the U.S. Release for their 8th album Come Clarity. That’s right, eight albums! That’s more albums then most modern bands that you’re used to will ever hope to achieve throughout their musical career. Eight albums, one DVD, several EP's and they show no signs of waving that ominous white flag. This is just a new beginning for In Flames.

Where should I begin with such an influential presence in the metal world? How about in 1994 during the era of Lunar Strain, their first full-length album released on Wrong Again Records. Releasing this album, I doubt any of the original band members could have predicted what has happened over the 12 years since then. Touted as one of the pioneers of melodic death-metal, In Flames has been working very hard since their conception in 1990. Quickly following the release of Lunar Strain was the EP titled “Subterranean”. Then in 1995, the second full-length album The Jester Race was born. Accepted with wide-open arms, The Jester Race was a fantastic success. It wasn’t until around the time of their album Clayman that they started to gain heavy amounts of worldwide attention on the charts. Their hard work truly started to pay off as Clayman landed them the #17 slot on the official Swedish charts as well as #4 in Japan, #3 in Canada’s metal magazine “Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles” and #1 in “Metal Maniacs.”

That’s all fine and dandy, but that wont mean much if you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing the awesome might that is their monstrous presence. You might not have even heard the term melodic-death metal before, let alone know what death metal sounds like. If either of these applies to you, I’d like to welcome you to the new world. It was by the light of In Flames that this writer found his way into its existence and I’ve never looked back. By a certain definition, it is under the death metal realm that we find the sound of brutality. It is under the melodic realm that we find the essence of what flows. Listen to In Flames for the first time and you’ll be privy to a brutal flow unlike anything most Americans ever come to witness. For some, the first listen to an In Flames album will be the first step into a more expansive world then most could ever expect.

Just as important as a solid track record with studio-produced albums (no pun intended) is a completely solid and invigorating stage presence. I wouldn’t be writing this today if they didn’t have the necessary qualities. They are energetic, furious, powerful, moving and well worth taking notice of while they feed energy to the gathered crowd from their deserved pedestal. Enjoy In Flames live and you’ll feel what I’ve described in this text.

In Flames is one of the leading bands in the movement for the different forms of extreme metal to become more widely accepted in the U.S. With unquestionable popularity rooting itself more than 12 years into the past, encompassing the globe, In Flames has only to conquer The States. While In Flames is by no means the most extreme, or the most brutal of metal acts out there, they certainly have what it takes to open the doors for more understanding of the art. In Flames has come under a lot of change over the years as expected. Eight albums make for a lot of content and that’s content that varies from album to album. There is more than enough content to soak in for a fair deal of time and if you’re at all a music hobbyist or enthusiast, I highly recommend listening to as much In Flames as you can get your hands on, recorded and especially live. So don’t miss your opportunity to see them coming to the House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay on the 26th of January, 2006.

The time is coming for the new world to be embraced by all that have yet to.

All hail In Flames!