The growth of Sweden's In Flames continued on their 1999 release Colony, an album that contains less of the black/death metal influence, as the band at this point is becoming more melodic, perhaps even more progressive, yet still retaining their metal power.
A song like "Ordinary Story" is a true departure for the band at this stage of their career, mixing keyboards, warm acoustic passages with Porcupine Tree-like clean vocals, with their trademark crunchy & melodic electric guitar thunder and aggressive vocal stylings. There's plenty of the manic harmony guitar work, like on the pounding "Scorn" and the Iron Maiden-ish "Coerced Coexistence" (check out the tortured hooks on this one), as well as rampaging thumpers like "Zombie Inc." and the brutal title track. There's even some Celtic flavor to the guitarwork on the addicting "Resin", a brutal melodic death metal number that features crushing riffs and ungodly lead vocals from Anders Friden.
As a neat bonus, you get a re-working of the classic cut "Behind Space", complete with intricate guitar patterns, brutal rhythms, crazed vocals, and added symphonic keyboards. Plus, there is the technical prog-metal of the excellent "Insipid 2000", a song that really shows off the guitar prowess of both Bjorn Gelotte and Jesper Stromblad.
Welcome to the world of In Flames. If you are new to the band, Colony is where they made a transition to more accessible forms of metal, yet still held on to their black/death metal roots. Great stuff all around on this one, and a sign of even better things that eventually came with Clayman and Reroute to Remain.
Track Listing
1. Embody the Invisible
2. Ordinary Story
3. Scorn
4. Colony
5. Zombie Inc.
6. Pallar Anders Visa
7. Coerced Coexistence
8. Resin
9. Behind Space '99
10. Insipid 2000
11. New World
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