멜로딕 데스메탈에 대해 언급한다면 의심할 여지없이 IN FLAMES 를 반드시 포함해야만 할 것이다. 그리고, 다른 어떤 밴드들도 이 스웨덴 예테보리 5인조보다 훌륭히 연주할 수는 없을 것이다. 1990년 처음 결성된 이들은 당시 ’데스메탈’과 ’헤비메탈’ 이 언더그라운드에 머물러 있었고 ’그런지’ 음악이 전세계적으로 큰 물결을 이루고 있었다. 이 5명의 거친 음악에 심취해 있던 젊은이들은 자신들이 ’그런지’ 쓰레기들보다 훌륭하다는 것을 이 세상에 보여주기 위해서 밴드를 결성하기로 마음먹었다고 하는데, 1993년 8월, 이들은 자신들의 첫번째 3곡 데모를 예테보리에 위치한 스튜디오 FREDMAN 에서 완성하게 되고, 이후 이곳에서 자신들의 모든 앨범을 작업하게 된다.
WRONG AGAIN RECORDS 과의 계약이후, 이들은 데뷔 앨범 "LUNAR STRAIN" 을 녹음하게 되는데 이 앨범에는 듣는 이를 사로잡는 10곡의 멜로딕 메탈의 진수가 담겨 있음은 물론 이후 수 많은 어린 뮤지션들과 팬들에게 지대한 영향을 미치게 되기도 하였다.1994년 8월 발매되어 당시 메탈씬에 상당한 반향을 불러 일으켰으며, 이후 스튜디오로 다시 직행한 이들은 현재 고전이 되어버린 미니 앨범 "SUBTERRANEAN" 을 1995년 9월 발매 하였다. 1995년 10월, IN FLAMES 는 자신들 음악적인 영향에 청신호를 안겨준 라인업 변경을 겪었는데 새로운 싱어 ANDERS FRIDEN 가 가입하여 전형적인 IN FLAMES의 사운드에 트레이드마크로까지 자리하게 되었고 동시에 기타 JESPER STROMBLAD 와 드럼BJORN GELOTE 는 다음 앨범 작업에 몰입하게 되었다. "THE JESTER RACE" 가 IN FLAMES에게 NUCLEAR BLAST 와의 첫 번째 접촉이자 새로운 시대를 열어주었으며 전작보다 더욱 야만적이고 멜로딕 하면서도 어두워진 10곡을 수록하게 되었다. 이 앨범은 현재까지 IN FLAMES 트레이드 마크의 기본으로 평가 받고 있으며 앨범 발매의 뒤를 이어 ATROCITY, HEAVENWOOD 와 함께 첫 번째 유럽투어를 감행하게 되었다.
당시 투어는 모든 관중들 뿐 아니라 밴드 양측에게 깊은 인상을 남겨주었고 투어가 막바지에 다다랐을 때 15,000명 이상의 멜로딕 데스메탈 팬들이 운집하였던 독일의 WACKEN OPEN AIR 에 참여하기도 하였다. 이후 의욕에 가득찬 이들은 스튜디오로 직행하여 이전까지 가장 성공적이었던 앨범 "WHORACLE" 의 작업을 시작하였고 발매이후 이 앨범의 멜로디와 정통 헤비메탈 사운드를 IN FLAMES 전형적인 사운드와 훌륭히 혼합되어 수 많은 이들을 놀라게 하였다.
이 앨범은 독일 차트 78 위로 등극하면서 역시 스웨덴과 일본에서도 높은 순위를 기록하였는데 이어진 투어는 매우 성공적이었던 동시에 처음으로 일본에서 투어를 갖기도 하였지만 이들은 다시 한 번, 라인업을 변경하게 되었다. 기타 NIKLAS 가 탈퇴하고 당시 드럼을 맡고 있던 BJORN 이 공석을 메우게 되었고 아무도 그가 이만큼 훌륭한 기타 연주자였던 걸 알지 못했다고 하는데 이에 대해 JEPSER STROMBLAD 는 "BJORN 은 저보다 훨씬 뛰어난 기타 연주자입니다" 라고 언급했다고 한다. 이리하여 이들은 새로운 드러머를 위해 몇 차례 오디션을 거쳐 SACRILEGE 의 DANIEL SVENSSON 를 가입하게 하였다. 처음 그는 자신의 밴드를 병행하려 했지만 시간이 지나면서IN FLAMES 에 더욱 충실하게 되고, COLONY 를 녹음에 더욱 집중하게 되었다. COLONY 는 키보드나 어쿠스틱 기타와 같은 놀라운 면모를 포함하고 있는 동시에 이들 자신이 기대했던 사운드와 함께 훌륭히 부합하고 있다. "COLONY" 는 IN FLAMES 를 새로운 단계로 이끌어 감은 물론, 헤비메탈의 영예의 전당에 자신들의 이름을 각인 시켜 줄 것이다. .... ....
egoism dictates human relations a world where fashion outshines morality here success is written in blood-red colours designed by the thirst for power
gather the faithful and propose a toast to the epoch of indifference
an all to ordinary story with aftertaste so bitter forced to be someone I don't want to be I'm losing myself. sinking deeper down I'm caught in the world wound web
a time represented by the void an excuse without content stuck in the abyss of existence with a content void of excuse
an all to ordinary story this is my story with an aftertaste so bitter
sinking deeper down I'm caught - I'm cage I'm gone
truth serves them embrace and defend her case part flattery, part threats "for those who cling to this dominion will partake in its fall"
with his silence, he passes the judgement over them "with your feverish signs of force you'll make them and yourself to believe that he still retains his full power"
as a platform for divine foundations, you want to make them suck
shallowness and beauty was all that concerned her body but the soul, her divine guest were thrust to the bottom
surrendered to the sect that has risen from its womb "for those who cling to this dominion will partake in its fall"
I'll take you on a ride as a part-owner to my pain our ideals they collide coerced coexistence
I fought the world today - postpone my birth again we stumble on and one - but bound to die alone
pine - I'm selling my soul today pine - I need some sympathy
this infiltrates my brain "in the sunshine the sun is mine" pitiless wanderer close your eyes and bow your head grotesque thoughts in a line threw my wings ?to the blazing sun smile stretched on old trees eternal Brining jester masque
don't hurt a fly they all sing we're just ants in a great big play commercialize-infect-annihilate-progress visualize-inhale-pretend-betray
a sad song it was, through renewal it brought and a month seems sometimes shorter than a half nights longing
hidden and hard are the reasons for war polar twist, invert and flea
I can't dissolve this feeling of mine but patience will unlock the door and the maps of reasons re-written for me when the wait is over and the punishment is due each day I crawl to the hall of the giants
and I beg for mercy - and I beg for mercy in vein one night is a mare - two is worse How can I manage three
Call me by my astral name Breeding fear through wordless tongue Heavenly thirst - unspeakable pain Emptied from all human motion Confront the faceless wrath
Beckoning silent from a sphere behind space Through twisted ruins of uncompleted dreams Sights of towers reaching for the moon Clawing at the skies - they gonna pull it down
Intensity - I feel the lava rushing through my veins Stars are reforming - to enter the fourth dimension
Beyond all galaxies Through timeless aeons of frost Unearthly hunger - angels descent
should I defend you for who you are? the laws are changed and useless!
on their way to a deserted town where empty windows wave goodbye a helpless excuse, a falling reality I'm changed by the shock and the weight of the punch a helpless excuse, a falling reality
ragments of a futile being a puzzle to the noble ones ignorant and pitiless they stride
the world around me - spartanic, minimalistic a helpless excuse, a falling reality the large scale plan that once where you've now drained from life a helpless excuse, a falling reality
wo knows the proper reasons why it all begins and ends? ignorant and pitiless they stride
"you are but a form", the clean, harsh silence passes "genuine" visions by the noble ones for the noble ones
the great word of blessendness and a feeling of ease a cup of the well of freedom and life we joyfully drink inside, all was new, but outwards nothing had changed
an escapade, then to the altar to evaluate all parts of the great mystery but all remains on the same spot, no signs of a new season
in my hand is a new word, but the word is still without a body a hidden life-stream that swells in the deep will soon give the word a 2nd face
Reach for your razor Cut through the dawn See through your inner wrath Keys shan´t open the doors Behold my heart has stopped My lungs are laid the final rest And still I see and do I feel Yes, but to earthly eyes I am gone To the land where legends never die Take me to the twilight land tonight Again and again and again in every night The darkness climbs through my walls Ever screaming silent to the corrupted ears Never to any man I will spear My speach it has no value Eyes that have seen the sights Bleed through the ages eternal I ask no more A life has just begun Never will I see the sun And do I miss it No, my eyes are black Emotions fled through eyelids closed Throne of thorns Clad in shadows
I remember it as plain as day although it happened in the dark of the night. I was strolling through the streets of Paris and it was cold it was starting to rain. And then I heard a piercing scream and I rushed to the scene of the crime but all I found was the butchered remains of two girls lay side by side.
Murders in the Rue Morgue someone call the Gendarmes Murders in the Rue Morgue run before the killers go free
There's some people coming down the street at last there's someone heard my call I can't understand why they're pointing at me I never done nothing at all. But I must have got some blood on my hands because everyone's shouting at me I can't speak French so I couldn't explain and like a fool I started running away.
Murders in the Rue Morgue someone call the Gendarmes Murders in the Rue Morgue am I ever gonna be free.
And now I've gotta get away from the arms of the law. All France is looking for me. I've gotta find my way across the border for sure down the south to Italy.
Murders in the Rue Morgue someone call the Gendarmes Murders in the Rue Morgue I'm never going home.
Well I made it to the border at last But I can't erase the scene from my mind Anytime somebody stares at me, well I just start running blind Well I'm moving through the shadows at night Away from the staring eyes Any day they'll be looking for me 'Cause I know I show the signs of...
Murders in the Rue Morgue running from the Gendarmes Murders in the Rue Morgue running from the arms of the law
Murders in the Rue Morgue running from the Gendarmes Murders in the Rue Morgue am I ever gonna be free
It took so long and I'm getting so tired I'm running out of places to hide Should I return to the scene of the crime Where the two young victims died If I could go to somebody for help It'd get me out of trouble for sure But I know that it's on my mind That my doctor said I've done it before.
Murders in the Rue Morgue they're never gonna find me Murders in the Rue Morgue I'm never going home.