FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…
On October 27, 1997, In Flames released their third full-length studio album, Whoracle in Europe via Nuclear Blast Records. It was later released in the US on November 18, 1997. The title of the album is a portmanteau of the English words "whore" and "oracle".
Apart from Everything Counts, which is a cover of a Depeche Mode song, all songs were composed and arranged by In Flames. The lyrics were translated by former Dark Tranquillity guitarist Niklas Sundin, after Anders Fridén had written them in Swedish.
Background:
Whoracle is a concept album which describes the past, present, and a hypothetical future of the planet Earth. Jotun is a foreshadowing of the main concepts where a society is crushed and broken after an apocalyptic event. Episode 666 seems to be the narration of this apocalyptic event which is, perversely, televised. The songs leading up to this tell a story of the rise and fall of a global society. The Hive and Jester Script Transfigured describe this technologically advanced society and a utopian world which is demolished by human nature in the next two songs. The inclusion of the Depeche Mode cover, Everything Counts, is a poignant way to imply that the people who built then destroyed their society realized their folly after it was too late.
Whoracle is the final album to feature Johan Larsson and Glenn Ljungström. It is also the last In Flames release with Björn Gelotte playing drums, as he permanently switched to lead guitar in future releases. Fredrik Nordström noted that it was not easy to record at times, since the band members usually preferred drinking beer and playing Tekken 3.
Critical Reception:
In his review for AllMusic, Jason Anderson writes; “A master of Progressive Death Metal or the "Gothenberg sound" practiced by many a Swedish band, In Flames delivers one of its best efforts with 1997's Whoracle. One extremely heavy number after another flows continuously from this record's track list, including standouts like the mind-bending Gyroscope and Morphing Into Primal, just two of the original and extremely well-executed songs offered on this release. Indeed, some tracks are much better than others on Whoracle. Softer numbers like Jester Script Transfigured, with its half-acoustic Metallica ballad vibe, could probably have been left off this otherwise powerful recording. There are also some rather unnecessary vocal histrionics, most notably on Worlds Within the Margin, but this kind of overcooked "singing" really comes with the death metal territory. None of these sour notes manages to damage Whoracle, and the record has ultimately become accepted in the highly factional underground metal community as an important release not only for In Flames, but for the entire melodic death metal movement.”
While Sputnik.com staff writer Pon stated; “Even after years of repeat spins, Whoracle still sounds fresh, because it’s a no nonsense example of how to make an original piece of art composed of diametrically opposed influences and make it work, accessible but still completely inimitable.”
In 2020, it was named one of the 20 best metal albums of 1997 by Metal Hammer magazine.
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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