Come Clarity - In Flames

Advantages: Exceptional song writing, very good lyrics
Disadvantages: Not THAT many amazing riffs, but apart from that perfect

...exist on this record. Come Clarity opens with the blaze of 'Take This Life' and as soon as the off-beat drumming subsides into the deep, battering rumble of the opening riff, you know that In Flames have hit the nail on the head. The album proceeds through 'Leeches' and 'Reflect the Storm' (both phenomenal tracks) before coming to my personal highlight of the album 'Dead End'. Here a strong gothic influence can be heard, as a female singer is used ...
...melodies, and manages to give Come Clarity a tension that is carried throughout each track up until the very end. Other highlights of the album include 'Scream' and self titled track 'Come Clarity', the most melodic of the record. Rarely since the days of Metallica and Machine Head has the metal scene witnessed great musical masterpieces. However, I believe In Flames have penned one here, and strongly hope that it is hailed as a high point of metal ... Read review

Advantages: Fantastic sound quality
Disadvantages: If it's your kind of music, then none!

...writing beautiful, well written masterpieces! Come Clarity, is a perfect example of what this band is capaple of producing. From the title track's peaceful introduction, to the speed and emotion of "Take This Life", this album delivers quality in every aspect, from start to finish. Sound: This album have been produced and engineered very well indeed. Where a lot of metal bands sacfrifice quality to try and get their 'sound', In Flames on Come ...
...tedious song. Not so with Come Clarity. Every song has a unique feel to it, both in general sound as some tracks are much heavier than others, and in emotion, as they manage to capture feelings inside you you dodn't realise metal could trigger! Favourite track: Take This Life If you are not planning on buying this album, I urge to at least go and download that single song! ... Read review

Advantages: Sounds absolutely awesome
Disadvantages: none at all

...heaviness to the album after Come Clarity, but lacks an intro. Pacing Death's Trail, Crawl Through Knives and Versus Terminus have a certain momentum that feels like a speeding bullet. The album doesn't slow down at all through Our Infinite Struggle, but when it ends with Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone, the listener is drawn back into reality with the strange quietness, until it finishes with a nice bit of screaming. This will probably be ... Read review

Advantages: Fantastic lyrical album with plenty of thought behind it
Disadvantages: Some simple riffs where perhaps more complexity would have been better

Simply excellent song construction and lyrics that provoke hard thought (when you can understand them! =p) Take this life, the first track, was released as a music video on television and is a brilliant song. The musical quality of the album is comparable to many of the greats from past and present and although some riffs are simple at times, I feel this adds to the messages of the songs and makes them 'rawer'. Fans of metal, screamo, metalcore ... Read review

Advantages: Makes you want to rape and pillage!!!
Disadvantages: None that I can see, it is what it is!

...Amarth, with the lyrics that stick out of: 'father, I'm coming home', a seasoned warrior, fatigued and thirsts no more for battle, but for a warm bed and a good meal, superb! I realy feel that this is an album that you should own, it has everything, great songs, a bonus live DVD, great art work plus the added layer of stories of Vikings long past and the mythology they lived and died by. What more can you possibly want from an album? I hope this format is something that takes off a lot more with other artists, especially in the metal genre, as they tend to not get much air time on t.v. so unless you see them live, you don't get to see them that regularly, this bonus DVD is good, but like 'In Flames' did with 'Come Clarity', they actually filmed themselves in the studio playing the entire new album, perfect. With the age of shareware... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Clearer Sound Compared to past albums, larger target audience, more adventurous drumming
Disadvantages: Not for those who like raw death metal, more clean vocals could be a put off

...A Sense of Purpose is a huge step, or in some peoples' opinions a great fall for In Flames. Looking back at the previous In Flames albums, A Sense of Purpose doesn't have a style close to any of the previous albums, however if you are a long-term In Flames fan, you will have already noticed that the raw "Death Metal" sound that In Flames possessed with the earlier albums, for example Lunar Strain, Subterranean and Jester Race is slowly progressing to a less "death metal" sound towards a more clean, "pop" sound. Although, I would still not describe In Flames as "mainstream," I believe that "A Sense of Purpose" is the most "mainstream" sounding album to date, attracting new In Flames fans that would not usually listen to In Flames. If you own the In Flames album, "Come Clarity," and like the cleaner sound In Flames adopted in that album, I... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful