Review by Adam on August 2, 2001.

Some people refer to In Flames as the kings of melodic death metal. "The Jester Race" does little to prove these people wrong. Diverse in its compositions and unique in its style this set In Flames early on, in a class of their own. It would place a firm foundation beneath the band itself to create even more melodic and aspiring work to come.

The record kicks off with 'Moonshield', a track accompanied by interesting acoustic guitar lines and ultra-melodic leads. The vocals on this release are a little deeper than on the band's upcoming albums and give it a heavier tone. "The Jester Race" consists of two very catchy instrumentals that are sure to appeal to any fan of melodic death. Some tracks are more midtempo while others are more thrash oriented.

The disc is full of many strong tracks; however, one song which really stands out would have to be 'Artifacts of the Black Rain'. It is in this track where the dual lead harmonies take center stage and really help carry the song and make it incredibly catchy and impossible to ignore. Overall this disc basically has no weaknesses, and is not to far from perfect. It forshadows their great triumphs to come and is a must for any and all melodic death metal fans.

Bottom Line: If you are a melodic death fan then there is no excuse for you to not have this disc!

Rating: 9 out of 10