IN FLAMES — Lunar Strain (review)

Album · 1994 · Melodic Death Metal

4/5 · 2018-05-22
UMUR

"Lunar Strain" is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish melodic death metal act In Flames. The album was released through Wrong Again Records in April 1994. In Flames was formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad (also drums and keyboards on this release) in 1990 as a side-project where he wanted to explore a more melodic version of death metal. Something he wasn´t able to do in his then main act Ceremonial Oath. After leaving the latter in 1993, he started assembling a lineup for In Flames, but initially wasn´t able to find a suitable vocalist and therefore Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquillity sung on the 1993 demo. An arrangement which was continued on "Lunar Strain".

The music on the 10 track, 36:43 minutes long album is indeed melodic oriented death metal. Loads of harmony guitar themes, leads, and an overall epic atmosphere. There are also quite a few folk elements featured in the music like the occasional use of violins and acoustic guitars. The vocal style is an aggressive and relatively high pitched growling type of vocals, and they provide the music with just a slight touch of black metal (there are a few female vocals featured on the album too). A track like "Upon an Oaken Throne" even touches thrash metal territory, so In Flames are relatively eclectic on "Lunar Strain". Artists like Necrophobic, Dissection, and Unanimated aren´t completely wrong as references, although In Flames doesn´t embrace blasphemous/anti-Christian lyrics, but instead opt for a fantasy universe.

The quality of the material is very high throughout and "Lunar Strain" overall features a relatively good flow too. The sound production could have been better, but the album is still relatively well sounding, and the sound suits the music pretty well. The band is well playing too, and upon conclusion "Lunar Strain" is not only a promising debut release by In Flames, it´s also a very high quality release in it´s own right. Especially considering that it´s a debut release. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

more than 2 years ago
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siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I was never realy an In Flames fan but when i put this one on for the first time i was blown away. Good review!

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

My personal taste just lies somewhere else. It doesn´t mean this isn´t a great album. Just not something I´d put on at home for pleasure...

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Take more poison UMUR, this is my absolute favotire In Flames album as well. It's soooooo good i think i could possbily be one of my faves of folk metal actually. I agree with Vim, they became too mainstream after this but only in a gradual way. I do like a few albums that followed.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Not really my poison, but I can appreciate the high quality of their music.