I'd have to say that this is a "happier" sounding In Flames piece of work. The riffs are much better than they were on 'Colony' (1999). They're heavier, more memorable, better constructed, and everything seemed to fit better song-wise on this release. It's less aggressive as I stated, but that doesn't take away from the magic that this album portrays. Similar lyrical topics i.e. astronomy and fantasy, yet they blended well with the guitar. This release is anything but half assed.

The production quality is also much better than their previous releases especially the bass guitar. They do a little more experimenting on this album, but it doesn't take away from the overall release as a whole. The guitars again are tuned way down and are thick with heavy distortion. They do incorporate some clean guitar parts on here, not overly much though. Their melodic death roots are heavily portrayed here and that I can't stress enough.

It's a less aggressive album than their previous releases even with Anders screams, they're not as intense and more clearly heard out which makes it easier to make out what he's saying. This one has to be a favorite of theirs because of their innovation and creativity/experimentation on here. Again there are harsh and clean vocals. However, for the most part, Anders' screaming is as I've stated less intense and fits the music perfectly. This to me is their last monumental release. Everything afterwards doesn't sound like them at all.

Out of all the In Flames albums I've heard in the past, this one has definitely the best overall production quality. Nothing is left out i.e. none of the instruments are poorly mixed in together and everything seems so balanced. To me, it's an album that I can't really get sick of. Other critics may disagree, but I'd have to say that every song on here deserves praise. 'Brush the Dust Away' is probably my favorite track, but like I said, all of the songs are good.

Just YouTube some of the tracks on here especially if you're into melodic death and judge for yourself. After this album, they should have disbanded, not sold out. It's actually a release that you can appreciate every time that you hear it. It's anything but dark and depressing. A very good vibe to each song and the guitars are so superb. I'm surprised that they were actually able to write all of the material on this album within about a year's time.

The deluxe addition features some bonus tracks and other material. If you want something to put you in a good mood, then listen to this album. Like I previously said, it's their "happier" version of melodic death. Nothing falls short here and all of the melodies are just perfect. A challenge to play these riffs if you're a guitar player. They are once again lower tuning and the lead guitar work is amazing. Way better than on 'Colony'. I'd have to say a lot of preparation and getting things exact on this recording.

Tremendous musicianship on this album and the most memorable songs that they could have entrenched on here. If you like melodic death metal, then pick this one up ASAP. It really is amazing, I'd say the best work that they could have ever done. Nothing disturbs me here, it's just everything after this album that is the pits. That's why I stressed their abandoning the melodic death roots really turned me off on this band. Instead of continuously getting better and better with each release, they threw it all away with their newer style.

Rating: 9½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Death8699
01/13/2013 14:11