Whoracle

In Flames is one of those bands that many people just love to hate. While I still like their newer stuff I can’t help but understand why some people feel it’s weak even though I think it’s morbidly underrated. What I fail to understand is the hate that people have for In Flames’ earlier albums. Their first 4 albums are essentially near-flawless masterpieces, with Clayman following very closely behind. Of all their albums however, I always have a certain personal admiration for Whoracle. I can’t really explain it really, since I consider this album on par with The Jester Race and Colony, but there you go…

The album opener, Jotun, shows what’s new for In Flames since The Jester Race. Well actually the change was visible on the Black Ash Inheritance EP. This is extremely melodic metal. You might say melodic death metal but that’s really just because the vocals are reminiscent of death metal compared to, say, power metal, which is melodic and what some less enlightened fellows seem to call In Flames. They have some of the most beautiful and yet at the same time powerful riffs I’ve heard. Anders’ vocals are excellent and certainly stronger than what they would become later on.

This excellent style of extremely melodic riffs packed with Anders’ old growls and some very good bass and drum work continues all throughout the album. Foods For The Gods, Gyroscope, Worlds Within The Margin, Episode 666….all of these are the definition of melodic death metal.

There is, however, one track that I’ve omitted for this “best-of” list and that’s The Hive.
Don’t think that I hate it…quite the contrary. I didn’t mention it because it’s simply the most amazing track on here. If it would end at the 2:45 mark it would be among the above tracks, that is an excellent melodeath song. However, then comes the solo. Jasper pulls off what it undoubtedly the best melodic solo I’ve heard. It’s breathtaking. I must admit, however, that I haven’t listened to Dark Tranquillity’s classic first two albums nor to Arch Enemy’s first three so I can’t say it’s the best solo from the genre. But this is still incredible.

Other qualities that make this album as amazing as, well, as amazing as I say it is, are the two instrumental tracks, Dialogue With The Stars and the closing title track as well as the more experimental track Jester Script Transfigured. Dialogue With The Stars is a beautiful acoustic piece laden with melodic riffs that does an excellent job at dividing the album between the first three tracks and the rest of the album, and Whoracle is a very different piece which goes in a crescendo all through its 2 minutes 44 seconds and actually contains some very beautiful yet very low volume female vocals by Ulrika Netterdahl.

If you’re reading this review and the ones below it you probably like or are at least interested by melodic death metal. Or you’re simply one of the too many morons who seem to like to give bad reviews to any melodic death metal album while stating that the genre sucks…not that we’re asking ourselves what you’re doing here but anyway. I’m happy now I got that out of my system. In short this is an excellent album for those of you who can understand its innumerable qualities. Get this if you like melodic death metal because it’s among the best of the genre. The only slight flaw that prevents this from obtaining a 100% rating lies in the relative weakness of the seventh track, Morphing Into Primal, which I simply consider to be on a lower level than the rest of the album.