Three decades on, In Flames are marking the 30th anniversary of their genre-defining classic The Jester Race with a special 12″ reissue and it’s a must for collectors and melodic death metal lifers alike.
Pressed on crystal clear vinyl, the 1LP sleeve edition of The Jester Race also includes the Black-Ash Inheritance 10″ EP, with the entire package limited to just 4,000 units worldwide.
Released in 1996, The Jester Race helped codify the Gothenburg sound and reshape the trajectory of melodic death metal. Alongside At The Gates‘ Slaughter of the Soul and Dark Tranquillity‘s The Gallery, The Jester Race stands as one of the holy trinity releases that defined the Swedish genre’s DNA.
But where Slaughter of the Soul delivered a furious barrage and The Gallery felt tightly coiled and urgent, The Jester Race carved out its own identity. There’s a regal, almost cinematic quality to it. Acoustic flourishes, folk-tinged melodies, and razor-sharp riffing collide in a way that still feels transportive three decades later.
Spin “Moonshield” today and it still soars. Revisit “The Jester’s Dance” and that sense of awe comes flooding back — the same feeling fans had when they first encountered the album’s intricate guitar harmonies and sweeping atmospheres.
Anyway, I love this record and you really ought to get yourselves a copy from the Metal Injection store right here.
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