(Rated this album with 10 out of 10) Reviewed by
Michael A Robertson
from Oakland, CA United States
Regular death metal is all right. Melodic death metal is amazing! And this album is no exception. In Flames, who consist of two vocalists, two acoustic guitars, two lead guitars, a rhythm guitar, a bass guitar, two percussionists, and a keyboard, are a paragon of heavy metal talent. Each track, whether a song or instrumental, provides enchanting riffs on top of riffs, mesmerizing atmospherics, and overall brilliant technicality. It's less of a sleepy piledriver than ordinary stuff like Nile and Deicide, with non-stop creativity and extreme passion. Highlights include Jotun, Episode 666, Whoracle, Dialogue with the Stars, and Morphing into Primal, but each and every track is truly magickal. I have yet to see an album, or a band, who come close to the glorious skill of In Flames. Not Rob Zombie. Not Emperor. Not even Iron Maiden. In Flames: Need I say more?
