New album Foregone out February 2023

[ThePhobiac]

My sense about Foregone seems to be the same as this reviewer's: that this won't be the full return-to-form I wanted, but sets the stage for the next album to be exactly that. In that case, hopefully it's the last and best of the Battles/ITM/Foregone Trilogy of Bad.

On the other hand, since I haven't heard the album yet, it's possible that the album is really good and I can just lump Battles and ITM in the same category forever.

 

[DE4life]

So the album's got euphoric, instantly hummable choruses, a swaggering, chest-beating vocal performance, riffs sharper than a samurai sword and two guitarists shredding, ducking, weaving, pounding and thrashing along in awesome style and that's still not enough for you guys? SMH, older fans are so entitled.

 

[ThePhobiac]

This guy tends to write better reviews, so you might prefer this more:

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/in-flames-foregone-review/

Kind of weird that, in the comments, he says that he likes the vocals on Clayman but can't stand them on any album after that. To my ears, the vocals on Clayman and Reroute are exactly the same.

 

[DE4life]

This guy tends to write better reviews, so you might prefer this more:

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/in-flames-foregone-review/

Kind of weird that, in the comments, he says that he likes the vocals on Clayman but can't stand them on any album after that. To my ears, the vocals on Clayman and Reroute are exactly the same.

A lot there I disagree with, but certainly more earnest and sounding like something a normal human being would say.

 

[DE4life]

Foregone reminds me a lot of Metallica's Death Magnetic. After years of being shit they released something decent again, and people fell over themselves to talk about how amazing it was. Nowadays though it isn't looked back on with the same reverence, and I imagine it'll be the same with Foregone. It's going in the right direction, but still not close to their best.

 

[eochaid]

Better than "one of their best albums ever" or "a return to shape from Reroute to Remain".

And yes. When metal bands that have deviated from their origins make some kind of comeback, reviews tend to be exaggeratedly positive. It's like they're blinded by the aggressiveness.

 

[DE4life]

I mean, I get it, it's nice to be excited about an old band showing some signs of life again. But you can guarantee the same people who were chastising older fans for not appreciating the "evolution" are now blowing their loads over "the return the the roots" even though it isn't a return to the roots. It's so hilariously hypocritical.

 

[eochaid]

I find it more "disturbing" the claim that it repesents the past, who they are now and where they're going to. Like, for a band that has been constantly changing since two decades ago, claiming that they know what they're going to do next sounds like fantasy.

 

[DE4life]

Well, that first reviewer said SoSD riffs sound like Clayman when he should be saying Slaughter of the Soul, so it feels like most media and fans have simply forgotten what IF used to sound like.

 

[Xpyro125]

I think We Will Remember is one of the only IF songs where the autotune actually somehow works to its advantage. It's a very saccharine alt metal song, but the sense of melody and harmonized guitars are fucking wonderful. It's not high art or of the same quality musicianship as even some of their more middling material, but it really doesn't have to be. It's rather melodic alt rock, but I kinda prefer that to the heavy modern core material that I'm fearing we'll see on Foregone. The lyrics aren't good, but they aren't abhorrent either. They go in one ear and out the other, and I find the callbacks a nice bit of fun and joy, but nothing more. Definitely the weakest point of the song.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=684832343438141

Apparently this is a snippet from Pure Light of Mind.

I'm already feeling the same way about this as what I said above. Maybe it's because I've been hanging out with my friend who listens to shit just like this, but this song is already shaping up to be one of my favorites from Foregone. And maybe it's because my concept of heaviness has shifted since ITM to Foregone (Becoming an Anaal Nathrakh fan will do that to you, I guess), I don't find Foregone or any sort of metalcore/deathcore to be that heavy anymore. It's kind of heavy, but not really, and at that point, I'd rather take melodic alt rock/alt metal than to completely sacrifice what the band's been known for just to try to achieve something they've never even been able to achieve save for on Whoracle.

I don't really listen to ITM songs these days, not on purpose anyway. But whether I'd listen to a song if it came on a random playlist...

Voices - Y
I, the Mask - Y
Call My Name - N
I Am Above - Y
Follow Me - N
House - N
We Will Remember - N
In This Life - N
Burn - Y
Deep Inside - Y
All the Pain - Y
Stay With Me - Y

So yeah, I pretty much agree for the most part. But I think Burn is decent and Deep Inside is good too. There's a pretty big chunk between 3-8 (excluding 4) where I'm not interested at all though.

Still a thousand times better than SC or Battles though. SC would have like, 2 or 3 songs max and Battles 1 or 2.

I don't listen to much of ITM anymore either, but these would be mine.

Voices - Y
I, the Mask - Y
Call My Name - Y
I Am Above - Y
Follow Me - ?
House - N
We Will Remember - Y
In This Life - N
Burn - Y
Deep Inside - Y
All the Pain - Y
Stay With Me - Y

I genuinely have no idea if I like Follow Me anymore. Everything shapes up to be a yes, but I dunno, every time I go to listen to it, I just feel like not doing it.

Well, that first reviewer said SoSD riffs sound like Clayman when he should be saying Slaughter of the Soul, so it feels like most media and fans have simply forgotten what IF used to sound like.

God, I fucking hate these kinds of people. Anyone who thinks (Edit: Genuinely thinks) they've gone back to their classic sound has clearly been lobotomized.

 

[eochaid]

I'll keep on saying this. With the exception of big media, the most of the reviewers are people that need the collaboration of the artists to make a living. Having early access to the albums. Interviews. That kind of thing.

If we think that also lot of them are amateurs, then there's the chance that:

1. they are being sincere. But they're also fans.
2. they don't know that much the band. Just took a listen to their older albums in order to have some information about them.
3. they just write what they think the record label wants them to write.

And I don't see the options are being excluding.

 

[eochaid]

Voices - Y
I, the Mask - Y
Call My Name - Y
I Am Above - Y
Follow Me - ?
House - N
We Will Remember - Y
In This Life - N
Burn - Y
Deep Inside - Y
All the Pain - Y
Stay With Me - Y

I genuinely have no idea if I like Follow Me anymore. Everything shapes up to be a yes, but I dunno, every time I go to listen to it, I just feel like not doing it.

At first, I added Follow Me to my playlist. But with time, I see no purpose on having a minor version to Come Clarity (a song that I don't listen at that much).

I have also removed Call My Name and Burn. And, while I think that the rest of the songs (not House or ITL, I don't even have those two downloaded) are fine, currently, I'm just keeping SWM and DI. It's like, they pale when compared to their previous discography.

 

[Xpyro125]

I'll keep on saying this. With the exception of big media, the most of the reviewers are people that need the collaboration of the artists to make a living. Having early access to the albums. Interviews. That kind of thing.

If we think that also lot of them are amateurs, then there's the chance that:

1. they are being sincere. But they're also fans.
2. they don't know that much the band. Just took a listen to their older albums in order to have some information about them.
3. they just write what they think the record label wants them to write.

And I don't see the options are being excluding.

It's less-so the reviewers than fans commenting that on each single from album after album. Is it more valid now than when they did for The End? Yes, but that's not saying that whatsoever. I think it's perfectly okay that they have not and will never go back to the classic In Flames sound, especially since it's just some buzzword to mindlessly praise the band amongst newer fans at this point.

At first, I added Follow Me to my playlist. But with time, I see no purpose on having a minor version to Come Clarity (a song that I don't listen at that much).

I have also removed Call My Name and Burn. And, while I think that the rest of the songs (not House or ITL, I don't even have those two downloaded) are fine, currently, I'm just keeping SWM and DI. It's like, they pale when compared to their previous discography.

I think that's kind of it, especially with the shitty key change at the end of Follow Me. I know it can work in many songs, including IF songs, but it really doesn't here.

Burn is really fucking cool until the chorus hits. It might just be the biggest instance of dissonance between the heavy verse and poppy chorus dynamic the band's ever had.

 

[DE4life]

Voices - Y
I, the Mask - Y
Call My Name - Y
I Am Above - Y
Follow Me - ?
House - N
We Will Remember - Y
In This Life - N
Burn - Y
Deep Inside - Y
All the Pain - Y
Stay With Me - Y

I genuinely have no idea if I like Follow Me anymore. Everything shapes up to be a yes, but I dunno, every time I go to listen to it, I just feel like not doing it.

As far as Follow Me is concerned, the instrumental is okay, but the autotune on Anders' vocals just kills it for me. It's extremely noticeable on this track, especially in the chorus, and it just sounds horrible. Call My name chorus suffers similarly, although not quite as bad.

For me ITM starts strong and ends strong, with a big dip in the middle. The title track especially is exactly what I'd want from modern IF. Some cool riffs, tolerable cleans, good growls and decent pace. Tracks like this, Voices, IAA and Deep Inside I can get behind. On the other end of the scale, House and In This Life just makes me want to slap everybody involved.

 

[eochaid]

Yes. I think that's my issue with Burn. The chorus is kind of killing it for me. Also, for Call My Name. The voice is too strident (for me).

 

[Xpyro125]

Yes. I think that's my issue with Burn. The chorus is kind of killing it for me. Also, for Call My Name. The voice is too strident (for me).

I think if I'm in the mood for something alt metal without having to lower my standards to Battles, Call My Name is great. It's not a feeling I get as often as I did even last year, but it's still a pretty fun and bouncy song, particularly if you don't take it seriously.

As far as Follow Me is concerned, the instrumental is okay, but the autotune on Anders' vocals just kills it for me. It's extremely noticeable on this track, especially in the chorus, and it just sounds horrible. Call My name chorus suffers similarly, although not quite as bad.

For me ITM starts strong and ends strong, with a big dip in the middle. The title track especially is exactly what I'd want from modern IF. Some cool riffs, tolerable cleans, good growls and decent pace. Tracks like this, Voices, IAA and Deep Inside I can get behind. On the other end of the scale, House and In This Life just makes me want to slap everybody involved.

Yeah, the autotune is horrific on Follow Me, now that I remember it. I think the autotuning is something that actually works for Call My Name, but I just have to be in the mood for it. Honestly, All the Pain is a song that really shouldn't work as well as it does, but I find it to be fantastic. It's not quite high art musically, but something really does click with it and its cohesion.

 

[DE4life]

Yeah, the autotune is horrific on Follow Me, now that I remember it. I think the autotuning is something that actually works for Call My Name, but I just have to be in the mood for it. Honestly, All the Pain is a song that really shouldn't work as well as it does, but I find it to be fantastic. It's not quite high art musically, but something really does click with it and its cohesion.

All the Pain is a weird one. I feel like I should dislike it, but for whatever reason, like you say, something about it just clicks. Even with the autotune on this song also being pretty bad, I can tolerate it a lot more than on Follow Me.

 

[Xpyro125]

All the Pain is a weird one. I feel like I should dislike it, but for whatever reason, like you say, something about it just clicks. Even with the autotune on this song also being pretty bad, I can tolerate it a lot more than on Follow Me.

I don't actually think it's autotuned, it sounds more like there are a bunch of harmonized vocal tracks, particularly in the chorus.

Never mind, I just remembered the pre-chorus segments, yeah, those are definitely autotuned. They still weirdly work though.

There's a strange sincerity about the song that I generally don't get from the rest of the album up until Deep Inside, and I think it goes a long way into making me connect with it.

 

[ThePhobiac]

If I'm being completely honest, I can't really hear the autotune on Anders' vocals, outside of some warbles like at the beginning of All The Pain. It definitely there because he's going so far out of his range, but this isn't a T-Pain situation. My issue with his vocals from Battles onward is summed up by a comment in that Angry Metal Guy review thread:

"I do think there's a production issue here. Because they are flat as fuck at times; not tonally (i.e., he's not singing off key), but I mean there's just no vibrato and so little emotion. It's strange."

 

[Xpyro125]

If I'm being completely honest, I can't really hear the autotune on Anders' vocals, outside of some warbles like at the beginning of All The Pain. It definitely there because he's going so far out of his range, but this isn't a T-Pain situation. My issue with his vocals from Battles onward is summed up by a comment in that Angry Metal Guy review thread:

"I do think there's a production issue here. Because they are flat as fuck at times; not tonally (i.e., he's not singing off key), but I mean there's just no vibrato and so little emotion. It's strange."

Yeah, I can definitely agree with that. I feel it more with his harsh vocals from Battles-onward than I do with his clean vocals, but maybe that's because it's actually a really cool feat to be able to convey emotion really well with harsh vocals. It's more of a disappointment thing than an awareness thing.