In Sweden [Live]

1. Take the "A" Train

2. Black and Tan Fantasy

3. Perdido

4. Sophisticated Lady

5. Sonnet to Hank Cinq

6. What Else Can You Do With a Drum?

7. You Better Know It

8. On the Sunny Side of the Street

9. Things Ain't What They Used to Be

10. Gato

In Sweden,Duke Ellington,Jazz Information,Big Band,Classic Jazz,Jazz,Orchestral Jazz,Pop,Swing

Jazz

Music

jazz

Tracks:

Prelude
Cry for You
Looking for Love
Satellites
Flowers on the Grave
It Doesn't Matter
Sacrifice
Good Times
Midnight Heartache
Sound Memory
End of the Rainbow
Satellites [Live Acoustic Version]
Satellites [Multimedia Track]
Looking for Love [Multimedia Track]

Customer Reviews:

whoa! September rules!.......2007-06-10

the video for 'Satellites' just blew me away!! i'm telling you---watching her dance in that white dress was a mind blower! i was able to watch the video on you-tube because i never could get the one on the cd to work.

the CD has about 10 songs on it---all good. the cd also has two videos on it, 'Satellites' and 'Looking for Love'. for the life of me, i can't figure out how to view them. i've tried every multimedia player known to man and none of them will work. it's frustrating to the max---you'd think they would've put these two multimedia files in a format Windows Media Player could recognize.

oh well. other than not being able to play the videos, the CD is awesome.

One of Sweden's best new imports........2007-01-09

21 year old Petra Marklund has recorded what could be a very good contender for pop album of the year and dance album of the year of 2006. I discovered this artist by recommendation and I am tickled.

This album has the disctinctive Swedish pop sound which I looove. At the same time she has a disco sound going on. The well produced beats and instrumentation provide great foil to Petra's powerful vocals. It's refreshing for a female singer to have a strong voice in dance music.

"Satellites" the obvious hit off the album is dance-pop perfection. Think A* Teens meets old-school Britney Spears but with stronger vocals. It is the strongest and might be the best track on the album but each track is a winner. Some tracks are growers but giving them time their greatness will sink in.

"Looking for Love" has a blatant disco sound but it's much better than the crap that permeates our ears and brains. The general American public has really bad taste in music. In Europe, namely Scandinavia. They know good music and know how to make it. I am thankful to have discovered this artist.
"Flowers on the Grave" is an above standard pop ballad. It's much better than what we are subject to day in and day out by American pop culture.
Other standout tracks include, "It Doesn't Matter", "Good Times" and "Midnight Tonight" It's nothing groundbreaking or necessarily new but it's not good. It's great.

the other side..........2006-12-13

If Alice Deejay had an ounce of credibility this would have been her release. It sounds like 2001. It's dancey pop music. It's not electro in any way.

I will try to never listen to this cd again. The only reason I give it 2 stars is because the production value is above average.

I can see why young girls like this. I may give it to my niece.

My new FAVORITE cd!!! .......2006-08-11

From the moment you start the first track to the last you are hooked. The songs are infectious and the rythms have you wanting to dance. You can't help but to sing along and move to the beat. It was by chance that I came across hearing satellites and I was hooked in an instant. If you like fresh music with a twist of disco and dance-pop than you can't go wrong with this CD. You will not be dissapointed.

This CD has it all! Well produced, great lyrics, and fantastic voice!

Stellar dance pop.......2006-04-19

I had unknowingly already heard of September when I listened to Robbins' "Dance Party like it's 2006" compilation, which features "Satellites". I didn't know I would come to love the song at the time, but upon reflection, I can say that I enjoyed it even then.

This album is really hard to dislike. It doesn't have the obnoxious, repetetive, neverending beats like Cascada, or the whiny voice of Edmee' in DHT. The beats and melodies are all blended rather well, and the singer's voice is strong and very very easy to enjoy. At no point in this album does September take themselves too seriously, and that is HUGELY important in any genre, but definitely in dance.

"Satellites", the song everyone should know, is more electro than anything else, but I could see where people would get disco and house from. It's very poppy, and a wonderful song. "Flowers on the Grave" is one of the slower songs, still beautiful, still a great listen. "It Doesn't Matter" is more of a disco song, featuring some guitars thrown in with the "shake your ass like you just don't care" dance beats.

A previous reviewer said that "Midnight Heartache" sounded familiar. This is because the song features a "Bette Davis Eyes" sample as the musical background. Also, Mylo used the same sample for his "In Your Arms" song. September treats the music as a canvas, and they paint quite a song overtop of it. "Midnight Heartache" is one of my favorites. "Sacrifice" is your typical dance-pop fare, but again those vocals are amazing and they drag you by the ear drum.

All in all, I highly recommend this to anyone with an ear for gorgeous female vocals, or for a penchant to dance. This will not disappoint.

Average customer rating:

Great Album..
A melodic metal masterpiece, and one of the best metal albums of 2006
Awesome CD
Perfect! Absolutely Perfect
Some people are stupid.

Come Clarity
In Flames
Manufacturer: Ferret Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Reroute to Remain
Soundtrack to Your Escape
Whoracle
Jester Race: Black Ash Inheritance
Clayman

ASIN: B000E1XO8K
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Tracks:

Take This Life
Leeches
Reflect The Storm
Dead End
Scream
Come Clarity
Vacuum
Pacing Death's Trail
Crawl Through Knives
Versus Terminus
Our Infinite Struggle
Vanishing Light
Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone

Customer Reviews:

Great Album.........2007-07-13

I think, best album their carrier.

I want to rate those songs objectivity;

Take this Life - 10/10

Leeches - 9/10

Reflect the Storm - 9/10

Dead End - Awesome lyrics best song on album. 10/10

Scream - 7/10

Come Clarity - 10/10

Vacuum - Great song. 10/10

Pacing Deaths Trail - 8/10

Crawl Through Knives - Everything is Awesome and it is so catchy. 10/10

Versus Terminus - 8/10

Our Infinite Struggle - 6/10

Vanishing Light - Awesome lyrics. 9/10

Your Bedtime Story is Scaring Everyone - Weakest song of Album. 5/10

Overall great album 9/10

Buy it!Never regret.

A melodic metal masterpiece, and one of the best metal albums of 2006.......2007-06-27

Two words: simply stunning! This album was a turning point for In Flames, as it is the first to feature and emphasize Anders singing abilities from start to finish. Anders has a very distinctive voice, one that can range from death metal/cookie monster growls, screams, and singing. He is, undoubtedly, one of the most poignant and powerful frontmen in metal today. The guitar work between Jesper and Bjorn is fantastic with plenty o' harmonized riffs and solos galore, and incredible drum work by Daniel Svensson. The more I listen to this album, the more I am amazed by it. Many fans of their early work may not get or like this album because of the new direction they decided to take on it, but this is one of the few Gothenberg metal bands that continues to progress for the better. Too bad I can't say the same for Soilwork.

Awesome CD.......2007-06-22

original technical brutal noise
this cd just plain rocks
buy it right now

Perfect! Absolutely Perfect.......2007-06-20

People seem to think because this is the same band, but they have changed their playing style, that this CD sucks. That is completely not true! In Flames changed quite a bit. Lunar Strain was their first cd, I agree that it was a great cd. Then came The Jester Race, Their best by far with Moonshield and the album titled The Jester Race. TJR was a great album in which they really strived for an ethereal feel. Then came Whoracle, was a great CD in which they (In Flames) expiremented with a new sound of more metal riffs and just basically more perfection. Then came Colony. Colony was a great cd with those heavy melodic riffs that In Flames is known for. With introduction of the keyboards and "speaking" lyrics added ALOT more to In Flames. After Colony came Clayman. Clayman wasnt one of my favorites because it was more of a step backwards from Colony, still more melodic metal. Then the CD which really shaped In Flames into what they are today, Reroute to Remain. With melodic, very heavy metal, with introduction of chorus in almost every song, this made this CD a killer. This is where people start saying In Flames SUCKS. In Flames, does not SUCK in any one of their CD's, its called expirementing. Anyways...Reroute to Remain was more of a down to earth view of human problems. Instead of thinking of space, and the meaning of everything, In Flames started focusing on what makes the humans and their universe around them tick. The song "Black & White" explains the differences between good and bad, saying that "there is no room for two, the scale might be wide, but there is no need to be blind, between black and white, there is no room for two". This really emphesizes the idea of the connection between humans and the universe. In the album Soundtrack to Your Escape In Flames, still focused on human imperfection and relations, really used the keyboards and heavier riffs. Songs like "My Sweet Shadow", "Evil In A Closet", and "Dead Alone" were really the killer songs in the album, some of my favorites. Some people say StYE is their (In Flames) weakest album. I do not agree, and say Clayman is their weakest. StYE was just more of a change to the "dark" side, it may sound weird, but the dark side focusing on the bad things and being hurt. And Finally, and lastly, Come Clarity. So much to say about this album. This was my first ever In Flames CD. I think this is their second best next to The Jester Race because of the pounding drums and the lower octave of the bass. In Flames still has that old sound and epicness to them, but with a new, more modern feel. Songs like "Leeches", "Reflect The Storm", "Come Clarity", and "Crawl Through Knives" really stuck out to me showing me the hurting side of things. Come Clarity is a CD about hurting...being left out, and not being heard. The biggest human struggles of all right now. Depression, and not being heard. This CD really helped me get through some bad times. If there was one million stars on the chart, this CD wouldnt even be on there. Come Clarity is just a masterpiece of modern metal and melodic Gothenburg metal. There arent many keyboards in Come Clarity, but more talent. I feel this cd was only second best to The Jester Race because of the complexity to The Jester Race. The best closing i have ever heard was on Come Clarity. "Your Bedtime Story is Scaring Everyone" Is the perfect ender to a near perfect CD. Come Clarity is definately going to be one of those CD's i hold with me to the grave.

Some people are stupid........2007-04-03

While admitedly better than their last two disgraces, this album still does not even come close to their epics, The Jester Race and Whoracle (especially the former). I understand why many-a-youngin' would be blown away by these guys. If only your first exposure to In Flames had been when they released those two albums, you would understand. Seriously, what happened to Anders' voice?? I guess he thrashed it out too early in his career, like many up-and-comers. And those "solos?" The solo in "Trigger" gave my friends and I nights and nights of nonstop laughter!) Where is the epic storytelling we saw in the early days. Instead of focusing on making an album full of various singles, as they do now, they were releasing themed, yet NOT cheesy. Bjorn should have stayed on drums. And they really, REALLY need Glenn back on lead. No offense to Jesper, because when those two worked together, the result was absolute magic.

I wish I could give the younger generation some advice as to how they could truly appreciate this band, but unfortunately they were just born too late. The era of 1995-1998 was the peak of metal, but the so-called "metalheads" of today probably have too much black dye in their hair to notice. I guess my only advice would be to read some interviews with In Flames, and go listen to the bands they used to listen to. Or just go buy At the Gates, Slaughter of the Soul (the "originators" and grand-daddys of the Swedish/Metlodic death metal sound). Although at this point, I'm will to bet you wouldn't be impressed with that either.

Normally, it is wise of a band (unless they are really something special) to stick to the sound that won them fans. I tend to agree with this. However, at this point, PLEASE change, In Flames!! Either go back to the original lineup, or break up. Don't be like Metallica and stretch it out, dear God, what is it, over 25 years?? I can't imagine a quarter century of In Flaming malarky.

Average customer rating:

Spend some time in the shade with The Concretes
as boring as the self-titled release
Good summery album
sunny, summertime soundtrack

In Colour
The Concretes
Manufacturer: Astralwerks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Swedish Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Twee Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Layourbattleaxedown
The Concretes
At War with the Mystics
Show Your Bones
Broken Boy Soldiers

ASIN: B000EHSVXC
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Tracks:

On The Radio
Sunbeams
Change In The Weather
Chosen One
Your Call
Fiction
Tomorrow
As Four
Grey Days
Way Of Life
Ooh La La
Song For The Songs

Customer Reviews:

Spend some time in the shade with The Concretes.......2007-02-16

"In Colour" may not be a significant step forward musically for the veteran Swedish band The Concretes, but it's probably their most accessible album to date. It's filled with their typically infectious and mildly quirky yet sometimes gorgeous pop songs. Led by the fragile yet soulful croonings of petite lead singer Victoria Bergsman, the songs have a delicate and distinctive quality to them that grows on you with each listen. The opening song "On the Radio" is a catchy, melodic tune that wills its way into your heart via Bergsman's sweet vocals. "Change in the Weather" is a wistful country-flavored track that's as light and cozy as a warm pillow. Meanwhile "Chosen One" is a deceptively simple ready-for-radio pop tune given an edge by prominent guitars and Bergsman's slightly off kilter line readings.

Sadly, Victoria Bergsman and the rest of the group seem to have had a falling out in 2006, leading to her split from The Concretes and her pursuit of a solo career. Meanwhile, The Concretes look to carry on without her. Judging from quality of the 12 songs on "In Colour" it would seem that both The Concretes and Victoria Bergsman have more than enough talent to continue making great music on their own.

as boring as the self-titled release.......2006-10-05

What a pain this album is to listen to; it has the most uninteresting chord progressions I've ever heard and a whiny singer. It's soft and creative with use of instruments, but the instruments are not used to make good music unfortunately. This band pretty much can stop making tunes for all I care, because hardly anyone in the U.S. knows who they are. Don't buy this crap unless you want to substitute it for Lunesta.

Good summery album.......2006-06-11

The Concretes are this band from Sweden that have been around forever. They did a cool album a few years ago. They were on an American commercial. Now they won't go away. Victoria Bergsman and company are back for another go. Their music is very stylized. They are more like the third Velvet Underground record and less Motown on this one. There are some cool songs like "Sunbeams" and "Chosen One." The songs are good but maybe not as catchy as the last proper album. They might have done ten albums over there in Sweden, as far as I know. There are more mellow and quiet moments on this record. Most of the songs are impersonal. We never really get to know Victoria or any of the Concretes any better with this album. During their recent tour, The Concretes got their gear stolen, and didn't bother playing many of the West Coast shows. Oh well. The Concretes are good at what they do.

sunny, summertime soundtrack.......2006-04-13

the concrete's lastest offering, 'in colour,' is chocked so full of hooks, glistening guitars, quaint vocals, and charming harmonies that it seems impossible that it was created by folks who spend a significant portion of the year in the dark.

in the lead single, 'on the radio,' victoria bergsman comes off a karen carpenter acolyte and the results are nothing short of thrilling. it's got one of the best chorus' you've heard in awhile. it's an exquisite piece of pop and futher proof that the best pop in the world's coming out of scandanavia. and don't see be surprised to see it haunting some future t.v. commercial (as did 'say something new' of their last album).

the rest of the album boasts similarly idyllic pop. 'sunbeams' revels in it's own charm. 'chosen one' displays the concretes ability to harmonize with the best of them. 'gray days' makes a slight foray into the country realm with nice violin and electric piano flourishes.

what's perhaps most impressive about the album is that it sounds completely unforced. with too many artists over-trying to make 'art' records, it's great to see a band focused on good, old-fasioned pop (can any pop song with a flute solo really be that bad? don't think so). for some it may come across as too cute or too twee (see: acid house kings and camera obscura are fair reference points for the 'in colour'), but those who do need to stop taking themselves so seriously.

'in colour' is a welcome relief to the current crop of 'serious' musicians who've forgotten that in the end a great song is about a great hook. for those who like their hooks, 'in colour' in a perfect place to start. it's unabashadedly pop and the perfect glimmering summer soundtrack.

A Song Inside My Head, A Demon in My Bed

Average customer rating:

A Song Inside My Head, A Demon in My Bed
Laura Oh
Manufacturer: Bonnier
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000QFBVFM
Release Date: 2007-06-04

Tracks:

Call to Arms
It Ain't Enough
Release Me
Black N' Blue
Fine Line
Raining in New York
Out of Bounds
Thunderbird Motel
Mess You Left Behind
Killer on the Road
Friend Like Me

Album Details

With Influences Ranging from Kate Bush, Bob Dylan to Dolly Parton, Sweden's Oh Laura is Tipped to Be the Next Huge Act to Come from the Scandinavian Country.

Average customer rating:

Come Clarity
...
4.5 Stars - Excellent outing by the Swedes
Better than Soundtrack Equal to Reroute Streamlined like crazy
Evolution is not all bad

Come Clarity
In Flames
Manufacturer: Ferret Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Reroute to Remain
Soundtrack to Your Escape
Clayman
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ASIN: B000E1JP1A
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Tracks:

Take This Life
Leeches
Reflect The Storm
Dead End
Scream
Come Clarity
Vacuum
Pacing Death's Trail
Crawl Through Knives
Versus Terminus
Our Infinite Struggle
Vanishing Light
Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone

Customer Reviews:

Come Clarity.......2007-06-08

There may be nothing worse for a metalhead than hearing a favorite band go pop. Sweden's In Flames was one of the most respected acts in death metal, having emerged terra firma with The Jester Race in 1995 and steadily releasing solid albums thereafter. But then the band got a little too big for their britches, and when 2002's Reroute to Remain came out, it drew comparisons to Linkin Park and left purists slack-jawed in horror. Rather than try to win back their core audience, however, the band clung to their hopes and released their second radio-ready cherry bomb in a row--Soundtrack to Your Escape. For all but the most faithful, the future of In Flames looked bleak.

Of course, the trade-off of mainstream dilution is a wider audience, and their swerve toward pop culture granted them the exposure that allowed their incredible new album, Come Clarity, to be heard by people like you and me. They landed a premier spot at last summer's Ozzfest, and Come Clarity debuted on the U.S. Billboard charts at a whopping #58. The album was even reviewed by Pitchfork, the likes of which doesn't come near death metal with a ten-foot pole. As they say, three times a charm, and while Come Clarity won't pick up all the pieces of their shattered fan base, it thankfully finds the band moving back toward the melodic death metal that made them a hit.

When I say that Come Clarity is melodic, I mean it. Even the most skull-crushing riffs are quite tuneful, and as catchy as the limitations of death metal will allow. So, while vitriol-soaked thrashers like "Take This Life" and "Versus Terminus" will blow your ears clean off your head, they won't make them bleed. That principle lies at the core of the "Gothenburg sound"--a Swedish death metal subtype whose bands wrote songs-with-a-capital-S while working within metallic boundaries. These are songs, without a doubt; almost all employ bridges, boast killer choruses and end up around the three-and-a-half minute mark. I would call Come Clarity metallic pop if the term didn't make me think of Whitesnake, so let's call it death metal for beginners.

Despite the added melodicism, and the band's country of origin, Come Clarity isn't very "Scandinavian." The lofty, classically-influenced lead guitar is present, but their new label treats them like a hardcore band, shifting the focus to the chunky, earth-shaking rhythm guitar. Vocals run the gamut from a throaty, mid-range death growl to soaring, beautifully introspective alterna-rock bellows. Finally, there are none of those preening keyboards to hijack the rock; Come Clarity lets the bass, drums, and dueling guitars do all the talking.

A typical winter in Sweden is a little like being assaulted with 10,000 snowballs at once. The harshness of the winter months tends to influence the bulk of Scandinavian metal, but In Flames is more concerned with creating electricity, and you get the feeling that they would be much happier if the earth exploded than if it froze over. While their heavy metal brethren often set their sights on hell or the tops of castle towers, In Flames keep their music strictly earthbound.

Old fans may be hesitant to embrace Come Clarity because, even with the Judas Priest influence in tow, it still contains a healthy dose of nu-metal in the vocals and riffs. Grumble and seethe they may, but much of the Swedish death metal that saw its greatest days in the `90s is now beginning to show wrinkles. Come Clarity refreshingly extracts the best from both camps and fuses them into one cogent, powerful, challenging and electrifying statement of purpose. We desperately need albums like this--ones that are easy to access but never pander, and mold marginalized music into something that just about anybody can enjoy.

..........2007-01-10

Of the many available titles, I have chosen to review Come Clarity because this appears to be the point in the band's career where they have decided that no matter what they do, they're going to somehow garner even more popularity and appeal to an even larger fanbase of mindless sheep that are eagerly awaiting to eat their crap with a golden spoon... and unremarkably, they've delivered.

I hesitate to label Come Clarity the worst metal album of all time, just as I hesitate to label it the worst album in the band's discography, because either of those conclusions would imply that this album is worse than Reroute to Remain or, say, Soundtrack to Your Escape; two albums which I have developed a striking aversion to and that I believe are equally terrible in their own ways. Come Clarity is awful on an entirely different level though, because while RtR and STYE can possibly be written off as the band "experimenting" with different styles, Come Clarity is something of a mammoth accomplishment for In Flames - they have managed to convince many old time fans that the album is a return to form for the band; that it's a stronger In Flames; that they have redeemed themselves.

I am completely baffled.

I'm not going to bother doing a song by song analysis of this garbage, because every song is absurdly formulaic and pretty much the same. The formula works on some level, because I actually caught myself tapping my foot on numerous occasions while listening to this, and equally often I felt like I was supposed to be singing along with Anders Fridén - who, by the way, sucks here more than he has ever sucked before. His screaming brings to mind the last moments of a rabid ferret as its lungs are methodically ripped out through its throat, and his "singing" is on a level of emo that I cannot effectively put into words (which is actually fitting, since the lyrics match).

The songs are chorus-driven and very catchy, but consequently amount to nothing more than really bad riffing, poppy and jumpy guitar melodies, and (as I mentioned earlier) sections where you will literally be compelled to look up the lyrics and start singing along. If this doesn't seem inherently bad, then I remind you that In Flames are considered a melodic death metal band, not a melodic pop-punk band.

A few songs in particular stand out -

"Leeches" kind of reminds me of a Machinae Supremacy track for the first 10 seconds or so, which is kind of cool, but it then turns into more or less total trash with a chorus featuring Anders singing "It burns, it rips, it hurts!" in a voice of such soaring and majestic magnitude that it shouldn't have any problems serving as the anthem to the listener slitting his wrists.

"Dead End" starts off slightly less than completely horrible, and then turns into an Evanescence song, with Anders actually harmonizing with the guest female vocalist in the chorus... I don't think much of it, but I guess it's something new for him. At around the 2:10 mark, the song features a guitar "solo" worthy of the poppiest of pop bands.

"Scream" starts off with a riff that I think I probably came up with one day when I was around 14 years old, playing around with my first freshly purchased electric guitar in my mom's basement. Seriously, it made me cringe.

The title track features a bunch of acoustic noodling, Anders singing in a processed and distant voice, and a ridiculously catchy chorus that will probably go down in history as a perfect example of what NOT to do if you're a band that's associated in any way with death metal.

"Crawl Through Knives" features a chorus that is... ugh... sounds like the guys found an anti-social high school freshman with sprinkles in his hair to perform guest vocals.

Every other track is basically some combination of the above tracks.

The biggest problem that I see with this album is the retarded juxtaposition of several disparate elements that should never, ever, ever be placed together in the same context. Any semblance of a cool riff is consistently destroyed by a sing-along emo chorus. Every attempt at a solo is crushed by the use of poppy melodies ripped straight from a Silverstein album. Every halfway decent roar from Anders is guaranteed to soon be drowned out by something that sounds like Korn's Jonathan Davis. For every good idea, there's something that comes along and completely nullifies it.

Another problem with this album is the mixing/mastering job. It sucks. Bad. There's audible distortion in several areas, and the whole thing is just obscenely loud. Listening through the entire album is an exercise in monotony.

Anyway, Come Clarity isn't a return to form for In Flames. In many ways, they've actually moved even further away from what originally made them a tolerable band, and I don't see them making any kind of effort to remedy that. This will probably be the last In Flames album I buy... but then again, I said the same thing about Soundtrack to Your Escape.

All in all, horrible.

4.5 Stars - Excellent outing by the Swedes.......2006-12-25

A lot of metalheads these days have little to no idea what commercial viability, nu-metal, or emocore are. I see all these adjectives thrown out to describe In Flames latest effort, "Come Clarity", and none of them ring anywhere near true. So, instead of pasting a bunch of vague and often incorrect genre labels to try to describe this album, I'll use specifics and concrete examples.

First off, In Flames, if you don't know, are a highly influential band that, along with (most notably) Dark Tranquility and a smattering of followers, defined the Gothenberg sound of melodic death metal. Essentially, bands like Soilwork, Disarmonia Mundi, Callenish Circle, et all pretty much owe their existence to In Flames, and I'm pretty sure they're sick of hearing it. Sorry guys, you know the score.

Though their sound has evolved, their newest offering shows a culmination of all the changes and experimentations they've done on their newer releases, coupled with the straight-up melodeath they helped pioneer. Crushing, heavy death guitars that break into melodic interludes, screamed verses that make way for absolutely devestating grooved choruses, often so catchy someone needs to deem them illegal. To the delight of a lot of people, the synth leads they really started messing around with on their last two albums have been cut back quite a bit, used sparingly and to great effect.

Indeed, In Flames has come back from the critically lampooned "Soundtrack to your Escape" and the polarizing "Reroute to Remain" with a hybrid of their earlier works and those releases. All throughout the album, the Swedish pioneers deliver 12 tracks of energetic and, quite frankly, inspired metal. The entire band sounds re-energized and ready to kick your face in, and they do it quite well. You can scour around Youtube and drop a listen to the video they released for "Take This Life", and what you'll hear is a summary for the rest of the CD.

If you want it as brutal as possible, and if some clean vocals scare you off, look elsewhere. However, if In Flames has ever caught your attention in the past, and there were even a few moments on "Reroute to Remain" that made you want to hit up the nearest circle pit, you'd do well to check this album out. It's writing is rock solid, the performances are inspired, and the songs themselves showcase the sound these guys have been looking for.

Excellent effort.

Better than Soundtrack Equal to Reroute Streamlined like crazy.......2006-12-04

Ok I really like this album a lot and I think its better than Soundtrack and ok better than Reroute however I like Reroutes songs better individually but as a whole its really incosistant where as CC has all good tracks cept for Scream and Take This Life. However any chance to denounce the fact that this band is stretching out its hand to the mainstream is deff utterly dead on this album. You can clearly see the elements that they put into their music to get more exposure on the mainstream audience. However I dont think its bad the music is still deff good however different and its deff working and in a good way ive seen many new IF fans discover not only the band and its newer music but its older stuff too and aswell discover other great swedish bands like Soilwork and Dark tranquillity so all is well that ends well and right now id say that it is so.

Evolution is not all bad.......2006-11-24

Yes, this CD is different than their prior albums. Maybe it has to do with a new recording company, maybe it has to do with the emerging popularity of screamo, or maybe it is just their newer sound. Whatever it is, it is definitely different than their prior albums.

Now that we cleared that up, let's get on with the review. This is their best album to date. Honestly. The vocals are clean, understandable, and meaningful. The guitars shred and the melding of Lisa Miskovsky's voice with the normal vocals is an interesting twist (try "Dead End" to hear this).

Ignore the other people who bash this CD as selling out or criticize In Flames for changing. The very same people would have criticized them if they had made the same record they've made again and again for being repititive.

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Your Favourite Classics

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Toccata in d, BWV 565 - Hans Fagius
Spring From 'The Four Seasons', Op.8: I. Allegro - Nils-Erik Sparf
Spring From 'The Four Seasons', Op.8: II. Largo E Pianissimo Sempre - Nils-Erik Sparf
Spring From 'The Four Seasons', Op.8: III. Allegro - Nils-Erik Sparf
Air From Ste No.3 in D - Gunilla Von Bahr
Vivace From Double Con, BWV 1043 - Okko Kamu & Leif Segerstam
Largo From Lute Con in D - Jakob Lindberg
Badinerie From Ste No.2 in b - Gunilla Von Bahr
Canon - Gunilla Von Bahr
Largo From Piccolo Con In C, PV 79 - Gunilla Von Bahr
Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude - Hans Fagius
From Double Con In B Flat: III. Tendrement - Clas Pehrsson/Dan Laurin
From Double Con In B Flat: IV. Gayment - Clas Pehrsson/Dan Laurin
Second Mvt From 'Dixit Dominus' - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Andante Grazioso From Con in F - Annika Wallin/Arne Nilsson
Giazotto, Remo: Adagio - Gunilla Von Bahr
Excerpts From Les Folies D'Espagne - Manuela Wiesler
Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - Gunilla Von Bahr
Toccata From 'Suite Gothique', Op.25 - Hans Fagius

Tracks:

The Rite Of Spring (Beginning) - Swedish RSO/Sixten Ehrling
Fur Elise - Dag Achatz
The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee - Christian Lindberg/Roland Pontinen
To Music, Op.88 No.4 - Hakan Hagegard/Thomas Schuback
The Swan From 'Carnival Of The Animals' - Bengt Ericson/Karin Langebo
Traumerei - Roland Pontinen
Andante From Piano Con No.21, 'Elvira Madigan' - Staffan Scheja
Clair De Lune - Roland Pontinen
The Cats' Duet - Elisabeth Soderstrom
Bydlo From 'Pictures At An Exhibition' - Janos Solyom
Minuet (From String Quintet in E) - Gunilla Von Bahr
Slavonic Dance No.8 in g (Furiant), Op.46 No.8 - STAATSPHILHARMONIE RHEINLAND-PFALZ/LEIF SEGERSTAM
Syrinx For Flute Solo - Manuela Wiesler
First Mvt (Adagio Sostenuto) From 'Moonlight' Sonata, Op.27 No.2 - Yukie Nagai
First Mvt (Allegro) From 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' - Drottingholm Baroque Ensemble
Recuerdos De La Alhambra - Diego Blanco
Third Mvt (Adagio) From Cello Con in e, Op.86 - Torleif Thedeen
Champagne Galop - Stockholm Sinfonietta/Jan Olav Wedin

Tracks:

To Spring From 'Lyric Pieces', Book III - Eva Knardahl
The Swan Of Tuonela, Op.22 No.3 - Gothenburg SO/Neeme Jarvi
Sin in F - Niols-Erik Sparf
Kjempevise-Slatten (Balad Of Revolt) From 'Slatter Og Stev Fra Siljustol', Ste 2, Op.22 - Jan Henrik Kayser
Flicken Kom Ifran Sin Alsklings Mote (The Tryst), Op.37 No.5 - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Second Mvt (Adagio) From Pno Con in a, Op.16 - Roland Pontinen
Valse Triste, Op.44 No.1 - Gothenburg SO/Neeme Jarvi
Taagen Letter (The Fog Is Lifting) - Gunilla Von Bahr
Spring From 'Two Elegiac Melodies', Op.34 - Norwegian Chamber Orch/Terje Tonnesen
Herdmaiden's Dance From 'The Mountain King' - Stockholm Sinfonietta/Esa Pekka Salonen
Romance (Adagio) From 'Pastoral Ste', Op.19 - Hans Fagius
Fourth Mvt (Marcia) From Ser For Str Orch, Op.11 - Stockholm Sinfonietta/Esa Pekka Salonen
Gammal Fabodpsalm Fran Dalarna (Old Pastoral Hymn) - Hans Fagius
Midsummer Vigil, Op.19 - Royal Stockholm Phil Orch/Neeme Jarvi
Du Gamla, Du Friska, Du Fjellhoga Nord (Swedish National Anthem) - Gothenburg SO/Neeme Jarvi

Average customer rating:

Fantastic!

In the Moonlight
Loituma
Manufacturer: Northside Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Things of Beauty
Nordic Roots: Northside Sampler
Sjofn
Nordic Roots, Vol. 2: Northside Sampler
Trä

ASIN: B00000IGRO
Release Date: 1999-04-06

Tracks:

Singing Keeps You Lazy
Minuet
Dissertation Polska
The Bells Of St. Michael's
Shooting Star
Beach Cooing
Secret Tears
Te Quiero Dijiste
Back To Sniff Road
Haze
Hearing His Beloved

Amazon.com

Using the kantele (not unlike a hammered dulcimer in sound), fiddle, and voices, this Finnish quartet shows great delicacy and stateliness--not to mention a fair slice of playfulness--on In the Moonlight. There's the sonorous, minimalist beauty of "The Bells of St. Michael's," the '30s harmonies of "Beach Cooing," and the impressionism of "Hearing His Beloved," all mixed in with some lovely dance music--dance as in minuets and polkas, not rave. Some wonderful playing, and a strong sense of light and shade, makes this an absolute joy. Like those of Värttinä, the members of Loituma are graduates of Finland's Folk Music Institute, and when you hear records as delightful as this, you'll think every country should have a similar institution. Play it and smile. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......1999-12-19

Throw away your Partridge Family Album. Use your Donny and Marie records as coasters. This is the sound of the future. Hear the only sure antidote to lutefisk poisoning. The way to keep cool in the sauna.

Tracks:

Pray Them Bars Away
Leather & Lace
Forget Marie
Cold Hard Times
The Night Before
Hey Cowboy
No Train To Stokholm
For A Day Like Today
Easy Nad Me
What's More I Don't Need Her
Vem Kan Segla

Customer Reviews:

One of Hazlewood's signature albums, and sadly out of print now...........2007-02-03

This is another great album from the Hazlewood cannon. It was the soundtrack to a TV special that he did roughly around 1969 or so. I would love to see a remastered DVD of Cowboy in Sweden. Nowadays, it seems everything is coming out on DVD (including some of the worst stuff known to man), so it would be sweet if Cowboy was released. The album is very good, despite the remastering job. Like someone else had written, there are a lot of pops and hisses here, which means vinyl was used instead of the original master tapes. Still, the album is very good, with some of Hazlewood's most moving compositions ever (and with him, that's saying something). The song For a Day Like Today is so beautiful and heartbreaking. It's probably my favorite Hazlewood song. Every Lee album I've gotten has been magnificent, and this one is no exception.

yep, it's the packaging and sound............2004-04-19

On closer listening I realised this release of Cowboy In Sweden was mastered from very worn vinyl, which is a shame because the actual recording and mixing is very atmospheric. Still, the scratchy, muddy sound adds its own texture in an era of pristine digital reproduction...
This album was apparently hastily compiled from a number of different sources, which accounts for the number of different singers (where did Suzi Jane Hokom come from? and go to?) and Swedish/non-Swedish material. Whatever, it's classic stuff, but Smells Like Records could have done a better job with the sound and annotation. If there's no other way of getting this album it's an essential buy.

Arcane Treasure.......2004-03-16

A classic album, slightly cheapened by the shoddy packaging and sound quality. The sound is very muddy and wobbly, as if mastered from very worn tapes. The booklet features several black and white snaps, some LARGE PRINT bios and recording details, and a weird preface by Lee. Essential.

Psychedelic Country.......2003-09-29

the above title is what comes to mind when i first heard this gem of an album. lee is a great songwriter. this is maybe his best album (don't know haven't heard them all yet. but this would be hard to top). the production on here is tops. the sound is great. it's some great mellow stuff. What's More I Don't Need Her is a really beautiful track. everything on here is great. other favorites are forget marie & easy and me. the album is really lovely stuff.

on a very unusual side note: my main man beck (the loser guy) played some lee on a kcrw radio broadcast where he got pick out some songs he wanted to play. he played If It's Monday Morning. but really raved on about this album. now that i've heard it i can see why.

A Country-Pop Smorgasbord.......2003-04-29

As I develop a belated appreciation for the talents of Lee Hazlewood, I have been picking up CDs of his earlier work one at a time. Cowboy In Sweden is one such recent acquisition. It offers the listener a smorgasbord of country-pop songs written for a Swedish TV show of the same name as this CD. Several of them should have attained the status of classics.
The whole CD is listenable and enjoyable despite the cutesy lyrics of Hey Cowboy and the sort of out of place anti-war sentiments (in a cowboy show?) of No Train To Stockholm. And it might be seen as merely pleasant but ordinary except for the presence of three great songs, two of which were penned by Hazlewood.
One of the best is a very humorous and very country prison song, Pray Them Bars Away. Hazlewood's wry sense of humor really comes through again and again. The closing song, Vem Kan Segla, is a haunting love song featuring Nina Lizell's Swedish vocals swirling around Hazlewood's baritone spoken translation in English. The best song is The Night Before, a stunning and mournful tale of sad emptiness after a one-night stand, with Hazlewood's regret-filled vocals interspersed with background organ and a short, yet powerful brass interlude.
Cowboy In Sweden is one of the best Hazlewood CDs I've heard thus far. If you are already a confirmed fan or are merely Hazlewood-curious, you can't go wrong with this.

Average customer rating:

Somewhere in the City
Tobias Fröberg
Manufacturer: Cheap Lullaby
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Trials of Van Occupanther
Life in the Shade
The Crane Wife
Memory Man
Under the Skin

ASIN: B000GETWPE
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Tracks:

When The Night Turns Cold
Love And Misery, A Duet With Brun
Go's Highway
For Elisabeth Wherever You Are
The Features Of A Human Face
Somewhere In The City
What A Day
Oh My Love (Here She Comes Again)
Someone
Thank You
Forever Is Just A Word In A Lovesong

Average customer rating:

Good solid blues from an unlikely source
Louise Plays Blues For Today

Knäckebröd Blues
Louise Hoffsten
Manufacturer: Memphis Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

From Linköping to Memphis
Little Sick Twist
Tear Me Apart
I Want
Beautiful, but Why?

ASIN: B0001Z498I
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Tracks:

S The Seduction Of Sweet Louise
Baby, Don't You Tear Of Sweet Louise
Love To Love You
Belly Up Blues
I Pity The Fool
I Guess I'm A Fool
God Don't Even Change
I Just Wanna Make Love To You
Slow Down
Weak Brain, Narrow Mind
It Serves You Right To Suffer
Darling, Do You Remember Me

Customer Reviews:

Good solid blues from an unlikely source.......2006-02-09

We don't normally assocaite sweden and Northern Europe as a hotbed of blues like Mississippi or Chicago but this is good stuff. Her love of the material shines through, there's a nice mix of covers and originals here, and there;s a fresh approach. A very enjoyable effort.

Louise Plays Blues For Today.......2004-05-01

I love this album for a couple of reasons. 1st is Louise's obvious love of and reverance for true blues music. It comes through on song after song, particularly the covers of such classics as "God Don't Ever Change",and "I Just Wanna Make Love To You". Then there are the tracks on which she infuses her own
brand of modernenity, the opener "Ballad Of Sweet Louise", and "Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes", reminiscent of R.L. Burnside's "Wish I Was In Heaven Sittin' Down".
The other thing I love about this album is that I can see the evolution in her music. You see, I knew Louise when she was an exchange student from Sweden at my brother's high school in Jupiter, FL and lived up the street from me, way back around 1983. At the time Louise gave me a demo of some songs she had recorded with her punk band at the time called "Dysenteri" in Sweden. Even then though, she was blowing her harp in the tradition of the blues masters. I still have that tape.
All in all, if you're a blues fan or just love really great new music, you owe it to yourself to check out this amazing artist.

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