In Flames: Crawl Through Knives.

[Nitronium Blood]

There may be some of you who are pretty open minded about the musical route In Flames took after Clayman. Perhaps even consider it an 'evolution'. "Don't say In Flames suck... they are evolving, you have to evolve to survive lol"

Consider this the speculation thread for the upcomming In Flames album entitled 'Crawl Through Knives'.

A return to the 'old and proper' In Flames? Or a continuation of the route the are currently on? Production quality expectations?

 

[TheStoryteller]

I spoke to Jesper about the new album recently, and he said it would be a BIG step backwards (stylewise), but also a BIG step forward. Enough to keep me interested, since I didn't care much for the last two albums.

 

[commandante]

Lies.

 

[Kazrog]

Am I crazy? I don't think their music has changed all that much. Vocally, sure. But otherwise, not that significantly.

 

[Impy]

I think the music has changed a great deal, but the major change was between Colony and Clayman in my opinion, that's when i lost interest in the band, they just weren't giving me anything that i found interesting after that. They seem to have caught quite a large new crowd after that tho so they must be doing something right, at least something that appeals to the average person somewhat.

 

[Ermz]

I spoke to Jesper about the new album recently, and he said it would be a BIG step backwards (stylewise), but also a BIG step forward. Enough to keep me interested, since I didn't care much for the last two albums.

Jesper rules. Just for the fact that he told you that personally, I'll do my best to forget the last few years of In Flames' career and be hyped about this release.

 

[Kazrog]

I think the music has changed a great deal, but the major change was between Colony and Clayman in my opinion, that's when i lost interest in the band, they just weren't giving me anything that i found interesting after that. They seem to have caught quite a large new crowd after that tho so they must be doing something right, at least something that appeals to the average person somewhat.

You're suffering from some serious metal tunnel vision. In Flames has never been a mainstream band (and probably will never be.) Clayman was a straight up melodic deathmetal album to me. And before you write me off as a newbie, I own every In Flames album, and it was Whoracle and Colony that got me into them in the first place.

The segment of music most of us here listen to occupies less than 7% of the overall market, comparable to classical music in terms of its popularity. And that's if we choose to include mainstream metal like Godsmack, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Evanescence, etc.!

 

[Impy]

You're suffering from some serious metal tunnel vision. In Flames has never been a mainstream band (and probably will never be.) Clayman was a straight up melodic deathmetal album to me. And before you write me off as a newbie, I own every In Flames album, and it was Whoracle and Colony that got me into them in the first place.

Hehe i'm not calling you anything man
And i didn't mean it like they are mainstream, they are more mainstream now than 7-8 years ago though. Anyways what i meant was simply that they appeal to a wider market now, which they obviously do, than they did a while back when their music was more melodic deathmetal than what they play now.

 

[estigma2001]

well i like R2R is damn catchy but the sound is awful, i always think about reroute with the sound of Clayman or Colony, STYE was an step backwards in my point of view, seems like all those songs were R2R left overs, hope to see a killer metal sounding album!!!! i dont have problems with catchiness, look the new Soilwork, the choruses are pop!!!! but the cd overall sound is killer, tha´s what i want for the next IF cd!!!!

 

[Kazrog]

Hehe i'm not calling you anything man
And i didn't mean it like they are mainstream, they are more mainstream now than 7-8 years ago though. Anyways what i meant was simply that they appeal to a wider market now, which they obviously do, than they did a while back when their music was more melodic deathmetal than what they play now.

Cool. I wasn't saying you were calling me anything... just being pre-emptive and making sure my point was understood in the right context.

 

[egan.]

I spoke to Jesper about the new album recently, and he said it would be a BIG step backwards (stylewise), but also a BIG step forward.

I think that line is straight from the rock + roll handbook.

 

[commandante]

I think that line is straight from the rock + roll handbook.

Just like:
"This is our best effort yet!"?

 

[Kazrog]

Just like:
"This is our best effort yet!"?

Or my personal favorite "The new album has our heaviest songs ever, and our lightest songs ever!"

 

[Ermz]

Then there's also 'the new one is heavier than anything we've ever done before!'.

 

[daemon097]

I'm looking forward to the music...I'm sure it will sound like ass. (The production of the last 2 In Flames albums have sounded like complete ass in my opinion.)

 

[Fabbio]

And don't forget: 'The heavy parts are really the heaviest ever, and the melodic parts are the most melodic ever!' - Referring to the vocals in general.

 

[Fabbio]

The segment of music most of us here listen to occupies less than 7% of the overall market, comparable to classical music in terms of its popularity. And that's if we choose to include mainstream metal like Godsmack, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Evanescence, etc.!

You're right!!! To me all the 'selling out' of metal bands always seemed a joke.

I mean, even Metallica in their Black Album was very hardcore to me. If that's not metal... ...for instance Savatage has music much more melodic and they never 'sold out' in the eyes of fans...

It's usually the narrow mind of the new fan that has very little knowledge of music in a more general sense that make him say sentences like 'they become mainstream!' 'They sold out and not respect their fans!'.

Even selling 300.000 copies nowadays it's not the safe place for a long and prospering carreer.

So for every thing metal (i mean with roaring guitars, pounding rhythms and strong vocals) there is no selling out. Period.

Go tell Eminem that's a 'sold out', it much more in context.

 

[egan.]

Selling out is quiting and getting buying a house in the suburbs. I think mostly it's a term used by 15 year olds (sorry to any 15 year olds here) to describe anyone who can afford to pay their own rent from their music income (or at all).
Even funnier than that is when people say bands like metallica have sold out. Like they thought "man, if only we could find a way to make $300 million this year instead of this measily $250 million."
Typically bands change b/c it's natural, not as an attept at cash. Sometimes it's cool, sometimes it's painful.

 

[DecTV]

...for instance Savatage has music much more melodic and they never 'sold out' in the eyes of fans...

But they did release Fight For The Rock. \m/ \m/

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Even funnier than that is when people say bands like metallica have sold out. Like they thought "man, if only we could find a way to make $300 million this year instead of this measily $250 million."
Typically bands change b/c it's natural, not as an attept at cash. Sometimes it's cool, sometimes it's painful.

I think in Metallica's case a lot of fan criticism comes not from musical changes so much as the way the band has trashed their roots--meaning both fellow metal bands as well as their own music...I vividly recall, during the Load days, Hetfield bashing "frayed ends of sanity" and other classics, saying that they were too chaotic and had no groove (something along those lines). That's selling out in anyone's book, i think.