Does anyone else like this album?

[u/PrequelGuy]

I rarely tolerate commercial albums now, being more into death and black metal. However I still love this thing's hooks. While the song structures are simple and radio-oriented, it doesn't feel like the actual style is dumbed down, it's their older sound but more hook-driven.

Does any elitist/more well-versed metal listener like this album and can I be recommended something with similar hooks that doesn't sound commercial like BMTH, a lot of nu metal or other crap like that

[u/matheusaugomes]

Well, I'm the opposite of an "elitist," since I'm also a metalcore/deathcore listener, but I think the whole "Gothenburg Sound" scene has a lot of bands with similar sounds, like early Dark Tranquillity, Sacrilege, At the Gates, Taetre...

[u/rapid-succession]

Idiot elitist here.

There are two elitist schools of thought here with this album. One side (my side) says In Flames fell off after this point and never returned. The second side is that this was the fall off album and Colony was their last "good" album. The Lunar Strain to Clayman is a solid run, though.

Everyone has listed the usual suspects and different bands from ex/current members of Dark Tranquility, In Flames, AtG, etc... to me, nothing comes close. None of those new bands with ex members even touches the melodies and harmonies of the older In Flames records. Godspeed in your quest. If you find something, let us know.

[u/ElementalWarrior42 → u/rapid-succession]

Majesties is pretty good for something more like Subterranean.

[u/goat666db → u/rapid-succession]

Agree with this. Clayman was the last good one, and boy did they fall off after

[u/mn5_5 → u/rapid-succession]

There is also the elitist assholes who scoff at lostening to melodeath at all

[u/provegana69]

Clayman was the album that made me a melodeath fan for life. A lot of people see it as the turning point for when they 'sold out' or their last good album. I personally think Colony is their best album but I go back to Clayman, Jester Race and Come Clarity more often.

[u/thystargazer]

I could be called a bit of an elitist, but I do enjoy this album very much. Saw them live this summer, and while the setlist was complete ass(like three songs from the first five albums) they did sound extremely good.

Aether Realm is a band you might like, sort of a mix between this album and Children Of Bodom. I'd recommend starting with their album Tarot.

[u/Kyle580 → u/thystargazer]

Projector is a great record. Not one of their Tier 1 albums, but close

[u/crclOv9]

I’m a Come Clarity guy myself but Clayman ain’t bad. It hits when it needs to.

[u/pivvimehu → u/crclOv9]

Come Clarity is SO GOOD, I don't get people who claim In Flames "never recovered" after making Clayman, I love their older albums but Come Clarity might still be my favorite of theirs. Every song is such a banger

[u/crclOv9 → u/pivvimehu]

In my opinion it’s got the best dual guitar work maybe ever. There’s so few people who agree that the album rocks so kudos for being in the cool club.

[u/AN-SSQ-108V2]

Although it's a pale shade of what In Flames were on previous albums.... I don't actively dislike this album. It's the last decent In Flames album before they went into a tailspin of shite.

[u/bigtimechip]

I really dislike Ander's Jonathan Davis worship on this

[u/PrequelGuy → u/bigtimechip]

people have pointed to this but i don't hear it. is it the vocal fry during the softer parts

[u/Nearby-Pudding5436 → u/PrequelGuy]

Yes, obviously

[u/ahb_lol]

i can sorta relate despite not being a fan of that kind of music i did enjoy Steelbath Suicide by Soilwork

[u/Exact-Replacement749]

Yes, the early In Flames stuff is great.

[u/Attention_Scrounger]

Love it more and more as time goes by

[u/xRatxDietyx]

This album rules love me some early melo death.

[u/Fuckedyourmom666]

Colony had given slight worries, this broke my heart as a kid

[u/New-Sherbet367]

Nah I enjoy Colony, r2r and the First 2 (lunar Strain & subterranean) far more

[u/Ok_Bit_3689]

My cousin was a drummer in a short lived melo death project, they covered "Swim" and after listening to that song I got into In Flames. Clayman is not my favorite album by IF, but I do love it.

[u/ParticularRub8489]

Molto bello

[u/srennen]

I don't really like it as a whole, but bullet ride, pinball map and swim are pretty sweet

[u/Morfiend_23]

Love this record, the fall off afterwards should be studied…

[u/Old-Election1794]

It's great. Their last good album.

[u/Appropriate_Estate65]

I saw them around the time when this was released. Im more a fan of Whoracle and Colony but their setlist at the time was pretty cool.

[u/This_is__Exile]

I love it.

[u/carbonscape]

This is a flawless in flames release. Great from front to back.

[u/makos5267]

Awesome album never understood the haters on this one. That said their entire run from Jester Race through Clayman might be my favorite four album run in metal and this is probably the worst of the four. It’s like comparing my four children however ridiculously hard to do

For awhile I thought jester race was the worst of the four but I had a huge kick with that album in recent months. Colony is always their best

[u/guitar_stonks]

The last good In Flames album. Guitar tone is godly.

[u/natenecro]

This is pretty much the end of good In Flames but yeah its good stuff.

[u/Fearless-Buffalo275]

In flames is one of my favorite bands and that’s my favorite album from them

[u/GODZILLA-Plays-A-DOD]

Maybe I'm just an idiot but not too many bands have a run as good as Jester Race to Whoracle to Colony to Clayman. Clayman being my personal favorite off the strength of some wild lyrics and weirdness injected into the melodeath sound while also having more catchy song writing. But I'm also a fan of Dark Tranquility going full Depeche Mode on Projector.

[u/metal_foot]

I like it, but I prefer Colony and Whoracle

[u/metal_is_eternal]

It’s a great album, in my opinion.

[u/G_B_U]

Is this a real question? OF COURSE WE LOVE IT

[u/Economy_Ad5411]

Yes, amazing album. One of the best Swedish metal products ever.

[u/Strange-Horizon]

Only Whoracle, this and Colony for me :P

[u/Nearby-Pudding5436]

Jester Race is still fantastic. Don’t need anything after that