Band:	In Flames
Album:	Lunar Strain
Style:	Gothenburg metal
Release date:	1994
A review by:	Dream Taster

01. Behind Space
02. Lunar Strain
03. Starforsaken
04. Dreamscape
05. Everlost (Part I)
06. Everlost (Part II)
07. Hårgalåten
08. In Flames
09. Upon An Oaken Throne
10. Clad In Shadows
11. In Flames [2005 re-release bonus] [1993 demo version]
12. Upon An Oaken Throne [2005 re-release bonus] [1993 demo version]
13. Acoustic Piece [2005 re-release bonus] [1993 demo version]
14. Clad In Shadows [2005 re-release bonus] [1993 demo version]

Here is an important CD, the first official release of Swedish In Flames. 1994's Lunar Strain is indeed a monument in the world of Melodic Death Metal, especially if you consider that 1994 is almost ten years from now. At that time, the band is still more a bunch of musicians than a band, and, by the way, it can be considered as a mix between Dark Tranquillity and In Flames, seeing that Mikael Stanne [singer of Dark Tranquillity nowadays] handled the vocals on Lunar Strain!

The music itself is closer to nowadays Dark Tranquillity than to nowadays In Flames, and also definitely more folkish than all their following albums. This album includes great compositions such as the opener 'Behind Space', the surprising 'Biosphere', and, of course, the song 'In Flames'! You can't ignore that that song is simply mind-blowing with its slower breaks. As a general observation, Lunar Strain sounds closer to the true values of Death Metal than any other In Flames' album, and songs like 'Lunar Strain', 'Upon A Oaken Throne' and 'Clad In Shadows' attest.

But the most interesting tracks are probably the duo 'Everlost [Part I]' / ''Everlost [Part I]'. The first part is a slow-tempo ballad with the nicely tortured voice of Mikael Stanne, who gives another dimension to the song all by himself. For those who are into Dark Tranquillity, the song 'Lethe' from the album The Gallery is a lot of similarities with this one. As of the second part of 'Everlost', that is a beautiful acoustic ballad with wonderful angelic female voices, bringing gothic elements to the album but, more important, turning that song into a real diamond. 'Hargalaten' is another unusual song for the Swedish band as it's a traditional anthem played with classical instruments. That's refreshing!

On the finish line, Lunar Strain is a good album, diversified, intense but this record is also a proof of great musicianship already. With that debut album, In Flames was on a stairway to fame. An important thing, you cannot find that album anymore because it's sold out and it has never been re-issued since. The solution is to get the compilation Lunar Strain & Subterranean released by Nuclear Blast in 1999, which is basically these two records merged into one.