IN FLAMES new album being released by the end of 2016
- Thread starter PlainVanilla
- Start date
Jester Slave
Narcissist
No matter how many times I try it, I can never get into Colony. Aside from LS, I can dig every EP and LP, but Colony just never clicks. For example, reading now that you talked about Colony, I put in Coerced Coexistence, and it reminded me that other than that sweet-sweet riff towards the end, it's a dogshit of a song. Zombie Inc. has one of my favorite IF moments, but I can't listen to it too much, because the not solo parts of the track is bang average.
The title track is the only one I truly dig from start to finish and it's a travesty that it's not played at least on and off like Alias for example. The perfect mix of being in the old catalog yet sounding absolutely heavy and commercial, and on top of everything, everything in that track screams "play me live, I'm a crowd pleaser!"
I like Insipid a lot, but let's admit it, it can get boring real fast. Ordinary Story has A+ instrumentals, but the vocal delivery (much like on the entirety of the record) is extremely bland. It's the one record where Anders is already leaving his death growls, but not yet doing his clean or pseudo-clean style which starts on Clayman. Embody The Invisible is the closest contender to be up with the title track as a song that has everything needed; the music is great, that riffage breakdown is epic, and Anders sounds energetic.
Now that I typed it all out, my conclusion is that the biggest hindrance on Colony is Anders. The songs on which he sounds feisty, aggressive and powerful (Colony, Embody) work great, but on the rest, he's just there. He's not shit, he's not good, he's just there. The production sounds crisp, best drums on any IF record, and the record nails that futuristic feel which is the theme of the record - I'm mostly talking about the synths all over the album.
And about Colony being commercial or not: I think IF started being radio friendly with Clayman, but Colony definitely distances itself from the sound which started with LS and got perfected with Whoracle. Colony sounds almost as much heavy metal as MDM. Simple, powerful riffs are all over the record, mixed with the MDM-trademark melodies and solos. I don't think it's a bad thing, but I can totally see why some hardcore MDM fans might smelled the end of their beloved band as they knew it.
Another thing that sucks for Colony, is that the things it tried to mix, Whoracle and Clayman just did better separately. Whoracle is a much superior MDM record without a question, and Clayman does a much better job than being accessible and trying new things. I mean, why would I listen to one of the most fan-favorite tracks on this board, Ordinary Story, when Gyroscope is basically the same but better? And why would I listen any of the painfully average songs from Colony (ie, Resin, Scorn, Coerced, the instrumental tracks, and I could probably expand this list further), when Clayman has an absolutely ridiculous ratio of good songs?
And the examples are popping up the more I think about it! Look at the difference between what happens after the solo in Ep. 666, Bullet Ride and Zombie Inc. To me, it speaks volumes. Both Ep. 666 and Bullet Ride goes from one solo to another (or call the first solo riffing, I don't care, the point is they have two cool parts) and the songs are - even if just slightly - changed from what we heard before the solos. Zombie Inc. is literally an epic solo copied into the middle of an average song; you get the same monotone stuff before and after.
Anyway, I'm not trying to hate on Colony, I'm just saddened how it has some very cool ideas, like the solos in CC and Zombie, the piano in Ordinary Story, the extremely catchy chorus on Insipid, or that vocal filter on Scorn, but it's mostly all eaten up by mediocrity. Honestly, if I were to tell someone which IF records to check out, Colony would be at the bottom, with only LS, SC and Battles under it. And that's not a "my top albums..." list, it's just that if you start with any those 4 records, you will be rather disappointed, whether you go back- or forwards in the catalog.
The title track is the only one I truly dig from start to finish and it's a travesty that it's not played at least on and off like Alias for example. The perfect mix of being in the old catalog yet sounding absolutely heavy and commercial, and on top of everything, everything in that track screams "play me live, I'm a crowd pleaser!"
I like Insipid a lot, but let's admit it, it can get boring real fast. Ordinary Story has A+ instrumentals, but the vocal delivery (much like on the entirety of the record) is extremely bland. It's the one record where Anders is already leaving his death growls, but not yet doing his clean or pseudo-clean style which starts on Clayman. Embody The Invisible is the closest contender to be up with the title track as a song that has everything needed; the music is great, that riffage breakdown is epic, and Anders sounds energetic.
Now that I typed it all out, my conclusion is that the biggest hindrance on Colony is Anders. The songs on which he sounds feisty, aggressive and powerful (Colony, Embody) work great, but on the rest, he's just there. He's not shit, he's not good, he's just there. The production sounds crisp, best drums on any IF record, and the record nails that futuristic feel which is the theme of the record - I'm mostly talking about the synths all over the album.
And about Colony being commercial or not: I think IF started being radio friendly with Clayman, but Colony definitely distances itself from the sound which started with LS and got perfected with Whoracle. Colony sounds almost as much heavy metal as MDM. Simple, powerful riffs are all over the record, mixed with the MDM-trademark melodies and solos. I don't think it's a bad thing, but I can totally see why some hardcore MDM fans might smelled the end of their beloved band as they knew it.
Another thing that sucks for Colony, is that the things it tried to mix, Whoracle and Clayman just did better separately. Whoracle is a much superior MDM record without a question, and Clayman does a much better job than being accessible and trying new things. I mean, why would I listen to one of the most fan-favorite tracks on this board, Ordinary Story, when Gyroscope is basically the same but better? And why would I listen any of the painfully average songs from Colony (ie, Resin, Scorn, Coerced, the instrumental tracks, and I could probably expand this list further), when Clayman has an absolutely ridiculous ratio of good songs?
And the examples are popping up the more I think about it! Look at the difference between what happens after the solo in Ep. 666, Bullet Ride and Zombie Inc. To me, it speaks volumes. Both Ep. 666 and Bullet Ride goes from one solo to another (or call the first solo riffing, I don't care, the point is they have two cool parts) and the songs are - even if just slightly - changed from what we heard before the solos. Zombie Inc. is literally an epic solo copied into the middle of an average song; you get the same monotone stuff before and after.
Anyway, I'm not trying to hate on Colony, I'm just saddened how it has some very cool ideas, like the solos in CC and Zombie, the piano in Ordinary Story, the extremely catchy chorus on Insipid, or that vocal filter on Scorn, but it's mostly all eaten up by mediocrity. Honestly, if I were to tell someone which IF records to check out, Colony would be at the bottom, with only LS, SC and Battles under it. And that's not a "my top albums..." list, it's just that if you start with any those 4 records, you will be rather disappointed, whether you go back- or forwards in the catalog.
Anders is at his best on Colony imo. His growls/screams are the healthiest and best he ever sounded, whilst the cleans are sparse and sound good whenever they are thrown in. There isn't a song on Colony that I dislike, it's just a great heavy metal album.
Unfortunately for Anders whatever he was doing on Colony clearly wasn't good for his throat long term, as by Clayman/Reroute he sounds much weaker. It doesn't negatively affect either album imo, but it's noticeable how the power has drained from his voice, particularly on Clayman.
Unfortunately for Anders whatever he was doing on Colony clearly wasn't good for his throat long term, as by Clayman/Reroute he sounds much weaker. It doesn't negatively affect either album imo, but it's noticeable how the power has drained from his voice, particularly on Clayman.
Jester Slave
Narcissist
It's like a puzzle with amazing pieces, but assembled in a wrong order. I don't hate anything on it, other than being absolutely not interested in the instrumental songs.
What is so good about his singing on Colony? On TJR but especially on Whoracle, his voice is a great addition to the music. Just listen how he goes through all kinds of speed on Jotun, or how great his growls are on Worlds Within The Margin! On Colony, he has one set of singing tempo combined with some talking and that's it.
The chorus of Ordinary Story is one of the biggest offender for me. That's why I compared it to Gyroscope because I think the style and tempo of these songs are somewhat similar, but Gyroscope sounds soooooo much better on the vocal delivery part.
The best thing about his cleans on Colony is that there aren't very many of them, and when they are thrown in they sound NATURAL. This is a huge difference compared with his later work which would combine a nasally singing tone with protools. There isn't much in the way of cleans, but when he throws in "a helpless excuse, a fallen reality" in Insipid 2000 or "when we can no longer cry, and reality is torn, then it's easy to forget the responsibility lies on us all" it sounds good to me. Perhaps it's just personal opinion but I think Anders' few cleans on this record are better than anything he's done before or after.
Your opinion of his vocals on TJR/Whoracle is unusual, in that the generally accepted view (from Anders too) is that his voice was just laid over the instruments, which were the main focus of the earlier albums. His vocals are fine on TJR and Whoracle but nothing unique, he sounds much more powerful and in control of his voice on Colony than he does on either TJR or Whoracle, imo. Plus Colony actually incorporated his own lyrics, which makes it a lot more personal as a vocalist. TJR and Whoracle were almost entirely written by Niklas Sundin. Anders' live performances during this time period pretty much tells that story too. Compare the horrendous Koln 96 vocal performance to Gothenburg 99...
I mean, come on... it's night and day. He was a much better vocalist in 1999 than he was in 1996. He sounds like a goat being raped in 96, but by 99 he actually sounds like a proper melodic death metal vocalist. For me it isn't even a contest.
Colony is awesome. Probably my favorite. Any purely “artistic” merit present from Whoracle or earlier is gone, but it is of no consequence. Production is dense, full, basically perfect. Vocals harsh and strong. Riffs amazing: intros, verses, choruses, bridges, solos. Everything on point. The album simply rocks and needs no charming descriptions or back story or anything to prove its worth. It 100% speaks for itself.
Actually there are several tracks on Colony that are like filler tracks to me. Even the title track is kind of slow and weak. But the strong tracks make up for it like Embody, Scorn, Ordinary Story, Zombie Inc.
Now that I think about it, every In Flames title track is slow and weak to me compared to the rest of its album. Exception is TJR. And maybe SOAPF because every time I listen to that track I’m surprised because it’s actually pretty good.
Now that I think about it, every In Flames title track is slow and weak to me compared to the rest of its album. Exception is TJR. And maybe SOAPF because every time I listen to that track I’m surprised because it’s actually pretty good.
I love Colony (the song), the riffs between the verses are awesome, and it features some of Anders best lyrics and vocals on the album imo. Also a really good live track. Fillers on the album for me are the instrumentals, Resin and The New Word. All of which are still great, but not quite on the level of the others.
I actually like most of the title tracks. Lunar Strain sucks, Subterranean is decent, TJR is awesome, Whoracle is a cool little instrumental, Colony is great, Clayman is good, Reroute is good, Come Clarity is... an acquired taste, SOAPF is nice, Siren Charms is what it is, and Battles actually became one of my "favourites" off that album.
I actually like most of the title tracks. Lunar Strain sucks, Subterranean is decent, TJR is awesome, Whoracle is a cool little instrumental, Colony is great, Clayman is good, Reroute is good, Come Clarity is... an acquired taste, SOAPF is nice, Siren Charms is what it is, and Battles actually became one of my "favourites" off that album.
I like subterranean, the jester race, colony, absolutely love clayman, reroute to remain is good, come clarity could be better but it's ok (the album was first going to be named crawl through knives), and soapf is also a good song.
I guess the title tracks are typical 7/10 songs to me, always safe. They never suck, but aren’t the stand outs either.
Hmm, in terms of grades it'd be something like:
Lunar Strain - 2/10
TJR - 10/10
Whoracle 7/10
Colony - 9/10
Clayman - 8/10
R2R - 8/10 (I've always really liked this one for some reason)
Come Clarity - 6/10 (nice instrumental but Anders' vocals aren't so good imo)
SOAPF - 9/10
Siren Charms - 5/10
Battles - 6/10
So, yeah, on the albums that actually matter I'd only say CC is a disappointment, and that's mainly because Anders' vocals on that one are hard for me to listen to. Lunar Strain was basically a demo so whatever, and Whoracle is just an instrumental outro so can't really be counted as a proper song.
Lunar Strain - 2/10
TJR - 10/10
Whoracle 7/10
Colony - 9/10
Clayman - 8/10
R2R - 8/10 (I've always really liked this one for some reason)
Come Clarity - 6/10 (nice instrumental but Anders' vocals aren't so good imo)
SOAPF - 9/10
Siren Charms - 5/10
Battles - 6/10
So, yeah, on the albums that actually matter I'd only say CC is a disappointment, and that's mainly because Anders' vocals on that one are hard for me to listen to. Lunar Strain was basically a demo so whatever, and Whoracle is just an instrumental outro so can't really be counted as a proper song.
Clay-Man
Anders pre-2003
- May 18, 2008
- 1,099
- 53
- 48
Colony has always remained my favorite album. Honestly all the other albums have a tendency to shift their place in order of which I like the best, but Colony has always been number 1 to me. Maybe it's nostalgia, because I started with that album, but I also started with Clayman, and I love Clayman, but it doesn't hit me as hard as Colony, maybe because of the style and presentation.
Colony is the perfect aspect of a band going 100% on all their parts, the production being spot on and exploding the songs into the next level, and every song doesn't have any dips in interest or intensity like other albums have. Each song keeps getting more and more intense and the build up in each song is incredible. It's a very epic (non ironic use of the word) sounding album.
The riffs don't just sound like riffs being thrown in, it feels all connected and well written, like a real coherent piece, other than filling in spots to form a song. The songs don't recycle riffs either, if it's a part being reused, it's obviously meant to be there, else, there's like 50 different riffs in each song to give each part of the song it's own identity.
Anders has never sounded better. It's strange, but it's probably his most intense, ironically, it's his most emotionally dynamic sounding death metal vocals he's ever done that sound like actual death metal vocals, and not something whiney like ASOP. It compliments the feeling you get from the instrumental arrangement because of how dynamic his scream/growl combination is.
I don't know why but it's just the best album to me, and I don't get how anyone could say it's not good, or if you're one of those fucking idiots that are like "This is as bad as new in flames".
Colony is the perfect aspect of a band going 100% on all their parts, the production being spot on and exploding the songs into the next level, and every song doesn't have any dips in interest or intensity like other albums have. Each song keeps getting more and more intense and the build up in each song is incredible. It's a very epic (non ironic use of the word) sounding album.
The riffs don't just sound like riffs being thrown in, it feels all connected and well written, like a real coherent piece, other than filling in spots to form a song. The songs don't recycle riffs either, if it's a part being reused, it's obviously meant to be there, else, there's like 50 different riffs in each song to give each part of the song it's own identity.
Anders has never sounded better. It's strange, but it's probably his most intense, ironically, it's his most emotionally dynamic sounding death metal vocals he's ever done that sound like actual death metal vocals, and not something whiney like ASOP. It compliments the feeling you get from the instrumental arrangement because of how dynamic his scream/growl combination is.
I don't know why but it's just the best album to me, and I don't get how anyone could say it's not good, or if you're one of those fucking idiots that are like "This is as bad as new in flames".
Objectively it's surely difficult to look past Colony as Anders' peak as a vocalist. The only album I feel he comes close to that kind of power again is Come Clarity, both in terms of cleans and screams/growls. CC has a different vibe musically and the production is a lot more raw, I prefer Colony's better refined production. Anders' vocal levels on Colony are really well balanced throughout, whereas CC is a bit all over the place.
Was it mentioned on here that In Flames are doing their own festival?
http://www.metalsucks.net/2017/12/2...estival-borgholm-brinner-borgholm-is-burning/
Their twitter just announced Anthrax, Danko Jones and Graveyard. No idea who the latter two are.
http://www.metalsucks.net/2017/12/2...estival-borgholm-brinner-borgholm-is-burning/
Their twitter just announced Anthrax, Danko Jones and Graveyard. No idea who the latter two are.
Pallbearer
Passive Member
I wonder what will the set list be like?
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/in-flames/2017/the-sse-arena-wembley-london-england-be1fd36.html
9 out of 12 songs they played at their last gig were from albums I never was a huge fan of (STYE, ASOP & Battles.) Even though I consider "The End" a good track.
I'm not expecting them to play Stand Ablaze or such stuff but some more random/obscure songs in between of the mandatory "Heavy Metal Hits" would be nice. For example at Wacken 2012 we got Reroute to Remain.
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/in-flames/2017/the-sse-arena-wembley-london-england-be1fd36.html
9 out of 12 songs they played at their last gig were from albums I never was a huge fan of (STYE, ASOP & Battles.) Even though I consider "The End" a good track.
I'm not expecting them to play Stand Ablaze or such stuff but some more random/obscure songs in between of the mandatory "Heavy Metal Hits" would be nice. For example at Wacken 2012 we got Reroute to Remain.
