IN FLAMES — Come Clarity (review)

Album · 2006 · Melodic Death Metal

2.5/5 · 2012-01-21
Diogenes

In Flames post-Clayman. Yuck. Probably one of the most criticized metal bands ever for their drastic change in sound, the once-proud Swedish melodic death titans find themselves in the middle of their confusing transition with 2006’s Come Clarity, an album I had long avoided because of obvious reasons. Alas, as fate would have it, it recently landed in my lap for free (read: got it from the library), and what better way to listen to a band that many people hate than without paying for it? So, with much hesitancy, I begin my review!

If you haven’t been scared off by the negativity surrounding In Flames since 2002, you will be pleased to find that this album is at least somewhat listenable. No, it isn’t The Jester Race or Colony (and if people are still expecting them to return to that style, then I don’t know what to say), but Come Clarity also doesn’t feature anything as offensively bad as In Flames had been putting out for the previous few years. I know, that’s pretty sparse praise. It’s just that this album deserves something beyond “Modern In Flames? Sellout bastards!” I mean, it’s worth at least a couple of listens…that’s something, right?

The music on Come Clarity is best summed up by In Flames injecting a good amount of metalcore into their alternative metal sound, with diminished riffs, shorter songs, and what have you. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as guitarist Jesper Stromblad sounds a lot more at home playing riffs that actually have some substance, and is much more effective when he isn’t hidden by various keyboards and samples. There’s no doubt that a group with this much talent should be able to pull this off without a problem, and sure enough, the instrumental portion of Come Clarity is very tight. Daniel Svensson is solid on the drums as always, backed by a pretty good production that brings the drums and the guitars to the front. The overall energy is also brought back up on this album, as it sounds like In Flames actually gives a crap about what they’re playing again, instead of simply going through the motions while being stuck in pop-land. This means harder riffing and the signature melodic leads that the band became known for; although neither are really out in full force, it’s a good compromise considering that the song structures are too watered down to feature anything virtuosic. Like, “Pacing Death’s Trail” actually kinda sorta sounds like In Flames, with the sexy lead in the chorus and whatnot. Joy!

What brings Come Clarity back down to the level of most modern metalcore is (surprise!) another lousy batch of vocals from Anders Friden. The guy could never sing, and yet someone in the band had the terrific idea of having him sing more. Now, there are a lot of layered vocals and distortion added to keep things tolerable on this end, and some of the choruses (“Vacuum,” “Take This Life”) are actually quite catchy despite Friden’s obvious shortcomings as a singer (title track notwithstanding-it’s tough to cover up a full song’s worth of bad singing). The real problem lies within the absolutely deplorable lyrics:

“I cut myself to sleep

I close my eyes for a second

And curse my fragile soul

I scream to hide that I'm lonely

The echo calls my name”

AAAH! Kill it! Kill it with fire!

Needless to say, this along with the Jonathan Davis-esque whining is easily the worst part about Come Clarity, and what I will readily agree with this album’s naysayers on. What happened to this band’s BALLS, for crying out loud?! Oh, and “Dead End”. When the chick you bring in to guest sing on your metalcore album is better than your full-time vocalist, that’s a problem. Skip this track.

So, if you’re looking for the elusive “new In Flames that doesn’t totally suck,” then consider your search over! Listen to Come Clarity and enjoy the next couple of hours until you inevitably get bored. It’s certainly not an album to buy, although it looks like a masterpiece sandwiched in the middle of one of the most infamous declines in metal history. Conclusion: meh, with slightly positive overtones.