The Jester Race

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The Jester Race
Studio album by
Released20 February 1996[1]
Recorded1995
StudioStudio Fredman, Gothenburg
GenreMelodic death metal[2]
Length40:12
LabelNuclear Blast
ProducerFredrik Nordström and In Flames
In Flames chronology
Subterranean
(1995)
The Jester Race
(1996)
Whoracle
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chronicles of Chaos8/10[3]

The Jester Race is the second studio album by Swedish heavy metal band In Flames, released in February 1996. It is the first album to feature Anders Fridén as the band's vocalist, Björn Gelotte as the drummer, and Jester Head as the band's mascot.

The album was the band's second full-length album released following the more mainstream success of their 1995 EP, Subterranean. The Jester Race was recorded at Studio Fredman by Fredrik Nordström, who also contributed keyboards for the album.

The song "Dead Eternity" was originally on the Subterranean (EP) and the song "Dead God in Me" was originally on the Subterranean (EP) but with a different title, "The Inborn Lifeless". Although, the version on The Jester Race has different lyrics, a different ending, and a slightly different solo.

The Jester Race ranked No. 79 on Metal Rules' list of the Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums.[4] It is considered a classic album of the melodic death metal genre,[5] along with At the Gates' Slaughter of the Soul and Dark Tranquillity's The Gallery,[6] exhibiting the dual guitar leads, growled vocals and acoustic sections typical of the genre.

A remixed version of the song "Moonshield" was released on the EP Trigger. A video for the song "Artifacts of the Black Rain" was also released.

Trivium frontman Matthew K. Heafy revealed in an interview with Wall of Sound that The Jester Race is "the one metal album you should have heard by now."[7]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Moonshield"Jesper Strömblad5:04
2."The Jester's Dance" (instrumental)Strömblad, Johan Larsson2:11
3."Artifacts of the Black Rain"Strömblad, Björn Gelotte3:17
4."Graveland"Strömblad, Glenn Ljungström2:48
5."Lord Hypnos"Gelotte, Strömblad, Ljungström4:03
6."Dead Eternity"Ljungström, Strömblad5:03
7."The Jester Race"Ljungström, Strömblad4:53
8."December Flower"Strömblad, Ljungström4:12
9."Wayfaerer" (instrumental)Strömblad, Gelotte4:42
10."Dead God in Me"Strömblad, Ljungström4:19
Total length:40:12

[1]

2002 and 2008 re-releases (tracks from Black-Ash Inheritance)
No.TitleMusicLength
11."Goliaths Disarm Their Davids"Ljungström, Strömblad, Gelotte4:55
12."Gyroscope"Strömblad3:23
13."Acoustic Medley" (instrumental)Strömblad2:32
14."Behind Space" (live)Ljungström, Strömblad3:36


Japanese edition
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Dead Eternity"Ljungström, Strömblad5:03
2."The Jester Race"Ljungström, Strömblad4:53
3."Graveland"Strömblad, Glenn Ljungström2:48
4."Moonshield"Jesper Strömblad5:04
5."The Jester's Dance" (instrumental)Strömblad, Johan Larsson2:11
6."December Flower"Strömblad, Ljungström4:12
7."Artifacts of the Black Rain"Strömblad, Björn Gelotte3:17
8."Dead God in Me"Strömblad, Ljungström4:19
9."Wayfaerer" (instrumental)Strömblad, Gelotte4:42
10."Lord Hypnos"Gelotte, Strömblad, Ljungström4:03
11."Dead Eternity (Demo)" 5:02
12."The Inborn Lifeless (Demo)" 3:22

[8][9]

Personnel[edit]

In Flames[edit]

Guest appearances[edit]

  • Fredrik Nordström − keyboards
  • Oscar Dronjak − vocal appearance on "Dead Eternity"
  • Fredrik Johansson − lead guitar on "December Flower"
  • Kaspar Dahlqvist − keyboards on "Wayfaerer"

Production and composition[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "In Flames - The Jester Race - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  2. ^ a b Huey, Steve. "In Flames - "The Jester Race"". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  3. ^ "In Flames - The Jester Race". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  4. ^ "The Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums". Metal-Rules. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  5. ^ "In Flames". BNR Metal, Version 3. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Melodic Death Metal". About.com. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  7. ^ Story, Ebony (16 November 2021). "Educate Ebony Episode 22 Feat. Matthew K. Heafy (Trivium)". Wall Of Sound. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  8. ^ "In Flames = イン・フレイムス* - The Jester Race = ザ・ジェスター・レース". Discogs. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  9. ^ "In Flames - The Jester Race - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 14 October 2020.

External links[edit]