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

[The Bringer]

It sure is underrated. A few songs really miss especially near the end of the album but the first seven songs are awesome. I wonder why they don't play that many tracks live from it. I think it was a great transition album.

 

[Liquid Crystal Sunshine]

Is this the new IF sound?

http://www.sotb.se/

;-)

wow! it sounds cool!

 

[Dantess9226]

wow! it sounds cool!

I think he was joking- it's not really the new IF sound!

Joking aside, yeah Reroute to Remain is great- i'm really into System and Trigger. I agree with The Bringer in that it runs out of juice at the end- i'm not a fan of the slower, acoustic songs either. I've just realised how much Black and White reminds me of March to the Shore, odd really. But it's a great track, in my opinion even better than March to the Shore.

I'd still take STYE over RTR anyday. Just an overall stronger album IMO with some of my favourite IF riffs (also the best use of keyboards in my opinion). Awe-inspiring bonus track too!

 

[Erik Erna]

Speaking strictly of originality, creativeness and overall quality from a presentation and production standpoint, R2R is one of their best albums they have ever produced.

I think in order my top five would be The Jester Race, Reroute To Remain, Colony, Whoracle and Clayman.

 

[Dantess9226]

My top 5 albums:

1. Come Clarity
2. Soundtrack to your escape
3. Colony
4. Reroute to Remain
5. Clayman

Lets hope Sound of a Playground Fading can steal a spot on everyone's top 5.

 

[krofius]

Since we are doing a top album rating thing I'll do it as well. Though it's hard for me to choose, I don't really listen to albums back-to-back that often..I simply just put on shuffle on IF's whole discography and listen to it. I'll add what my 2 favorite songs on the albums are, with the first one being the best song on the album.

1.Whoracle - Jester Script Transfigured (Their best song EVER), Worlds Within The Margin (Love the atmospheric keyboards and amazing vocals)
2.The Jester Race - Dead Eternity, December Flower (Need I say SOLO?)
3.ASOP - Eraser, The Chosen Pessimist
4.Clayman - Bullet Ride (Love the melodies, lyrics, the transitions between the mumbly-whisper talk verses to the screaming), Another Day In Quicksand (Only For The Weak is tied 2 as well, simply a great classic)
5.Colony - Ordinary Story, Zombie Inc.
6.Come Clarity - Vacuum, Crawl Through Knives
7.Reroute to Remain - Dismiss The Cynics, Dawn Of A New Day (Very mysterious song, cool acoustics)
8.STYE - Dial 595-Escape, My Sweet Shadow
9.Lunar Strain - Behind Space, Starforsaken

Subterranean - Stand Ablaze, Biosphere/Everdying

But seriously..3-8 I barely could choose which album was what, all of those are pretty much the same rank for me..I'm just a 100% sure with the first 2 ones, and the last one being Lunar Strain.
If Subterranean counts as an album, it'll be somewhere in the middle.

 

[Clay-Man]

For some reason, Whoracle doesn't appeal to me THAT much, it has some amazing stuff, but it's just not for me. I get a kick out of it every once in a while, but it's definitely not my favorite.

I'd say,

Colony
Clayman
Reroute
Jester

 

[DE4life]

I don't rate Reroute up there with their best albums but it's criminally underrated, no question. It got a bad rep when it first came out from the older fans, but after STYE and ASOP people suddenly look back on it as amazing

I'd probably go...

Clayman
Colony
TJR
Whoracle
R2R
Lunar/Sub
CC
STYE
ASOP

2-4 could easily switch around though, and Lunar/sub & CC could also switch around depending on my mood.

 

[Erik Erna]

I think Subterranean is criminally underrated, EP or not.

 

[Shadow King]

Of all the trolls I've seen, you've GOT to be one of the absolute worst ones.
Come back with something better next time

No trolling my friend. I was into In Flames almost from the start - but they have lost me and many, many others. If Anders wants to be in a sub-par Korn rip-off then he should start another freaking band and leave this one alone.

How can you defend what they have become? Seriously, they were cutting edge..now they just follow the leader...bland, boring, stale, uninspired, commercial horror

 

[krofius]

No trolling my friend. I was into In Flames almost from the start - but they have lost me and many, many others. If Anders wants to be in a sub-par Korn rip-off then he should start another freaking band and leave this one alone.

How can you defend what they have become? Seriously, they were cutting edge..now they just follow the leader...bland, boring, stale, uninspired, commercial horror

Many bands lose many fans along the way of their career, it's inevitable. And again, the resemblence between Jonathan Davis and Anders, was the dreads, nothing else. None of IF's music sound anything close to Korns music, and if you know IF as you claim too, you'd know that.

Is that really the best argument you have? That In Flames is a ''sub-par Korn rip-off''? Allow me to laugh.

How I can defend what they've become? Because I think they have the reight to do whatever music they want to do. They do not owe you, me, or anyone else anything. We both know that the ''THEY SOLD OUT'' is just something you say because you are lacking any other arguments.
Selling out would be if they listened to everyone screaming that they should make another TJR or Whoracle. It would also create sub-par music. Selling out is not when you create the music that YOU want to create, without giving a fuck what anyone else thinks, that's the opposite of selling out. You got it all mixed up.

Now, you can enjoy whatever music you like and I can enjoy whatever music I like, just please, stop coming here with the same old bullshit I've heard hundreds of times, it's getting annoying.

If In Flames is not underground enough for you, they clearly isn't your type of band anymore. They have undoubtedly been writing original music their whole career, it's too bad you do not like it.

Have a nice day.

 

[Clay-Man]

Thank you, come again.

 

[DE4life]

Many bands lose many fans along the way of their career, it's inevitable. And again, the resemblence between Jonathan Davis and Anders, was the dreads, nothing else. None of IF's music sound anything close to Korns music, and if you know IF as you claim too, you'd know that.

Is that really the best argument you have? That In Flames is a ''sub-par Korn rip-off''? Allow me to laugh.

How I can defend what they've become? Because I think they have the reight to do whatever music they want to do. They do not owe you, me, or anyone else anything. We both know that the ''THEY SOLD OUT'' is just something you say because you are lacking any other arguments.
Selling out would be if they listened to everyone screaming that they should make another TJR or Whoracle. It would also create sub-par music. Selling out is not when you create the music that YOU want to create, without giving a fuck what anyone else thinks, that's the opposite of selling out. You got it all mixed up.

Now, you can enjoy whatever music you like and I can enjoy whatever music I like, just please, stop coming here with the same old bullshit I've heard hundreds of times, it's getting annoying.

If In Flames is not underground enough for you, they clearly isn't your type of band anymore. They have undoubtedly been writing original music their whole career, it's too bad you do not like it.

Have a nice day.

Good post that. I don't understand the In Flames/Korn comparisons at all. They sound nothing alike, vocally or musically.

I don't particularly agree with the direction In Flames have gone but at the end of the day it's their choice. They're under no obligation to anybody to keep bringing out music they're not interested in making anymore. Whether they've 'sold out' or not is irrelevant, if they want to go in the direction they're going then they're free to do that.

Hell, people screamed sellout at Colony and Clayman. I very much doubt In Flames give a fuck at this point.

I think Subterranean is criminally underrated, EP or not.

Subterranean's alright. It's not really In Flames, though. Musically and lyrically it's very different to anything else they've done. I do like it, but it's difficult to put it above most of their LPs.

 

[krofius]

Good post that. I don't understand the In Flames/Korn comparisons at all. They sound nothing alike, vocally or musically.

I don't particularly agree with the direction In Flames have gone but at the end of the day it's their choice. They're under no obligation to anybody to keep bringing out music they're not interested in making anymore. Whether they've 'sold out' or not is irrelevant, if they want to go in the direction they're going then they're free to do that.

Hell, people screamed sellout at Colony and Clayman. I very much doubt In Flames give a fuck at this point.

Yes people screamed all the way back at Whoracle (maybe not that they sold out). But because when Whoracle came out a lot of people complained cause it is very different sounding from TJR.
Anders has said he's had to defend their choices since he joined the band, it's just how it works.

 

[En-Loss]

Top 5 albums:

1. Whoracle. (I just love this album, I can listen to any song from it at any time.)
2. Reroute To Remain
3. Clayman
4. STYE
5. Jester Race

 

[Clay-Man]

Reroute was probably on of Anders best lyrical writing ever. All the lines were very very clever, the lyrics weren't all depressed-esque, though that's not exactly bad, considering that clayman has the best lyrics when it deals with struggling with depression.

But the lyrics on Reroute were amazingly witty and enjoyable.

The guitars were amazing still even for it's slight change, especially in the rhythm playing. The melodies still stood very strong, and the rhythm parts, though turning a little bit alien compared to previous albums still were amazing. Almost all the riffs on that album are all great.

 

[DE4life]

Unfortunately the production on Reroute in a huge negative in my eyes... they buried a lot of excellent riffs under muddy production and I don't know why. They were going for a different sound but you really have to struggle to hear some of the best moments of R2R, which is a shame.

 

[Sickman]

My ranking:

1. Whoracle - this album just has a really cool atmosphere. The guitars are very clear in the mix and Anders' vocals are much improved compared to TJR. I prefer the slower, mid paced In Flames.

2. Colony - didn't like it when I first heard it. I felt it was too "upbeat." But it eventually grew on me. Anders is at his best here and this is the last IF album with amazing production. Every instrument is loud and clear.

3. Clayman - Anders has transformed into a different singer on this album. I think if he still had the voice he did on Colony, this would probably be my favorite album. But still a great album.

4. The Jester Race - was my favorite IF album for a long time. But as of right now, I just never have the urge to listen to it. But a year from now, this could move up a spot or two.

5. Reroute to Remain - this is where IF adopted their muddy production style that they still haven't gotten rid of. Some good songs on here, but the production just doesn't do it for me.

6. A Sense of Purpose

7. Soundtrack to Your Escape

8. Come Clarity

I don't ever seem to listen to Lunar Strain/Subterranean.

Even on their last few albums, I hear some great music. But even when there is something great, I think it gets buried with the production. I think it's time for a change, but I don't see it happening.

 

[Clay-Man]

Unfortunately the production on Reroute in a huge negative in my eyes... they buried a lot of excellent riffs under muddy production and I don't know why. They were going for a different sound but you really have to struggle to hear some of the best moments of R2R, which is a shame.

Those guys they produce records with now are awful. They need to ditch them and get back with fredman.

STYE's guitar tone sounds like a can of bees.

 

[Dantess9226]

I personally think that STYE is an underrated album- i'm not sure i see the problem with the guitar production... could you elaborate, Clay-man? I love the riffs in STYE (Touch of Red, Like You better Dead, In Search of I) and the lyrics aren't all bad (lets face it Anders is a great lyrics writer whether he's writing emotional, passionate lyrics or sci-fi style ones like he did before RTR). I think the muddy production and sometimes bland-patches of RTR make me feel like STYE is an overall 'stronger' album. RTR's still a classic though- i've been revisiting the slower songs like Dawn of a new Day and Metaphor, and i must say they aren't instant classics but the more you listen to them the more they grow on you.

As for In Flames being sell-outs... i just think that they mastered the melo-death genre in the way that they crafted TJR to Clayman. How many times can you make Whoracle and Colony over and over again without losing creativity? THAT is the reason In Flames have carved a different sound and have mixed about with their sound ever since Reroute- not a single album has sounded like the one before it. I'm not a fan of the '3-minute pop-metal' approach to A Sense of Purpose, but i am a fan of In Flames- ShadowKing, you may aswell just call yourself a fan of an album, not an In Flames fan.