In Flames -Sounds of A Playground Fading (Upcoming 10th album)

[Dantess9226]

Haha Scream's actual lyrical theme isn't bad to be fair- it seems some lines Anders has wrote are taken as jokes by some of us (what was that cheerleading lark all about before? Hahaha), but in actuallity In Search for I is actually a quite clever play on letters. It's more imaginative than: "Feeding on left overs, i feel my time has come" Aurgh *shivers* welcome back Anders!

"It is the opposite philosophy of music. You don't spend your life doing epic metal/rock songs and then suddenly become a huge fan of 3 minute MTV "hits"."

Fair point to you there- it seems that there are two types of metal/rock bands in this World. One type constantly writes masterpieces, pushing the boundaries of what they can play/do, creatively exploring different ways of approaching the music and experimenting. Another type seems content with sticking with a formula and writing an album full of 3-minute verse-chorus-rinse-repeat (don't get me wrong, some good music can still come out of bands that do this, it's just hardly boundary pushing). It seems somewhere down the line In Flames got sick of writing melo-death (after making four similar sounding albums, perhaps only natural) and so wanted to experiment. It's a shame that they slipped down into the 3-minute pop-formula route, while experimenting and changing sound, and it has undoubtably limited their creativity.

I think we are going to get a perfect balance of accessible, catchy metal tunes AND creative, self-indulgent masterpieces with the new album.

 

[A88]

Haha, we're getting good at this lyrics stuff.

@ante979

Me too!

I think we are going to get a perfect balance of accessible, catchy metal tunes AND creative, self-indulgent masterpieces with the new album.

This! I don't mind changes. Changes are good. BUT, I don't wanna listen to MTV emo teen hits vol.1-10. What can you put in 3 minute song? Intro riff/melody, break, verse, chorus, verse, 8 sec solo, chorus, end! Not much room to make song interesting and "deep". IF have a tendency to (over)produce a large number of 3 minute songs per album. I can understand making one or two, just for music videos and radio, but FFS make 7-8 proper songs to give album some depth and replay value.

 

[Kake21]

I like to think every In Flames' album is totally unique in its own sense and that IF didn't 'go with a formula' but just experimenting more, but trying to achieve a commercial sound at the same time.

Look at Amon Amarth. Great melodeath but they have like 9 albums with the same formula. It gets boring.
But look at Children of Bodom. Their old stuff was brilliant, their recent newer stuff is meh but Relentless Reckless Forever is a great example to show how a band can change their sound but be inspired by their older work.

I think In Flames just likes to experiment with everything but not necessarily doing it in a right way. I dislike most of R2R and I'm OK with STYE but I really like Come Clarity. Then ASOP comes along and just ruins it again. And none of those albums sound similar.

Their older work probably had the same type of inspiration (to an extent) but I'd be lying if I said TJR, Whoracle, Colony and Clayman sound similar.

I think SOAPF will be another musical change to In Flames but probably a more melodic change this time, rather than a nu-metal/metalcore change.

 

[drawntoblack]

In my opinion, each IF album added something new (electronics/samples, etc), but at the same time excluded some awesome stuff.. The only album that to my ears sounds completely original is Clayman. Sure, it has a lot of already seen stuff, but at the same time had a lot of things that we never saw prior or after it. Unique atmosphere as well, with the perfect guitar tone.

I dont really care much for Amon Amarth, but there are bands that manage to remain interesting even though they dont really evolve too much. It all comes down to what kind of taste you have. I dont really mind 10 similar albums, as long as all songs have a distinct feel to them.

 

[Cronopio]

Found a review of SOAPF. Sounds promising.

http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/22661/tempidx/4/menuid/2

 

[A88]

In my opinion, each IF album added something new (electronics/samples, etc), but at the same time excluded some awesome stuff.. The only album that to my ears sounds completely original is Clayman. Sure, it has a lot of already seen stuff, but at the same time had a lot of things that we never saw prior or after it. Unique atmosphere as well, with the perfect guitar tone.

I dont really care much for Amon Amarth, but there are bands that manage to remain interesting even though they dont really evolve too much. It all comes down to what kind of taste you have. I dont really mind 10 similar albums, as long as all songs have a distinct feel to them.

I kinda agree with you. Clayman sounds like a finished product. Really, perfect guitar sound. Clear and powerful. I think we would like a lot of songs from 2001-2010 era better if they were done with the similar production (and vocals).

Amon Amarth is a good band. But they are becoming really boring. Surtur's rising has nice songs, production...everything, but its the same stuff done 10 times already.

At least, we can all agree IF are one of the great bands, with original sound no matter what direction they go. When you hear a song...you know it is In Flames instantly.

 

[drawntoblack]

My main problem with Surtur Rising is that the music is quite predictable. And its not because I listened to AA discography too much or anything like that, because I didnt. I remember listening to it for the first time, and I could guess/predict half of the chord progressions and song structures. Its like guitar players picked one scale in one specific key, and the whole album consists of the same 5 notes switched around. That might not be the actual case, but it sure does feel like it.

I know I said it already in this thread, but the Dark Tranquillity are perfect example of band that doesnt evolve too much, but yet remains interesting. They have all kinds of songs ranging from slow to really fast. Slow rhytms, fast ones, blastbeats, polyrhytms, unusal time signatures. They do it all, and the songs themselves have a lot of variation when it comes to atmopshere. Granted, some people who like IF will find DT boring, just like a lot of people love Amon Amarth to death, even though they are nothing special to me. But the point is still there

 

[A88]

Surtur rising is predictable, you're right. I listened it once, and it was good. Next time, I was bored to death.

DT, another great band, but I don't really like their new album. Sounds forced and uninspired to me. Fiction and Damage Done are a lot better. Nowadays they rely to much on keyboards and those chugging riffs.

 

[DE4life]

I felt like I should like We Are The Void but... I dunno, something about it just doesn't click with me. I adored everything they did up until Damage Done, which is my favourite of all their albums... then Character came along and at first I wasn't a fan, then it grew on me. Same story with Fiction. Not WATV, though. I still don't like it. I really don't know why. It sucks, because I want to like it... but it just doesn't interest me.

 

[drawntoblack]

Yeah, I have a feeling that WATV is in a way Dark Tranquillity's ASOP. Its a bit darker than their previous works, and is a lot more experimental and keyboard-driven. Chugga chugga riffs arent my favourite thing ever either.
It just simply lacks enough memorable parts. But there are couple of really great songs

 

[A88]

WATV = boring. 11 song, not one makes me go "Wow, this is cool!". Even Mikael sounds bored. Damage Done on the other hand is a beast. Great atmosphere.

 

[DE4life]

Yeah, I was gonna compare WATV to STYE... but it'd be wrong to do so. WATV is technically superior to STYE of course, but in terms of how I feel about listening to the album, I get the same feeling. There isn't a song on either I really want to listen to past the 1 minute mark.

 

[Glenfarclas]

I have been following this thread for a while now and it's time to speak up. First post.

First of all a little intruduction maybe. I'm a finnish-swede so my english may be somewhat off at times, so I apologize. I have been an In flames fan since I first heard Ordinary story on swedish radio, this was in the year 2000. I could not belive my ears. It was so good I just bought the hole album Colony the same day after work and I have been caught since! I pretty much own everything they realesed, and so does my wife! :O

I started going back in in flames record collection and I didn't belive how I missed this band. In flames actually intruduced me to heavier stuff aswell. The hardest thing I owned at the time was Entomed - Wolverine blues which is a great fuckin record. I discovered lots bands as Nasum, Opeth, Children of bodom, Burst, At the gates, The haunted and the list goes on forever.
Anyways what I'm trying to do here is to get some musical respect before I drop the bomb!

Also I want to say that, good music is good music no matter the label or genre you put on it!

Here I go, I just love ASOP it's the best In flames album musically, lyrically and cover wise! I don't know if I gotten to old (30y hey, two kids a wife and pets)? The thing was I got my first son just before the realese of ASOP, and the only album I found myself want to listen to was that. So thats maybe the reason I just adore that album. Lyrically speaking it felt like it was me who had written them! I think anyone who has gone through some "ruff stuff", maybe can find them in Anders ASOP lyrics. Well thats my theory atleast.

So anyways, as anyone who has two children knows you can't spend as much time as you maybe want on reading about your hobby, mine is music. So I really didn't read anything about in flames till I heard about this album some time ago. What really suprised me was the massive hate for the album ASOP! I could't believe that we where listening do the same album! So I have really tried to do some serious listening to all of the In flames albums again and you know what I love the all, still.

In flames is just like one of my other Gods, Metallica. They grow as people and the music grows with them, not maybe allways in the direction you like. But I can honestly say that I love every single album from In flames and Metallica, of course more or less. Everthing isn't black and white.

Oh, god thats one long first post, sorry.

My thoughts on the three song we heard from SOAPF is:
SOAPF - I just love the Intro (Metallica anyone?), the rest I first thought was a little boring, but it grows on you. Love the chorus. I like it a lot!

Deliver us - When everone was saying this is so much better than everything on ASOP I could NOT belive it. Still like it though!

A New Dawn - Now thats a masterpiece, Anders growls are almost back. It does not need to be explained really! Its great!

Thanks for sharing the new songs and links to them! Keep em coming!

Love, Peace and death metal!

/Glenfarclas

 

[drawntoblack]

Fiction is my fav DT album too. I love all of their albums almost equally, but Fiction simply sounds mature, well varied, and consistent. Not a single bad song on it.

And speaking of DT, they are one of the rare few bands who I'd prefer them use a lot more of clean vocals. Stanne is just a fantastic vocalist.

 

[ante979]

In my opinion The Gallery is the best

 

[A88]

Hehe, A Sense of (No) Purpose and We are the Void (Yes, you are!).

Fiction is perfect also. Every song has unique personality. Fiction, Mind's I and Damage Dome - my favorites when it comes to DT.

 

[A88]

So mean but funny

Well the tittle fits perfectly with the music.

Did you guys listened to the song The Poison Well from DT? Great stuff.

 

[Glenfarclas]

In my opinion The Gallery is the best

Agreed. The Gallery is a masterpiece!

 

[DE4life]

I have been following this thread for a while now and it's time to speak up. First post.

First of all a little intruduction maybe. I'm a finnish-swede so my english may be somewhat off at times, so I apologize. I have been an In flames fan since I first heard Ordinary story on swedish radio, this was in the year 2000. I could not belive my ears. It was so good I just bought the hole album Colony the same day after work and I have been caught since! I pretty much own everything they realesed, and so does my wife! :O

I started going back in in flames record collection and I didn't belive how I missed this band. In flames actually intruduced me to heavier stuff aswell. The hardest thing I owned at the time was Entomed - Wolverine blues which is a great fuckin record. I discovered lots bands as Nasum, Opeth, Children of bodom, Burst, At the gates, The haunted and the list goes on forever.
Anyways what I'm trying to do here is to get some musical respect before I drop the bomb!

Also I want to say that, good music is good music no matter the label or genre you put on it!

Here I go, I just love ASOP it's the best In flames album musically, lyrically and cover wise! I don't know if I gotten to old (30y hey, two kids a wife and pets)? The thing was I got my first son just before the realese of ASOP, and the only album I found myself want to listen to was that. So thats maybe the reason I just adore that album. Lyrically speaking it felt like it was me who had written them! I think anyone who has gone through some "ruff stuff", maybe can find them in Anders ASOP lyrics. Well thats my theory atleast.

So anyways, as anyone who has two children knows you can't spend as much time as you maybe want on reading about your hobby, mine is music. So I really didn't read anything about in flames till I heard about this album some time ago. What really suprised me was the massive hate for the album ASOP! I could't believe that we where listening do the same album! So I have really tried to do some serious listening to all of the In flames albums again and you know what I love the all, still.

In flames is just like one of my other Gods, Metallica. They grow as people and the music grows with them, not maybe allways in the direction you like. But I can honestly say that I love every single album from In flames and Metallica, of course more or less. Everthing isn't black and white.

Oh, god thats one long first post, sorry.

My thoughts on the three song we heard from SOAPF is:
SOAPF - I just love the Intro (Metallica anyone?), the rest I first thought was a little boring, but it grows on you. Love the chorus. I like it a lot!

Deliver us - When everone was saying this is so much better than everything on ASOP I could NOT belive it. Still like it though!

A New Dawn - Now thats a masterpiece, Anders growls are almost back. It does not need to be explained really! Its great!

Thanks for sharing the new songs and links to them! Keep em coming!

Love, Peace and death metal!

/Glenfarclas

A good first post mate, and your english is just fine.

I know plenty of people who really love ASOP, and I don't have a problem with it. It's just a matter of taste. ASOP ain't my thang, neither is STYE. People will like those albums and enjoy the direction In Flames have taken, even if I personally hate those albums it doesn't mean others can't like them.

Unfortunately In Flames discussions often degenerate to "FUCK U ASOP SUX TJR RULEZ" or some variant of that, repeated ad naseum. It's great to see some proper discussion on this board about In Flames that hasn't resorted to trolling or name-calling. Hopefully it'll continue in that vein!

 

[drawntoblack]

@Glenfarclas I am glad that ASOP worked for you. Noone will think less of you because its your favourite IF album

@A88, when I first heard Exposures, I couldnt believe how The Poison Well and Cornered (probably my fav DT song) didnt end up on a proper album