Ranking Every IN FLAMES Album Including FOREGONE!

[@Alex-Tremonti]

Unpopular af, I know, but my absolute favorite In Flames album is A Sense Of Purpose. I still listen to that album front to back constantly.

[@zobazoba6418]

Its a same with me. That album have a special place in my heart.

[@jamesnagel6264]

Jesus that is unpopular. I can't even get through that record.

[@EricAxel36]

I hated it when it came out, but it really grew on me and I love it now. Dislike everything that came out after.

[@orosraul4899]

Totally agree! A sense of purpose is a masterpiece. The songs are amazingly catchy.

[@danielx1224]

It was their last good album until Foregone IMO. Not "great" but good.

[@hedon6665]

Colony will always be S tier for me. The pinnacle of late 90's MDM. 🤘

[@forgemastermetal]

Don’t blame you!

[@nolanblodgett4466]

100% agree with you. Colony is underrated!!

[@dininelbourne]

Yep. It has the most S tier tracks and Zombie Inc. might be the best thing they've ever written. And that's up against some stiff competition.

[@Zerath0]

Man Made God alone makes that album S-tier for me. But have to agree with Clayman being their best album by far.

[@thestarseeker8196]

Colony is my record too; best songs and the best production at once for me. The Lunar Strain reworks on it sound awesome too IMO. These days it’s really the only one I return to, as well. I throw on Jester Race now and then, but the highs aren’t as high as that of Colony IMO.

[@biffstronghold3926]

I feel The Jester Race was their best album. Their are so many great riffs and melodies. The progression from Lunar Strain is pretty evident.

[@forgemastermetal]

Definitely!

[@Migdh0]

Love reroute to remain . This album made me fall I love with in flames .. I know there are better albums by them, but it will forever have that special place in my heart

[@forgemastermetal]

Those songs RULE live!

[@Transilvanian90]

Same, I grew up with Reroute to Come Clarity era, and it still holds a special place in my heart even though their first 5 albums are better

[@shapeshifter-theamorphousg3264]

Kind of a shift in style, i'm along for the ride since Lunar Strain but man, this album has some really infectious hooks and grooves! Lots of earworms in retrospective, i was following IF up until 'STYE' but kinda lost track after that.. Foregone renewed my interest a bit for sure, i guess i have to take a good listen to Come Clarity and ASOP because a lot of people like these albums.. I can safely ignore the ones following these up i think.. ?

[@Transilvanian90]

@@shapeshifter-theamorphousg3264 I’d say so. A Sense of Purpose is the last album I found worth listening to before Foregone. Everything in between is basically trash

[@shapeshifter-theamorphousg3264]

@@Transilvanian90 Basically every old fan has this view more or less about Foregone's three predecessors.. I did hear a single or two off I, The Mask and thought it was somewhat decent. Not very remniscent but also not piss poor.. Maybe i just have to listen to everything i have missed all the years and make up my own opinion.. When it's a dry release month for metal or something, or rainy sundays.. Yeah right!😆

[@abdulmajeedahm644]

"ballads by killswitch inflames"💀

[@forgemastermetal]

BRRRTTTT. Full auto with the MAC-10.

[@zyriuz2]

I always consider Clayman and Colony as twin albums, their soundscapes are similar and they seem to be part of each other.

[@forgemastermetal]

I can def see that!

[@imfireproof]

I agree! Sound production is almost identical! Although, I’d say Clayman is definitely a little better! Colony has some sick Metalcore style breakdowns though!

[@billcowan5539]

I am enjoying the New album a lot, to me it’s their best album in years

[@forgemastermetal]

Totally

[@dynamo4543]

definately

[@EricAxel36]

The Jester Race supremacy checking in. S+ tier.

[@tomhuitema2068]

So glad you guys mentioned swim! The first melodeath song I listened to, and now im hooked

[@forgemastermetal]

That song is tremendous.

[@michalisveliziotis615]

Amazing song, one of the best in flames songs.

[@AlexG-bg8zd]

For me Clayman is still their best album (followed by The Jester Race). I'm revisiting this album constantly for the last 20 years and never get enought of it...

[@mittekeegi6245]

same

[@bluewinter6660]

My favorite from them is probably the ep Subterranean

[@forgemastermetal]

That's a deep cut!

[@gzplog2967]

@@forgemastermetal on Spotify it says its an album soo...

[@Ardroth]

"Colony" is one of the first underground albums that got me in to metal, and to this day it is easily my #1 favorite of IF and a personal metal top-10 of all-time. I'll never forget hearing "embody the invisible" for the first time... it was on one of those satellite TV music stations in the late 90's lol. I was like 14, and I would just sit there and listen to this channel on our TV for hours. I discovered many great bands that way (pre-internet of course). When that IF song came on I was instantly blown away - I bought the CD and it's crazy how good every single song is. It still gives me the chills today... in my opinion, they never quite reached that level again. Clayman and RtR certainly came close - and that trifecta of albums is another one of my favorite things - but to me Colony is still king. I really started to lose interest after RtR... I haven't heard all of the new album yet, but I'm absolutely pumped to receive my pre-order and spin it all weekend

[@forgemastermetal]

Have you revisited RtR and beyond after? The production is WAY worse than I remember lol. Really excited to hear your thoughts on the new record. Some banger tunes.

[@ALBUMHUNTERS]

Colony was my first In Flames record and its my favorite, too! IF is kind of like Dark Tranquility where whatever album you pick up first is gonna be the one you like the most (in their case it was their 2000 Haven record). Says a lot about their status IMO.

[@dmphax]

This is very similar to my IF experience, although my first listening was The Jester Race after a friend on mIRC sent me some mp3s. This was during Colony time, and Clayman came out soon after. I bought Clayman day 1 of release (I remember I had to order it in special to Canada through our record shop, lol.... things sure have changed), and it did not leave my CD player for months! To this day, Clayman is my favourite, however Colony is my #2, and I really enjoy RTR. They began to lose me after it, and then Come Clarity was their last I paid much attention to.

[@biffstronghold3926]

The production on Colony is phenomenal. The fist song I heard by them was 'Ordinary Story' on a Canadian music show called Loud. I was immediately drawn to the massive guitars. The clean vocals in the verse gave way to the wretched harsh vocals in the Chorus. I was sold.

[@andersmcivan9127]

Colony cannot be beaten. tremendous album

[@chrisgallis7438]

Pretty spot on with the rankings. I would move Colony up to S just for Zombie Inc alone. Probably one of the greatest In Flames songs ever. I really like Reroute that’s a B for me. Cloud Connected and Trigger are 🔥🔥🔥. Great tier list. Keep up the great work.

[@forgemastermetal]

Zombie Inc is freaking god tier. Have you heard the new album yet?

[@chrisgallis7438]

@@forgemastermetal yeah I listened to the new album a few times already. I enjoyed it. Like u said they got some weak filler tracks but overall it’s way better then the last few albums. Still not better then The Halo Effect album IMO. That’s what I wanted this In Flames album to sound like.

[@barsknos]

+1 for Colony S tier.

[@stasa-X]

I am a very new fan of in Flames 😂just two months old,i saw them in release in Athens festival early June waiting after them Nightwish the big name of the day and i love them especially my boy friend who isn't metal fan found them very interesting band and he liked the singer, great performer indeed. I have listen now only two albums and quess...Clayman and Colony, KZbin sent me these albums first😂, some video clips and their concert in Summer Breeze 2023 also but certainly i will continue to listen their music. You help me a lot, every start with an old band with many many albums is difficult 😦 but i am happy who find this band accidentally i should say and i found a great band to follow as well and listen their music. Thank you guys,my greetings from Greece.

[@forgemastermetal]

Welcome in, Forgemate! We love to hear when fans get into bands that we are very familiar with. It makes us jealous of that first feeling of discovery!! There's nothing like it. Enjoy your journey through metal!!

[@mitchellcambron2440]

I love soundtrack to your escape and the drums on that album. They sound unique. This was the 1st in flames album I heard, so I’m forever a bit partial to it.

[@pandabearguy1]

1. Clayman 2. Jester Race 3. Whoracle 4. Colony 5. Come Clarity 6. Reroute 7. Soundtrack 8. Foregone 9. Lunar Strain 10. A sense of Purpose 11. Sounds to a Playground Fading 12. I, The Mask 13. Battles 14. Sirens Charm

[@tikihead94]

S: Colony, Clayman A: Reroute to Remain, Whoracle, Jester Race, Soundtrack to your Escape B:Foregone, A Sense of Purpose, Come Clarity, Sounds of a Playground Fading, I the Mask, Lunar Strain C: Siren Charm D: Battles

[@bojaylabrum9608]

@@tikihead94 this is the only acceptable answer

[@Jgrav]

I think ya'll got it pretty spot on, my list is: S: Whoracle, Jesters Race A: Colony, Clayman, Lunar Strain B: Come Clarity, Soundtrack to Your Escape, Foregone Everything else is kinda of doo doo. The problem with In Flames is when they're good, they're amazing, but when they suck, they suck bad. Foregone is such a step in the right direction. Honestly, I'm just glad they're back to writing good songs.

[@forgemastermetal]

The highs are high and lows are quite low!

[@licksludgee]

Great list. The EPs are also excellent. Subterranean and the Black Ash Inheritance I played well into the 2000s

[@forgemastermetal]

We don't cover EPs on these lists but you're right - their EPs definitely stand on their own!

[@fleecyproduct2497]

Great list guys of one of my favorite bands … agree with most, but I actually like Battles and would rate it higher. But yes, the new albums is fantastic!!!

[@BluejaySpectre]

As a teenager, I was introduced to InFlames with Clayman. Then I got Soundtrack to your escape when it came out. I loved Come Clarity when that came out. Clearly I need to go back to some of their much earlier catalogue.

[@forgemastermetal]

Let us know when you do!!

[@BluejaySpectre]

@@forgemastermetal I went back to listen to whoracle and the jester race. I have enjoyed both so far. Between the two I think I lean more towards jester race. I also need to go back to the soundtrack to your escape and listen for the things you mentioned in the video.

[@chunguschungus]

A Sense of Purpose is their best album, Soundtrack to Your Escape second, then the first melodeath ones all the way through Come Clarity, worst is probably Battles or Playground, and Siren Charms is underrated.

[@forgemastermetal]

Interesting picks!!

[@josiahthompson6049]

Come Clarity is my S tier album. I can listen to that album every day and not get tired of it

[@forgemastermetal]

No kidding?

[@redasunder9928]

Totaly agree with your rating and yes "swim" is one of their most unterrated songs!

[@forgemastermetal]

What’s your S tier?

[@redasunder9928]

@@forgemastermetal Of course Clayman... such a brilliant record :)

[@themorbidsymphony]

Cheers 🥂

[@IAmAleksha]

I'm a big defender of Siren Charms. As I've gotten older I really love that one. Got it tattooed on my shoulder. I still don't love it to the extent of Whoracle, Colony, Clayman, or Jester Race but for what it is, I really enjoy it. I think the first half of I, The Mask showed a lot of promise and I'd honestly put Foregone in the Top 5.

[@forgemastermetal]

A tattoo shows serious dedication! What made that album stand out for you?

[@IAmAleksha]

@@forgemastermetal I just love the overall tone and atmosphere of the album as a rock and heavy metal record. I love the guitar playing, the production, the riffs, and the song writing. It's very different for In Flames, certainly not their normal style, but one that I've grown a massive amount of respect for over the years.

[@antoinej1554]

Well I guess there's a different tier list for each fan according to what they like to hear. So here's mine S : Whoracle - Clayman (hard to argue with that) A : Colony - Foregone (which I put in A because all my life I've been looking for this moment) B : The Jester Race - Come Clarity - Soundtrack to your Escape - Reroute to Remain C : Lunar Strain (great debut indeed but they have gone so much better since) - I The Mask - Battles (mix is really shitty but some songs are banger) D : A Sense of Purpose - Siren Charms - Sound of a Playground Fading (cuz' you can't be In Flames and get away so easily with so weak albums. You could make a 45' tracklist with the good songs within this 3 albums) Subjective opinion, no hate, In Flames We Trust

[@royturnham5679]

I got massively into In Flames as a teenager in the early 2000s. Decided to revisit them after my niece asked me for some heavy recommendations. Clayman and colony still stand up as awesome! Totally agree with the point about production on reroute. The drums are just a mush!

[@noahkaulen3592]

My personal ranking: 1. Clayman 2. Whoracle 3. The Jester Race 4. Colony 5. Foregone 6. Come Clarity 7. A Sense of Purpose 8. I, The Mask 9. Battles 10. Sounds of a Playground Fading 11. Soundtrack to Your Escape 12. Reroute to Remain 13. Siren Charms 14. Lunar Strain

[@IlSinistero]

Agree, Whoracle also my most listened to from In Flames - but today a new Dreamcatcher Song was released so that’s my meth for today - yes, I listen to metal and K-Pop…and lots in between 😄

[@bayerhead]

This is a smart and fair ranking. Love that you guys understand production and recording because it gives your opinions merit. My only gripe is how much you shit on "metaphor" because I think it's a wonderful song to come from a band like In Flames. I personally love how musically raw it is and the lyrics are well written as a double entender. IN Flames definitely did a lot of experimenting and Reroute/soundtrack was during that time.

[@deepjyotiborah4435]

My favourite album will always be The Jester Race... Moonshield will be my favourite... This album made me a fan of Melodic Death Metal with COB - Follow the Reaper

[@stavros2656]

My tier list; S colony,clayman A jester race, whoracle, Soundtracks to your escape B Reroute , Come Clarity , Foregone C Sense of Purpose, Sounds of a playground, Siren charms D I, the mask, Battles

[@forgemastermetal]

Nice!!

[@marcosdellamorte5993]

I love how it was stupidly easy for them to put al 2000's and previous to B or Up and all the debate was in the 2002 and fowards, that's what true in flames fans debate.

[@Dann-qp2uw]

Crawl through knives is still my favorite.

[@alexcielvieira3548]

Clayman is the shit! Maybe my favorite, too.

[@forgemastermetal]

Yeah dude. So fun.

[@BEAR176]

Clayman was my introduction to In Flames. They were opening for Iced Earth and I hadn't heard anything from them. The Austin Powers theme started and I was extremely skeptical. Then Bullet Ride started. I was hooked immediately.

[@limaozin15]

I think Come Clarity is the most UNDERRATED album of them. All the songs are impressive and the melody is fine. This Album is my alltime favorite from In Flames. And The Chosen Pessimist is AWESOME. Its like when Disturbed make a cover of Sound of Silence. No one expected but needed. But of course its not a "In Flames" type of song. Underrated songs for me: Ordinary Story, System, World of Promises and Scorn. My Tier list is: S: Come Clarity, Clayman, Colony A: The Jester Race, Reroute to Remain B: Whoracle, Lunar Strain C: A Sense (...), Foregone. D: Rest F: Battles

[@forgemastermetal]

Solid S tier and great points on CC

[@kakkycoasties8670]

Underrated? Everyone in my friend group thinks come clarity is their best album by miles, and they're not a fan of the really older stuff. Reroute to remain is one of my favs, not sure why they rated it so low

[@limaozin15]

@@kakkycoasties8670 Some of In Flames fans and KZbinrs don't think about it. They are "oh good album" but not THAT GOOD as he is. In my opinion, CC is the album that you should show to your friends for start the band. And Reroute to Remain is awesome and they joke about Metaphor, a calm and peaceful song LOL

[@jessebrennan7130]

I paused the video to write this comment while you are are discussing siren charm... Basically the bottom line is just stick to their first 5 albums. When it first came out they kinda lost me with Reroute to Remain , so ive been good for 20+ years just sticking to those 5.

[@forgemastermetal]

You're likely not the only one in the boat!

[@apoplexiamusic]

Clayman is definitely their best album! And those early 2000's drums sounds are awesome

[@forgemastermetal]

Cannot agree with you about those drum tones haha.

[@ArcienPlaysGames]

Great list! I partially agree with it, but especially so when it comes to the D-tier picks. I love Reroute to Remain, it's the album that got me into In Flames, but I have to agree that - while I don't HATE the way the drums sound at all - the drums are still waaaayyy too upfront in the mix, and drown out the vocals somewhat. Soundtrack To Your Escape is kinda in the same boat. Here however, I just don't like how the drums sound. That splash cymbal especially is just [vomits in Danish]. Quiet Place and My Sweet Shadow still rules though. Going back in the catalogue from there, I fell in love with the entirety of Clayman, Colony and Whoracle as well. Jester Race, Subterranean and Lunar Strain weren't really my cup of tea overall, but Moonshield is one of my all-time favourites. The C64 version is underrated af too. Come Clarity is my hands-down all time favourite record from In Flames. The mixing is amazing, the brutal bass tone is insane, and Dead End is on it. And if you wanna go with the spin-offs as well, the Passenger album is so so great, even if the lyrics are a bit too edgy for my liking sometimes. Can't believe that album is turning 20 this year. Anything after Sounds Of A Playground Fading is where I kinda stepped off the ride though. I wanted to like I, The Mask, but the way some of those choruses sounded ... specially Call My Name, where the end note of the chorus would blend into a bridge and a verse in the worst way possible. Like the vocal register feels like it should've been a fifth below what it actually is or something. Stay With Me is my favourite on the album though. ... and then Foregone is where I got right tf back on the ride. Meet Your Maker kicks all kinds of ass. While this comment may not sound much like it, In Flames remains as my favourite band ever, right alongside Pendulum. Been listening to both since the mid/late 00's. So you can imagine how my life flipped upside down when I found out my two favourite bands made a song together in the early 10's

[@DjVojto]

my sweet shadow is track that got me into In Flames..

[@forgemastermetal]

No kidding? Is it your favorite to this day?

[@realityorfiction]

Clayman was my gateway album back in the day, i heard pinball maps and i was hooked, it got me into the heavier metal. I was the biggest inflames fanboy until siren charms, it went down hill but foregone has got me back into inflames.

[@themorbidsymphony]

Say it say the word ....Numetal It's okay fellas The numbers didn't lie

[@emirakncoglu7555]

S: The Jester Race, Whoracle, Colony A: Clayman, Come Clarity B: Lunar Strain, A Sense of Purpose, Foregone C: Soundtrack To Your Escape, Siren Charms D: Reroute to Remain, Sounds of a Playground Fading Z: Battles, I the Mask

[@Wayfaerers]

Love that you put Clayman in S, hate that you shat on every song I enjoyed from RtR and Soundtrack. I feel like I'm in a weird position, I got into In Flames when Sounds of a Playground Fading was their newest album, but only really stuck to their "classic" melodeath albums because of preconceived notions about "new" In Flames from online fans. I even avoided some tracks from Clayman because I thought they were from later albums. It wasn't until songs from Reroute onward started playing on Pandora that I listened to their whole discography and discovered that I really liked a lot of it. It kind of made me feel sour about other In Flames fans honestly. And even now the only In Flames albums I dislike are Battles and I, the Mask which still has some songs I regularly listen to. I love the new album though. It was incredibly difficult to rank honestly. 1. Clayman 2. The Jester Race 3. Colony 4. Whoracle 5. Come Clarity 6. Foregone 7. Soundtrack to Your Escape 8. A Sense of Purpose 9. Lunar Strain 10. Reroute to Remain 11. Sounds of a Playground Fading 12. Siren Charms 13. I, the Mask 14. Battles

[@blakedillinger3981]

Come Clarity is a Masterpiece

[@Arvivez]

Come clarity is a brilliant album!!! A +

[@jesseleavy5841]

I know it's just an EP, but I feel like Subterranean should have been thrown in there.

[@forgemastermetal]

We don't typically do EPs in the tier list, but we can totally understand why you'd want to see it covered!

[@enferex]

I don't know their whole back catalog well enough to rank, but the new album starts off solid. I need to give it another listen, because I didn't pay much attention to the back half. Thanks for doing the hard work here, now I know what IF album to target next!

[@forgemastermetal]

Can’t wait to hear what you think of Clayman

[@TwentyNine1985]

Foregone's my third favorite longplay from this band, fourth overall favorite; under Colony, Lunar Strain and then Subterranean (I'm kind of a snob for the very early non-Anders stuff, even though I am starting to love Skydancer) -- but do like a good number of IF albums when I'm itching for melodeath / their occasional deviations -- good tier list and laughed my ass off at the later album critiques👍

[@forgemastermetal]

It’s really good!

[@J_Stamps86]

I bloody love Come Clarity. I am so glad someone else doesn't like My Sweet Shadow, twice when I saw them live they closed the show with that and I hate that song, lol.

[@forgemastermetal]

It’s all good!

[@allosanthrwpos542]

Jester race is S tier no question !!!!

[@zigah6729]

my favorite track (don't hate me) is the radio part of Your Bedtime Story is Scaring Everyone from Come Clarity...damn, so epic...when I have kids they'll have to get used to it

[@forgemastermetal]

Haha those poor kids 😝

[@hollowmade]

Great ranking. It’s exactly how I had it too.

[@forgemastermetal]

No kidding? Awesome!

[@philshep4507]

I shed a small tear while listening to this... While some bands kind a should evolve a little (amon amarth for example), in flames did evolve. sadly into something i don't like anymore... but that's just me. bands just can't do it right for me in that sense it seems 😂 still one of the greatest bands out there over all..🤘.

[@forgemastermetal]

When we spoke with Chris Naughton of Winterfylleth (one of our favorite bands) he said that as an artist, you have to just hope your fans will accept the evolution of your sound. That's not always the case, obviously, but I gotta give them credit for experimenting. Anders could stand to get reigned in a bit, though.

[@jesterrace2617]

Not going to lie I like all of their stuff I haven’t listened to lunar strain so I wouldn’t know but I’ve listened to everything else and I like all of it I wouldn’t put anything under a b except battles.

[@fabiocruz3670]

My Favorites are : Colony\ Clayman, A sense of purpose\Sounds of a Playground Fading. Both seem like a part 2 of their predecessors.

[@Transilvanian90]

Awesome review guys, I concur basically 100% on this. I'd probably place Whoracle as my top album followed by Jester, Colony and Clayman, but I love all 4. Clayman does kind of hint, subtly, at what's to come but it's still an excellent album in my book. Reroute hints a bit more, and so on (apart from Come Clarity's slight comeback). Lunar Strain also has a special place in my heart, it's not as polished as the following 4 but it has this primordial, even folky vibe that for me puts it a bit apart from the rest of In Flames, and more into a category containing DT's Skydancer and Gallery actually. I also enjoyed Foregone decently enough, first time In Flames have had a pulse in 15 years so I have to commend that. Like many I had truly given up on them, but they proved me wrong, somewhat (it's still no Clayman).

[@forgemastermetal]

Great insight! We can tell you really dig the band.

[@Transilvanian90]

@@forgemastermetal Yup. Everything up until A Sense of Purpose at least :))) and now Foregone is pretty cool.

[@Boots_McScoots]

A friend dubbed me a copy of Jester Race in high school, and I was obsessed. That dropped off after Reroute, which still had some solid songs, but was obviously moving in a different direction. I haven't really listened to enough of their material after that to have an opinion. (A New Dawn is fucking incredible, though). I definitely need to grab the new one. S: Colony, The Jester Race, Whoracle A: Clayman B: Reroute To Remain C: Lunar Strain, Against The Elements (sorry, wrong band haha) F: The rerecordings on the Clayman anniversary edition S++++++: Black-Ash Inheritance. Goliaths and the Acoustic Medley are absolute top-tier tracks.

[@forgemastermetal]

lmao @ Against the Elements

[@Migdh0]

Agree on the f . That shit was so fucking bad

[@Metalmudo]

My S tier: CLAYMAN, Colony, Reroute to remain, Whoracle, Battles, I the mask and Come Clarity The rest, about the Foregone and Soundtrack to your Escape i would put it between A and S

[@forgemastermetal]

There ya go! Thanks for your input.

[@patrikgustafsson2701]

Great review! I should have swopped place between Clayman and The Jester Race though. 😊 The Jester is #1 in my book.

[@forgemastermetal]

Thanks for your input, mate!

[@kingmarx810]

Great list! Clayman was so awesome that I have been disappointed with every new In Flames record since.

[@forgemastermetal]

You aren't the only one!

[@magiclover9346]

Done come clarity dirty. Easy S right up there with Clayman. Though respect, I think it is the best middle ground album between melo death, metalcore and alt metal. The best elements of all. Did I, The Mask the dirty def between Playground and a sense of purpose. All 3 albums are decently produced even if they all have there fair share of stinkers. When I, the Mask is ticking the boxes it's very good. I often come back to the first half of that album. I am biased, Come Clarity was my introduction to the genre and my top metalcore like album. I had a compilation promo cd (when they were a thing with Take This Life). Leeches is the perfect example of great melo death with metalcore sprinkles.

[@forgemastermetal]

Thanks for the great post!

[@themorbidsymphony]

Reroute to remain is amazing

[@BeerandCheez]

What always bums me out THE most is the production when it comes to In Flames records. Especially in the 2000s, I feel like those records could have been legitimately great if not for the horrendous production. I'm very much a layman when it comes to those kinds of things, but I've heard people more knowledgeable than me point to the "loudness wars" that amped up in the 2000s, and it seems to me In Flames were possibly a victim of that as well. I came across a youtube channel that fixed these - they had Second Stage Turbine Blade from Coheed uploaded, completely redone. I couldn't believe the difference. The editing work to "fix" it jumped the album from maybe my 4-5th favorite Coheed album to one of my favorite records of all time. I legit couldn't believe the difference. Would love to hear this done with In Flames' stuff as well. Wish I could find that channel again....

[@forgemastermetal]

Yeah you’re not alone there

[@loonyman83]

Reroute to Remain would be an amazing album if the mix was better... that mix is bad... just bad. However, so many of the songs on that album are AMAZING live and for that I still think it's a great album... just needs a remaster... badly lol. Great vid guys.

[@forgemastermetal]

Yeah reroute did not age well production wise

[@loonyman83]

@@forgemastermetal It just came out today but you guys should definitely listen to Klone's new album Meanwhile. It's some proggy goodness with a hint of doom. If you like Katatonia and Disillusion then I think you'll like these guys as well.

[@forgemastermetal]

Ohhhhhh that’s a really good Rec. You know us too well with our doom love, haha.

[@shallowlord]

I got into in flames with clayman... So for me it's their best...

[@forgemastermetal]

Favorite track???

[@shallowlord]

@@forgemastermetal pinball map maybe 🤔

[@allosanthrwpos542]

S tier - Jester race Whoracle Colony Clayman A tier - reroute to remain Sense of purpose I the mask Foregone B tier - come clarity Soundtrack to your escape C tier - battles Sounds of a playground fading Sirens charm

[@forgemastermetal]

Strong list!

[@matthewsolomon8269]

I largely agree with the list, expect I'd swap Jester Race and Clayman. Jester Race and Whoracle are my god-tier In Flames albums, with Clayman and Colony right up there. 🤘🤘

[@JackChurchill101]

I can't put jester race so highly. Considering it has many aspects of the later three records, they're done just a bit better. B. Whoracle as an S, for sure. Colony, with some more accessible components, still just pumps, over and over, S. Clayman can't be denied as their tentpole, finishing off their sound, refining all their previous works, S. Reroute, has some weaker components, but pumps hard with memorable hooks, B. Soundtrack is the reroute that works. Highly synth, but operating on all cylinders, with some classics, - my sweet shadow was played at live shows for years after, B. Come clarity, is relentless. Their heaviest and most brutal, understandably divisive, but hits my buttons, and still had live show favourites, S. Sense of purpose was the first to properly lose me, with weaker moments in the second half and recycled riffs, - still some strong moments, C. Playground fading, was back on form, with a sense of band-identity and storytelling, memorable and full of hooks, B. Sirens is definitely divisive, but stands out as an original take, and atmospherically holds up as a record, depending on your mood, B. Battles, with good intentions killed me, with the children choruses, weak moments and little to stand out, - poor production and the band sounded tired, D-. I, the mask, certainly bright back the strength of the band, but needed a second take at the edits, certainly enjoyable, C. Foregone, - a jump back in, with some new energy, interesting after the four ex members released their own album onto Spotify, - maybe the group realised that their friends we showing them up. Certainly fun, but still not holding a memorable position. The acoustic writing are oddly weak for a band that Knows how to do this, B. However... their live shows still absolutely rock. Go see them whenever they're near you.

[@forgemastermetal]

Thanks for sharing your insight!!

[@MichaelSmith-zx5lw]

I think Reroute is a masterpiece

[@forgemastermetal]

Yeah? What's your connection to it?

[@GP_Lucky7]

My ranking (and my opinion): S: I, The Mask; Foregone; Reroute to Remain A: Come Clarity; Soundtrack to your Escape; Sense of a Purpose; Battles B: Sounds of a Playground fading; Colony C: Clayman; Siren Charms D: Lunar Strain; The Jester Race; Whoracle

[@forgemastermetal]

Interesting! I don’t think I’ve ever seen the band ranked like this

[@shapeshifter-theamorphousg3264]

What have you been smoking?

[@GP_Lucky7]

@@forgemastermetal Yes, it is not the average opinion^^

[@GP_Lucky7]

@@shapeshifter-theamorphousg3264 Cause I like different albums than you?

[@Boots_McScoots]

I'm putting Foregone in A tier. It's the direction I was hoping they'd go after Clayman, although the choruses would have been just a touch too radio friendly for my liking. If Clayman, Passenger, and Natural Born Chaos had a weird 3-parent baby, it would be this record.

[@forgemastermetal]

Wow, Scott! Lots of praise. Glad you're enjoying it!

[@anondee770]

Out of your top 4, I couldn't really decide which one is the best of them but I'd put Reroute to Remain in B tier before Foregone, cause I really like that industrial sound that came in that album although Foregone has some really good tracks, Foregone part 2 probably being my most favourite, the lyrical content together with the other instruments were well crafted for this album, and put A Sense of Purpose above Sounds of a Playground Fading. Also maybe put Soundtrack to Your Escape in lowest B tier, otherwise I think I agree with most if not all of your takes.

[@forgemastermetal]

Thanks for the comprehensive list!

[@themorbidsymphony]

Ahhhh The korn comparison=Your to hate for the those albums Like it or not Korn are still and have always influenced bands even bands who came before them to change their sounds 🎉🎉

[@kimchi2780]

Clayman and Reroute to Remain are my favorites.

[@forgemastermetal]

How come?

[@kimchi2780]

@forgemastermetal clayman is Inflames maturing their original sound perfectly and R2R is the newer Inflames sound at its best.

[@forgemastermetal]

Nice!! Thanks for the reply

[@kimchi2780]

@@forgemastermetal I kind of checked out of Inflames after R2R.

[@danturner3155]

Another great video guys! How about a tier list for Soilwork?

[@forgemastermetal]

Maybe! We've been doing tier lists for bands that have been dropping new releases. Soilwork's last album was one of their best.

[@danturner3155]

@Forgemaster Metal Reviews hell yeah! Overgivenheten is awesome!! Soilwork has been a favorite of mine for a long time now. Keep up the great work guys!

[@benjamincichos7362]

I think your guy's order is pretty spot on, except I may be one of the few that actually still enjoys pretty much every album in the newer era. For me though, I would put battles as the weakest album. There was something I liked about siren charms, to me it felt like they were trying something a little moodier and it worked for me. Battles felt a little phoned in but I still enjoyed it. I would also maybe rank a sense of purpose higher, but that's more for nostalgia sake cause it was the first album I heard in full of theirs

[@forgemastermetal]

Thanks for your take!

[@BattleAxeRX]

Most in flames albums are treasures. I've probably listened to foregone about a dozen times already maybe. It's like candy

[@MetalTrenches]

I do not understand why people love Clayman so much. Colony bodies it imo.

[@forgemastermetal]

Dunno. For me it had to do with getting a guitar and being obsessed with learning the riffs. Plus it was a really happy time in my life.

[@frankf684]

I think it depends on when you come to a band.Reroute is my favorite because I heard it first and saw them On tour for that(at a HOB in Myrtle beach,SC which is weird lol)but wouldn’t say it’s better than the earlier works.

[@dmphax]

For myself, I heard only a scattering if IF songs before Clayman. So while I technically began with TJR, their first full length I owned was Clayman, and I played it non stop for months.

[@SuperKillers666]

borders and the shading

[@Cognitive_Wisdom]

It's hard for me to rank In Flames albums, because I'm a big fanboy of them and I love their different sounds and genre and basically love all of their albums in their own way, except for the first one and Clayman, which i just can't seem to get into them. Gonna rank them based on how much I've listened to each album and the number of songs I love in them: 1) Colony 2) A Sense of Purpose 3) Whoracle 4) I, The Mask 5) Forgone 6) Come Clarity 7) Reroute To Remain 8) Soundtrack to Your Escape 9) Sounds of a Playground Fading 10) Siren Charms 11) The Jester Race 12) Battles 13) Clayman 14) Lunar Strain

[@forgemastermetal]

Wow! This list is probably the most diverse we've seen. Interesting placement!

[@Cognitive_Wisdom]

@ForgemasterMetalReviews I love alternative rock/metal as much as I love melodeath. That's probably why I like the less popular albums more than the majority of people! 😃

[@Tinman801]

Just curious how old you guys are?

[@forgemastermetal]

Mid 30's.

[@knottymatt]

Reroute to Remain was brilliant for what it was. Literally everyone who'd gone through the Metallica, Slipknot etc progression suddenly found In Flames and their entry/transition into a new taste in music. I get it in relation to Clayman, but as a stand-alone and for what they were clearly trying to achieve, think it was pretty damn good. Conversely thought Soundtrack was average at best.

[@squattermelon.]

2002 to 2011 is their best shit for me, but I still love 1995-2000. Post 2011 not so much

[@richardsinclair7661]

Seems everyone's opinion on where this album goes in a tierlist is about the same. I agree, mostly. B tier, but if it ends up being something I come back to a lot, definitely A tier. Only reason it's not A tier right away is because of Pure Light of Mind. Everyone seems to like that song, but it's bland and cheesy (in a bad way) to me. Every other song had great moments. I can stomach Sense of Purpose and Playground Fading being C tier (I was introduced to In Flames with Sense of Purpose, so it's B tier for me. Playground is halfway between B and C.), but having Soundtrack to Your Escape in the same tier is absolutely criminal. Yes, it's a post-Clayman record, but that album has better riffs than any of the other albums in the category. Neat list though. Cool to see where everyone stands.

[@Kneith]

Technically not an album but Subterranean has to be my favourite release of theirs.

[@forgemastermetal]

We've heard that a few times!!

[@lucadalera3570]

I think Foregone is actually pretty good, i respect the B but presonally i would rate it an A, def not as good as their 90s albums and obviously not better than Clayman, but i think it is better than Lunar Strain and Come Clarity, just my personal opinion

[@psc69nyc]

I love Siren Charms...LOL

[@abcedd9854]

My dying bride tier list next?? 👀

[@forgemastermetal]

We've been doing tier lists of bands that have been releasing new albums. Check out our interview with Aaron from 2020, though!!

[@abcedd9854]

@@forgemastermetal thanks!!

[@andrewpequita6569]

Jester Race is the Master Race. God Tier not A Tier.

[@forgemastermetal]

Great album

[@allosanthrwpos542]

I was shocked they didnt leave it at S tier too. This album is the template for melodic death metal , i do love the next 4 albums but this is their heaviest!

[@doctajuice]

Whoracle my personal favorite

[@Tragardh71]

Just love the fact how much feelings this band stirs up, and the diversity i peoples opinions. Anders and Björn says it Well: it is your first contact with the band that sets the benchmark. I respect those who has been around since Lunar and thinks that everything after Whorocal sucks, but i got in to them later, and im not fond of the earliest stuff. The two most solid albums for me, with few or almost no set backs, is Clayman and Foregone.

[@forgemastermetal]

Well said, Jonas! They certainly evoke passion from their fans.

[@andersmcivan9127]

hated soundtrack to your escape when it was released, ended up loving it after re-listening a few years later. can't believe no mention of SUPERHERO OF THE COMPUTER RAGE. that song fuckin rules my dudes.

[@forgemastermetal]

Interesting! What made you fall in love with it after the fact?

[@andersmcivan9127]

@@forgemastermetal i think i hated the keyboards/samples and thought the whole thing reeked a bit of nu-metal/anders trying to sound like jon davis from korn, which obviously only got worse after come clarity. i dismissed the album after just listening to brief bits of each song, but i think i just got a bit older and more open minded. i relistened and thought, hey those bleep bloops between songs are pretty cool and create an interesting link and atmosphere through the album. and my sweet shadow is fuckin awesome too. there's a few whiffs on this album but overall it's one of my favourite in flames albums now.

[@CaptainRandus]

Egonomic is a great tune, and R2R is what roped most fans in. Couldn't disagree more

[@forgemastermetal]

It's all good!

[@blackwaterrust476]

Honestly the 1st 5 Inflames is the Melodeath equivalent of Metallica’s 1st 5 records imo.

[@forgemastermetal]

Sweet analogy!

[@amirphoenix2327]

and rest of In Flames albums are equivalent with rest of Metallica albums xd

[@dmphax]

I appreciate this take, I have called RTR "the white album" since it came out, because it is essentially IF's equivalent to Metallica's black & how polarising it was for fans.

[@uofksteel]

Was introduced with Colony and dont care for the clean vocals. So rating their albums was easy. 1. Jester Race 2. Colony 3. Clayman 4. Lunar Strain 5. Whoracle 6-14 ........yep. I did like The Deceiver from the new album. Oops The Great Deceiver.

[@forgemastermetal]

Nice, Brad!

[@darenwalker2517]

As someone that's learning to produce and mix music I'm just curious what about the late 90s drum sounds makes them terrible? Are they under mixed?

[@forgemastermetal]

It's tough to talk about it out of context. We might be able to bring it up one day!

[@nathbala7822]

I discovered in flames at their beginning and I will put Clayman all alone in top, besides the albums following errkk, I started listening again with come clarity. I would have put Forgone a little higher, certainly because we are happy to find a little of the true In flames, On the other hand I will put sirens charms in the category F.

[@forgemastermetal]

Interesting! There are so many differing opinions with this band. More so than the other bands we have covered, it seems!