IN FLAMES new album being released by the end of 2016

[only4theweak187]

Slave... He just said those are songs he'd want to see live.

This is where your idiocy shines right through. It requires ZERO effort to argue a literally apparent fantasy someone posted. So unnecessary.

I think it goes without saying that it's just something he thinks would be awesome. Obviously, he doesn't think it's possible. Its just an opinion, an inarguable thing.

You didn't have to write an essay telling him why he's wrong when EVERYONE else here knew it was just a whatever thing.

 

[galvanized]

My final verdict on Battles is that it is surprisingly listenable. Yes, it is derivative and I agree fully with the comment that said when you listen you hear a lot of things that you've heard before: some typical In Flames and then a good amount of outside influence (alt rock, pop punk, modern metal, etc.). But overall still listenable and I got a lot more songs that I like out of it than I thought (hoping for 2-3). I'm impressed with Anders' vocals and the lyrics are better than I expected as well. Hell, even the lyrics for In My Room aren't that bad and decent by modern IF standards. I would say Anders has done a good job here.

I've created my own Battles playlist with one song moved and a couple cut.

1. Drained
2. The End
3. Here Until Forever
4. The Truth
5. In My Room
6. Before I Fall
7. Wallflower
8. Save Me
33 minutes

Best Solo: In My Room
Best Song: Before I Fall
Best Song Sequence (momentum building): The Truth - In My Room - Before I Fall

I will be rocking this for a while. It's interesting that so many of us have different songs that we like and others that we absolutely can't stand. Even among those who favor the old classics. Like Yagami and some others like Like Sand, others hate The Truth. I saw some review that said Greatest Greed was the best song, lol, I cut that one so fast. At this point In Flames crowd base is so mixed up with different opinions it's no wonder they put out an album with a million different styles.

 

[Jester313]

I only listened to the album once and have no plans to listen to it in the near future. I have no desire to listen to it again at all.

 

[only4theweak187]

In My Room, like I said initially, for me, has the most emotion and energy on the album especially in the chorus. Decent enough lyrics that fit the theme and vocals sound harsh enough to convey the point of the song well.

Really like Before I Fall's bridge but chorus is just generic catchy rock style.

Like Sand's chorus is too generic and repetitive unfortunately for my taste. Bridge is strong but just transitions to I WANT THE WHOLE WORLD, THE WHOOOLE WORLD...


Galvanized's list a couple of posts above^ is essentially the same for me.

 

[Jaymzkrueger]

I only listened to the album once and have no plans to listen to it in the near future. I have no desire to listen to it again at all.

I think you have to listen to an album at least 3-5 times to figure out whether you really like it or not. I'm a fan of French duo Justice, and got their new record the other day. First listen, pretty much hated it, wasn't what I expected at all, based on the singles. But after listening to it a few more times, even though it isn't anything like what I was expecting, I love it now. It has elements from their other two albums, while still being something new. I always listen to a new record at least a few times now before deciding if I really enjoy it or to completely discard it.

 

[Jester Slave]

Slave... He just said those are songs he'd want to see live.

This is where your idiocy shines right through. It requires ZERO effort to argue a literally apparent fantasy someone posted. So unnecessary.

I think it goes without saying that it's just something he thinks would be awesome. Obviously, he doesn't think it's possible. Its just an opinion, an inarguable thing.

You didn't have to write an essay telling him why he's wrong when EVERYONE else here knew it was just a whatever thing.

He gave what, a 4.5/10 for Battles? Then he puts The End, Like Sand and Drained on his short live setlist, implying he rather see those songs live (FROM A RECORD HE SAID "NOT AS SHIT AS SC") than TQP, Crawl Through Knives, Jotun, New Dawn, literally anything from LS up to SC.

Is it pointless to argue? Yes. But my curiosity is based on solid grounds. If I were to make a setlist only containing LS and TJR songs, one of you were bound to ask me "but Slave, you've been sucking N'Flaymz dick from the start, so where are your gay ass SC tracks from your setlist?".

 

[Jester Slave]

Oookay, time to re-evaluate Battles, now that the dust has settled. Not even a month passed, so it's hardly a huge retrospective look at the record, but a good record should rub you the right way after 2 weeks, me thinks so.

The very good (songs I still don't skip on my playlist):
Drained - This right here is what the record should have sounded. A kinda natural follow-up to Siren Charms.
In My Room - Hands down the best track on the record, I hope they will make it a live staple eventually. Anders sounds fantastic, and the verses has that cocky STYE vibe to it, with a great chorus and pretty good lyrics, nothing "I feel like shit/this is killing me/etc" cryfest so many of you dislike.

The good/decent:
Before I Fall - such a boring song, but the chorus with the choir is just way too good, and overall it has a nice atmosphere, like a (not so good) mix of the Battles and SC themes.
The Truth - say whatever you want, this is the only non bonus material that's interesting on Battles.
Battles - the one song that I disliked first, but grew on me. Not sure what the fuck is going on in the lyric department, but that's a different question.

The rest are very mixed.
Wallflower - starts out pretty dope, but lacks the punch TCP had, quite weak chorus
Like Sand - I got tired of it rather quickly. All For Me is just way better and longer lasting.
Underneath My Skin - shit
Save Me - it is okay, very good verses but a very shitty chorus.
Here Until Forever - when the choir kicks in it's preeettyyy good. Is it worth waiting out 200 seconds of mediocre music? I dunno, if I am in the mood I suppose.
The End - I can't say anything bad, I just got tired of it quite quickly. Not like with Like Sand where I realized it's bleeding from many wounds, I have no hard feelings towards The End.

The bonus songs are obviously not being taken into account, but I like the experimentation in them, yes, even in Us Against The World. Those songs - with The Truth - make for an uneasy first listening, and I am all for hearing new and exciting stuff, even if it falls short, like UATW. Greatest Greed's intro is more exciting than half of the record LUL.

F-f-f-final rating: 6.5/10.

On the big scale:

Reroute To Remain - 10
Soundtrack To Your Escape - 9
Come Clarity - 8.5
Whoracle - 8.5
Subterranean - 8
Siren Charms - 8
A Sense Of Purpose - 7.5
Colony - 7
Sounds Of A Playground Fading - 7
Clayman - 7
Battles - 6.5
The Jester Race - 6
Lunar Strain - whatever

 

[Midas]

Very cool intro. I listened to Minus right after and it worked pretty well. Interested to hear any of your other stuff in the future.

Thanks.

It works because the guitars are playing a version of what's being played at 01:00 into Minus, so, that's the connection. The rest is just ambient bullshit and some strings. Oh and that little pop at 30 seconds is me hitting the mic, accidentally. Didn't notice it until after rendering and just thought "fuck it"...
I thought about making it a really threatening intro with lots of really powerful orchestral drums, but decided against it. I may still do it though.

 

[only4theweak187]

Is it pointless to argue? Yes. But my curiosity is based on solid grounds. If I were to make a setlist only containing LS and TJR songs, one of you were bound to ask me "but Slave, you've been sucking N'Flaymz dick from the start, so where are your gay ass SC tracks from your setlist?".

Lol, your only leverage is claiming someone was going to maybe say something...

It's simple dude. He just wrote up a show he'd like to see. A very unrealistic one, yes... Which was very obvious. ZERO need to tell him why It isn't possible when we, including he, all already knew it isn't.

 

[only4theweak187]

I could say I'd be want IF to open a show with SOAPF title track... We all know it ain't going to happen... You don't need to go into depth explaining what everyone knows already

 

[Jester Slave]

I could say I'd be want IF to open a show with SOAPF title track... We all know it ain't going to happen... You don't need to go into depth explaining what everyone knows already

They opened shows with SOAPF so they could do it again, it's not unrealistic. Unlikely, but plausible.

That setlist on the other hand, begs some questions, and not just for the usual reasons, like including songs which will never be played live (again).

 

[Jester313]

I think you have to listen to an album at least 3-5 times to figure out whether you really like it or not. I'm a fan of French duo Justice, and got their new record the other day. First listen, pretty much hated it, wasn't what I expected at all, based on the singles. But after listening to it a few more times, even though it isn't anything like what I was expecting, I love it now. It has elements from their other two albums, while still being something new. I always listen to a new record at least a few times now before deciding if I really enjoy it or to completely discard it.

I agree. One listen is not enough. But I'm so uninterested in it that I'll wait a few months probably before trying it again.

 

[galvanized]

Like Sand's chorus is too generic and repetitive unfortunately for my taste. Bridge is strong but just transitions to I WANT THE WHOLE WORLD, THE WHOOOLE WORLD...

Like Sand - I got tired of it rather quickly. All For Me is just way better and longer lasting.

What really gets me about Like Sand is that he keeps saying "whole WILD world" but the phrase is "whole WIDE world". It is repeated so many times and it bugs the heck out of me.

Save Me - it is okay, very good verses but a very shitty chorus.

Verse is awesome, chorus is so so but I don't hate it. It has grown on me.

Wallflower - starts out pretty dope, but lacks the punch TCP had, quite weak chorus

Wallflower is a lot heavier but lacks the build and crescendo from TCP. They could have done a lot more with Wallflower. Chorus is the weakest link but isn't that bad to me. I like it a lot more than TCP but I'm not a big fan of TCP.

 

[galvanized]

I agree. One listen is not enough. But I'm so uninterested in it that I'll wait a few months probably before trying it again.

Damn, that's like me and SC. I still haven't listened to it again.

 

[DE4life]

What really gets me about Like Sand is that he keeps saying "whole WILD world" but the phrase is "whole WIDE world". It is repeated so many times and it bugs the heck out of me.

Anders probably thought it was such a clever play on words that it needed to be repeated multiple times. Somebody needs to tell that hipster fuck that it would have been better to just use the proper saying.

I'll definitely listen to a few of the songs on Battles in future, but most of them will go into the 'won't listen to again' pile. Let's be brutally honest, for music this simple you do not need multiple listens. There are no hidden depths to this album, it's basic, formulaic pop music. It doesn't require a degree in music to dissect.

It seems baffling to force yourself to listen to something as basic as Battles when there is so much good music out there. I'll put a handful of these songs on my mp3 player for passive listening when I'm out and about, and that's fine. It's a better return than SC, which I'm quite happy to erase entirely and never listen to again.

 

[Jester Slave]

Verse is awesome, chorus is so so but I don't hate it. It has grown on me.


Wallflower is a lot heavier but lacks the build and crescendo from TCP. They could have done a lot more with Wallflower. Chorus is the weakest link but isn't that bad to me. I like it a lot more than TCP but I'm not a big fan of TCP.

By and large Save Me grew on me too, but there is no helping that chorus.

And exactly, Wallflower needed so much more. Like, TCP gets hauled for (neglecting Anders' from the equation now) going on for too long, and you could skip that and that part. But it was their first shot at a long ass ballad, and for better or worse, they played it safe. It could have been an 8 minutes long musical journey, but it was a rather simplistic ballad, which was still vastly different from your usual In Flames experience.

Now, Wallflower not only lacks the buildup, as the final part of it gets blown the fuck out by TCP, it also plays it safe. I mean, if you eventually have 10 TCPs, you are bound to expand on those tracks, right? A one off is a novelty, a second, third, etc. is something that is held to a standard. Even if they just included a 30 seconds long medley part somewhere, it would've been nice. Who knows, maybe I'd say it sucked, but I'd rather them make some shitty experimential music (*coughs* When The World Explodes), than basically carbon copy TCP with a different theme this time.

The song is not bad by any means, but it's like being with a girl for the second time. You don't get as many passes on being clueless as for the first time. (I am sure I am setting myself up for some sick burnzz )

Damn, that's like me and SC. I still haven't listened to it again.

I don't get this. I really don't. You listen to SC first, you hate it, throw it in the dust bin, fair enough. Then 2 fucking years passes and you don't even give it another chance? That's just short-minded. You can say big words like how you know if something is godawful just by one listen, or stuff like that, but being a fan of the band, you could surely survive one more listen through, and maybe finding one single song you actually think is okay. And if not, then you don't have to dust it off every years, because if you hear the same exact shit 2 years apart, then it most likely won't grow on you.

Somebody needs to tell that hipster fuck...

Come on, man.

 

[DE4life]

Sorry, hipsters make me aggressive. Even moreso when they're 43 years old with wives and kids. Show some respect for your family if nothing else.

 

[Jester Slave]

As much as I hate seniors (entitled fucks), I'd be sad if I was already forced into a style of living, thinking, etc. once I reach 40.

 

[Jester313]

Damn, that's like me and SC. I still haven't listened to it again.

I actually prefer SC a lot more.

 

[DE4life]

As much as I hate seniors (entitled fucks), I'd be sad if I was already forced into a style of living, thinking, etc. once I reach 40.

So you think the only two states of existence are being an immature, hipster fucktard or an old, gormless zombie? Jeez, no wonder you cling to your own childishness. Here's a shred of enlightenment - it's entirely possible to be neither.