In Flames were a band from Sweden that specialized in melodic death-metal. Their debut album Lunar Strain (1994) was still derivative of US stereotypes, but a transition toward catchy and sometimes cheesy folkish melodies began on the EP Subterranean (1995).

The Jester Race (1996), perhaps their definitive work, added vocalist Anders Friden and drummer Bjorn Gelotte to the founding trio of Jesper Stromblad, guitarist Johan Larsson and bassist Glenn Ljungstrom. Here the melodic twin guitarwork frequently veered into melancholic mid-paced acoustic interludes and intermezzos. Artifacts of the Black Rain, Moonshield and standout December Flower made death metalheads weep. The Iron Maiden-inspired instrumentals The Jester Dance and Wayfaerer provides further melodrama.

The four-song EP Black Ash Inheritance (1997) adds at least Goliaths Disarm their Davids to their canon.

At the time when fellow Swedes were producing ferocious albums such as Slaughter Of The Soul by At The Gates The Gallery by Dark Tranquility, this turn of events felt like a betrayal of death-metal's original mission. Others saw it as a revolution within the revolution.

The Jester Race was also a dystopian concept album that opened a trilogy. Whoracle (1997) continued that epic in the same style with songs like Jotun.

A revised line-up recorded Colony (1999), the last part of the trilogy, containing Ordinary Story, Clayman (2000), containing Only For the Weak, and Reroute To Remain (2002), albums which, despite the growing popularity of the band, were mediocre.

Soundtrack To Your Escape (Nuclear Blast, 2004), Come Clarity (2006), A Sense of Purpose (2008), Sounds of a Playground Fading (2011), the first album without guitarist Jesper Stromblad, offered bland pop-metal.