While I think the other wayBattles is just like shitty SOAPF b-sides. It's recognisable as modern In Flames even if it has no substance. I can't say the same for SC.

While I think the other wayBattles is just like shitty SOAPF b-sides. It's recognisable as modern In Flames even if it has no substance. I can't say the same for SC.
I find Battles to be a mediocre album full of (bad) influences and worthy of a bunch of newcomers. Sure you can say, these guys have been influenced by In Flames among many others. But it doesn't look like an album made by a well stablished band with it's own sound and personality.
SC sounds heavier, not just because of EG. First of all, when a record's most hardcore song is IF YOU COULD SEEEE IT THROUGH ME EEEEYEEEEEEES, then that record is not exactly heavy. Battles highlights choruses so much that the music barely feels important, it's just there, but SC and it's "bad" production at least made it sound heavy. In Plain View's chorus? The second part of Rusted Nail? When The World Explodes? Filtered Truth? I fucking hate that song, but still: Monsters?
On the other side we have "the scaaaaars i feeeel" and "I hear them from the other siideeeee", "you ripped the heart ooouuuuut" and let's not talk about SAAAAVEEEE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Everything on that record is to make the baby clean vocals sound good. It is a long fucking way from "wtf, how dares he sing clean sometimes on R2R???". The most "Battles" song on SC is actually Paralyzed which follows the same "fuck the music, just get to the beautiful clean vocals somehow!" structure, and it is among my least favorite tracks on SC for that reason. It's cheap, but at least it is a one off and not the entire record is built around that.
I'm pretty triggered by it, because it reminds me of reddit hive mind, and gives me PTSD. Whenever a champion/hero/whatever suddenly gets picked a lot, the biggest fucking silver noobs come up with explanations like "well, yes, a 2 second stun on a 12 sec cool down was bound to make this happen!" - BITCH, he had that ability unchanged for 2 years, stop bullshitting.
This also happens with some solos on battles.At least Battles is produced decently and the songs are mixed properly. SC has problems with vocal volume, instrument volume, song volumes (some are for some reason louder than others), verse/chorus transitions, and so on.
Agreed.Battles is your boring pre-packed lunch, which you have to eat within 30 minutes of opening the seal, because it starts to rot rapidly.
This also happens with some solos on battles.
And I think that even most people "abandoned" them with this album. Of course SC has also anything to do with it. Two disappointments that lead una direction that many people simply do not like. As I said, my main issue is the lack of personality, for both albums but specially for battles.
Can't hear the instruments perfectly because you are walking by the highway? Who cares
You can make valid arguments against SC - production, some songs being repetitive, copies from older songs, mixing, Anders' voice on it. But you can't be serious if you think more effort and heart went into Battles than SC.
Here's my dream of two possibilitis:
1. The boring one: they stop making more records and they will only tour. Maybe yeaaaars, yeaaaars later they move on to number 2.
2. They make one last record where they try to include as many contributors as they can get, but mainly ex-IF guys. Okay, Jesper don't want to tour anymore or listen to Anders, but IF is still his legacy, so it could be possible that he would agree to contribute on some songs for the last ever record. They can then keep touring after that ofc with whatever line-up.
Ah, I'm a sad panda now. Jesper returns with a bang average record (where the best thing is the vocals, to add insult to injury) and I'm starting to slowly realize that within a year IF might drop something even more bland than Battles. I can't even imagine what could be less boring and unimaginative than that. If Battles is a glass of tap water, how lower can you go exactly? I mean, bottled water at least have a style, even if it tastes the same.
You mean The Truth and Save Me? Because they're both very similar. And there are other bits here and there that suggest that IF will be more and more an electronic band.The Truth for Battles is like Through Oblivion for SC.
I would say more than average. It's strange coming from a guy who cares more about the vocals than the music.Jesper returns with a bang average record (where the best thing is the vocals, to add insult to injury) and I'm starting to slowly realize that within a year IF might drop something even more bland than Battles.
This won't happen. It should have happened after SC, but now Anders is in full mode, taking control of the path of the band, and he won't stop until the whole world recognizes his vocal abilities.I think they need to take a very long break. Let Anders go off and do his electronica projects. Let Bjorn go and do 70s cover bands or maybe go join Jesper in Cyhra. Let Niclas go back to doing Engelin and other uninspired modern metal. Christian Joe can go back to church and Bryce Paul can go hang ten at a beach or whatever.
Give it a few years, then see who wants to come back refreshed and ready to produce something worthwhile under the In Flames name. At this point they're just pumping out terrible music and they need to stop.
This won't happen. It should have happened after SC, but now Anders is in full mode, taking control of the path of the band, and he won't stop until the whole world recognizes his vocal abilities.
What if you are the highway?
I think the drumming on SC is at least decent and it sounds like actual drums.Not even going to comment on drums or bass because they are the definition of background instrument.
It is average if you expect a "Jesper" record. A few In Flames-ish melodies aside, the guitar work is quite generic. No, I did not expect a TJR 2, but I was hoping for either something melodic, or some head-chopping like on CC or STYE for example. You know, like Move Through Me, Like You Better Dead or Reflect The Storm for example.Well, general consensus on LtM seems to be that it's a pretty good record so maybe you need to give it a few more spins. Maybe it's just not for you which is a shame, but I've been listening to it non-stop since release.
Yeah, I tried to say that TT and SM are the "???" songs on Battles, but SM is just a much weaker TT, so that doesn't really count. If a record would have Through Oblivion than TCP, that's okay, two strange songs. But this time, it's one strange song, and another one that tries to copy it but fails.You mean The Truth and Save Me? Because they're both very similar. And there are other bits here and there that suggest that IF will be more and more an electronic band.
And they've been touring almost all that time, or at studio. Leaving them with little time to rest. Yep, I also think that they should stop. Spend some time with their families and come back when they really have something that they want to do.Unfortunately I think you're right, but most bands who get to this point will take a break. In Flames are pretty rare in that they've been releasing albums uninterrupted with no hiatuses since 1994. There probably aren't many bands who have been consistently releasing records with the same vocalist for over 20 years.
Well, Save Me was released as a single. So I don't see how it is weak. And, seriously, I don't think that's anything weaker than The Truth. It's such a bad song, it's so out of place... And still I think that's the path that they will walk in the next years. That's, of course, my opinion.Yeah, I tried to say that TT and SM are the "???" songs on Battles, but SM is just a much weaker TT, so that doesn't really count. If a record would have Through Oblivion than TCP, that's okay, two strange songs. But this time, it's one strange song, and another one that tries to copy it but fails.
You should understand that this was a two people project. I think that if it was only Jesper the album ould be definitely different, in a lot of ways. But that's not the case.It is average if you expect a "Jesper" record. A few In Flames-ish melodies aside, the guitar work is quite generic. No, I did not expect a TJR 2, but I was hoping for either something melodic, or some head-chopping like on CC or STYE for example. You know, like Move Through Me, Like You Better Dead or Reflect The Storm for example.
I understand, but what does Jesper do on that record which could not be done by any semi-talented musician? Or to be more precise: what separates him from one no name guitarist on that record? Yes, he plays some medleys and IF-sounding stuff in the intros, but that's really nothing much but a cute little thing.You should understand that this was a two people project. I think that if it was only Jesper the album ould be definitely different, in a lot of ways. But that's not the case.