In Flames - The Jester Race (1996)

 

 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 Jester Race was recorded at Studio Fredman by Fredrik Nordström, who also contributed keyboards for the album.

The song "Dead Eternity" was originally on their 1995 EP, Subterranean. "Dead God in Me" was also originally on Subterranean but with a different title, "The Inborn Lifeless", as well as different lyrics, a different ending, and a slightly different solo.

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. 

In Flames, along with At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, pioneered what is now known as melodic death metal, or the Gothenburg sound (since all of them came from that city).

In 1990, Jesper Strömblad founded the band to write music that combined the melodic guitar style of Iron Maiden with the brutality of death metal, something which Jesper stated he had never heard any band do.

In 1993, In Flames wrote, recorded, and self-produced their debut studio album, Lunar Strain. Since In Flames did not have a vocalist yet, Jesper asked Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity) to provide vocals. In Flames would eventually need another vocalist for the recording of the EP Subterranean; this time Henke Forss would do the job. However, it wasn't until 1995 that the current vocalist Anders Fridén (Dark Tranquillity) joined the band.

Björn Gelotte originally joined as a drummer, then switched to guitars a few years (and albums) later.

The Jester Race was recorded and became a classic melodic death metal album. Afterward, In Flames got to tour with bands such as Samael and Kreator. 

 

 

 

Tracklist:

 1.     Moonshield     04:58
2.     The Jester's Dance     02:09       instrumental
3.     Artifacts of the Black Rain     03:17
4.     Graveland     02:46
5.     Lord Hypnos     04:01
6.     Dead Eternity     05:01
7.     The Jester Race     04:51
8.     December Flower     04:10
9.     Wayfaerer     04:41       instrumental
10.     Dead God in Me     04:15

40:09

 

Line up:

• Anders Fridén : Vocals (lead), Lyrics
• Björn Gelotte : Guitars (lead), Drums, Songwriting (tracks 3, 5, 9)
• Jesper Strömblad : Guitars (lead, acoustic), Keyboards, Songwriting (tracks 1-10)
• Johan Larsson : Bass, Vocals (backing), Songwriting (track 2)
• Glenn Ljungström : Guitars (lead), Songwriting (tracks 4-8, 10).

 

 

 

 

 Label: Nuclear Blast Records. NB 168-2 / 27361 61682.

 Original release licensed to Nuclear Blast Records by Wrong Again Records.
The band was under contract to WAR, but WAR never released their own edition of this album - early editions bore both labels' logos and stated "Licensed from Wrong Again Records".

Quotation in "Lord Hypnos" taken from William Wordsworth's "Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood".

The release date of the album is uncertain. Nuclear Blast cites February 20, 1996 while it may not have been distributed widely until August.

Recorded and mixed in November, 1995 at Studio Fredman, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Co-produced by In Flames.

Artwork: Andreas Marshall.
Logo: Glenn Ljungström. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Metal Horde Zine - Special Report SWR Barroselas Metalfest XV (2012)

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bolt Thrower - The IV Crusade (1992)

The IVth Crusade is the fourth studio album by the legendary British death metal band Bolt Thrower, released in 1992 via Earache Records.

Key Features

• Sound: On this album, the band significantly slowed down their tempo compared to their previous work, War Master, leaning into a heavier style influenced by Death-Doom and bands like Candlemass and Pentagram.
• Theme and Artwork: The title refers to the Fourth Crusade and the capture of Constantinople. The cover features the 1840 painting by Eugène Delacroix titled "The Entry of the Crusaders into Constantinople".
• Legacy: It is considered one of the band’s most powerful and consistent works. In 2025, Loudwire named it the best death metal album of 1992.

 

 

 

 

 Tracklist:

1.     The IVth Crusade     04:59
2.     Icon     04:10
3.     Embers     05:18
4.     Where Next to Conquer     03:50
5.     As the World Burns     05:25
6.     This Time It's War     05:50
7.     Ritual     04:30
8.     Spearhead     06:47
9.     Celestial Sanctuary     04:37
10.     Dying Creed     04:17
11.     Through the Ages (Outro)     03:45
 
53:28 

 

Line up: 

• Gavin Ward : Guitars
• Karl Willetts : Vocals
• Barry Thomson : Guitars
• Jo Bench : Bass
• Andy Whale : Drums.

 

 

 

 Label: Earache Records. MOSH 70CD

 All tracks recorded and produced at Sawmills Studio, August 1992 by Colin Richardson and Bolt Thrower.
Mixed at: Fon Studios, Sheffield-September 1992.

Front Cover "Entry of the Crusaders into Constantinople"Painted By Delacroix In1840.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Absence - Riders Of The Plague (2007)

 

 The Absence is an American metal band from Tampa, Florida. Their style has been described as aggressive thrash metal fused with melodic death metal in the manner of the Gothenburg sound of Scandinavian metal. They were previously signed to Metal Blade Records and are now signed to M-Theory Audio.

The band released a self-titled EP in 2004 and followed up with their debut album, From Your Grave, in 2005. The band's second album, Riders of the Plague, was released in 2007. The album was praised in a review for finding an "interesting balance" between the genres death metal and thrash metal. In 2007, bassist Michael Leon joined the band. Drummer Jeramie Kling left the band that same year and was temporarily replaced by Chris Pistillo from the Tampa death metal scene. The band recruited Justin Reynolds as their new drummer in early 2008.

The Absence stated in late 2008 that they would be entering the studio to record a new album in March 2009. Due to time constraints and touring duties, the band said they would enter the studio on September 10 since the original date "wasn't the right time." The band delayed the recording of the album again and later entered Mana Recording Studios on November 2, 2009, to record Enemy Unbound. Their third studio album, Enemy Unbound was released on September 14, 2010, and reached No. 55 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Jeramie Kling rejoined the band during summer 2010. On September 27, 2010, The Absence released their music video of "Enemy Unbound" from their eponymous album Enemy Unbound. As of January 1, 2013, guitarist Peter Joseph parted ways with The Absence. On January 22, 2013, it was announced that Per Nilsson of Scar Symmetry had joined the band.

 

 

 

 

 

 Tracklist:

1.     Riders of the Plague     04:01 
2.     Dead and Gone     05:04 
3.     The Murder     05:22 
4.     Echos     05:05 
5.     World Divides     05:35 
6.     Prosperity     04:08       instrumental
7.     Untitled     00:04       instrumental
8.     Awakening     05:13 
9.     Merciless     06:44 
10.     Into the Pit (Testament cover)     02:48 
11.     The Victorious Dead     04:16
12.     Outro     07:03       instrumental
 
55:23

 

Line up: 

 • Jamie Stewart : Vocals, Lyrics
• Patrick Pintavalle : Bass (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12), Guitars, Songwriting (tracks 1, 3-8, 11)
• Peter Joseph : Bass (tracks 2, 4, 10, 11), Guitars, Songwriting (tracks 2, 4, 5, 9)
• Jeramie Kling : Drums, Vocals (backing) (track 10).

 

 

 

Label: Metal Blade Records – 3984-14623-2P

 Recorded at Mana Studios, Florida, February-March 2007.
Mixed and mastered at Black Lounge Studios, Grangärde, Sweden, March 2007.
Additional editing at Tropicsounds Studios, Florida.
Jonas Granvik's backing vocals recorded by Simon Johansson at Solna Sound Recording, Sweden.

 

 

 

 

 

Bloodbath - Grand Morbid Funeral (2014) [Promo]

 

 Took their name from a Cancer song. The band's logo is a tribute to Gorement's.

Bloodbath formed in 1998 during one evening when friends Mikael Åkerfeldt, Anders Nyström, Jonas Renkse, and Dan Swanö had the idea to play death metal in the realm of Entombed mixed with some of the US Florida death metal scene bands. Quite simply, Bloodbath was born out of this shared admiration for quality death metal in its old fashion combined with a new sound.

Mikael Åkerfeldt left Bloodbath about a year after the release of Resurrection Through Carnage because he wanted to focus on his more serious group, Opeth, but he still performed with the band for their Wacken 2005 set. He then returned to the band in 2008 and left again in 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 Tracklist:

 1.     Let the Stillborn Come to Me     04:37
2.     Total Death Exhumed     03:51
3.     Anne     03:59
4.     Church of Vastitas     03:37
5.     Famine of God's Word     04:56
6.     Mental Abortion     03:47
7.     Beyond Cremation     04:41
8.     His Infernal Necropsy     03:35
9.     Unite in Pain     03:52
10.     My Torturer     04:17
11.     Grand Morbid Funeral     05:35

 46:47

 

Line up: 

 • Lord Seth : Bass, Songwriting (tracks 1, 4, 6, 8), Lyrics (tracks 1, 4, 6, 8)
 • Blakkheim : Guitars, Songwriting (tracks 2, 7, 9, 11), Lyrics (tracks 2, 11)
• Axe : Drums
 • Sodomizer : Guitars, Songwriting (tracks 3, 5, 10), Lyrics (tracks 3, 5, 10)
 • Old Nick : Vocals, Lyrics (tracks 7, 9).

 

 

Label: Peaceville – CDVILEF546WM

Recorded Ghost Ward & City of Glass, March - September 2014.
Mixed at Ghost Ward, Stockholm, September, 2014.
Mastered at Stockholm Mastering, Stockholm, September 2014.

Tracks #1, #4, #6, #8 Published by Imagem Music Ltd
Tracks #3, #5, #10 Published by AMF Music
Tracks #2, #11 Published by Imagem Music Ltd
Tracks #7, #9 Published by Imagem Music Ltd/Copyright Control

Chris Reifert courtesy of Autopsy & Peaceville Records
Recorded at HipCro Productions, Benicia, CA
Eric Cutler courtesy of Autopsy & Peaceville Records. 

On some Digital platforms the sample of Ted Bundy in "Anne" was removed.

A video was made for "Church of Vastitas".

 

 

 

Moonblood - Fullmoonwitchery [ep] (2013)

 

 Moonblood was formed in Germany in February 1994 by Gaamalzagoth (vocals) and Occulta Mors (all instruments). The band released a wealth of demos and their first full-length album, Blut & Krieg, was released in 1996. A couple of splits and more demos followed and in 2000 the second album, Taste Our German Steel! was released. The band at this time was already defunct (1999). 

 

 

Tracklist:

 1.     Fullmoon Witchery     04:30
2.     Under the Abyssic Black Wings of the Third Angel     05:28

09:58

 

 Line up:

⸸ Gaamalzagoth (vocals)

⸸ Occulta Mors (all instruments).

 

 

 

 Label: Iron Bonehead Productions.

Recorded September 22, 1996 Digan Tonstudio.
Track 1 originally appeared on the Encyclopedia Pestilentia compilation.