In Flames - The Jester Race (1996)
Tracklist front / back album covers
1. "Moonshield" 5:04
2. "The Jester's Dance" (instrumental) 2:11
3. "Artifacts of the Black Rain" 3:17
4. "Graveland" 2:48
5. "Lord Hypnos" 4:03
6. "Dead Eternity" 5:03
7. "The Jester Race" 4:53
8. "December Flower" 4:12
9. "Wayfaerer" (instrumental) 4:42
10. "Dead God in Me" 4:19
Total length: 40:12
In Flames Band Members / Musicians
Anders Fridén − lead vocals
Jesper Strömblad − lead guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards
Glenn Ljungström − lead guitar
Johan Larsson − bass, backing vocals
Björn Gelotte − drums, additional guitars
Fredrik Nordström − keyboards
Oscar Dronjak − vocal appearance on "Dead Eternity"
Fredrik Johansson − lead guitar on "December Flower"
Kaspar Dahlqvist − keyboards on "Wayfaerer"
Production and composition
Produced by Fredrik Nordström and In Flames
Lyrical concept and song titles collaborated by Niklas Sundin and Anders Fridén
Lyrics on "Dead Eternity" by Jocke Göthberg
Engineered by Fredrik Nordström and Patrik Hellgren
Mastered by Staffan Olofsson
Logo by Glenn Ljungström
Artwork by Andreas Marschall
Photos by Kenneth Johansson
Layout by M&A Music art
The Jester Race is the 2nd studio album by Swedish metal band In Flames, released in February 1996. It is the first album to feature Anders Fridén as the band's vocalist, Björn Gelotte as the drummer, and Jester Head as the band's mascot.
The album was the band's second full-length album released following the more mainstream success of their 1995 EP, Subterranean. The Jester Race was recorded at Studio Fredman by Fredrik Nordström, who also contributed keyboards for the album.
The Jester Race ranked No. 79 on Metal Rules' list of the Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums. It is considered a classic album of the melodic death metal genre, along with At the Gates' Slaughter of the Soul and Dark Tranquillity's The Gallery, exhibiting the dual guitar leads, growled vocals and acoustic sections typical of the genre.
A remixed version of the song "Moonshield" was released on the EP Trigger. A video for the song "Artifacts of the Black Rain" was also released.
Trivium frontman Matthew K. Heafy revealed in an interview with Wall of Sound that The Jester Race is the one metal album you should have heard by now.
