New album Foregone out February 2023

[eochaid]

I don't think that anyone has said that it's a step back for the band. Or a nail in the coffin. It's a step back for us as listeners. If that makes sense.

I agree with all of your comments about Anders' cleans. And that's the problem. Back in the day there were just a few choruses so a lot of people could skip that as a minor matter. Now, they have turned their weakest point into their main weapon. And that's just... The fact that they don't care about this and keep on pushing more and more into that direction just feels weird.

 

[drawntoblack]

I've checked out a Fear is the Weakness performance on youtube, he can't sing those cleans either, and SOAPF is filled with choruses like that. We know he can't sing SC because that acoustic radio performance was terrible. During ASOP he could barely sing on the record to begin with, but good luck finding clips of Anders ever reproducing the cleans on Crawl Through Knives, Leeches or Vacuum. Yes, the Battles era cleans are faker, but at the end of the day I am not sure why would you be so upset about the difference, when he can't do any of these to begin with.

You are being very judgmental here, all of these videos you talk about were from before Howard Benson hooked him up with a vocal coach. True fan would give it a chance.

At least he worked on his growls, so even if many of the choruses has been stuck at Battles' level, he can do much more interesting verses, bridges, plus do more justice to some older songs.

These low guttural growls he's been doing the past few years are technically fine and they do sound solid, but it's stylistically a very big departure from the actual records. I don't want to hear Clayman or Bullet Ride with the guttural low growls, that's not what made those songs what they were. It's a cop-out and it's done out of necessity because that's the only style of harsh vocals he can do now reliably.

I understand why someone would prefer ITM over Foregone, but stop pretending Foregone is a step back, when at worst it is a step sideways.

Does it even matter? Really?

 

[DE4life]

"At least Anders worked on his growls" - praise for vocalist who has been an extreme metal singer for literally 30 years

 

[eochaid]

And yet people have been describing those growls as "insane" as if they're something special. While they're just growls. There are hundreds of death metal vocalists doing growls. The only thing that's needed is... What is required to growl? Just a little amount of technique so that they don't destroy their voices.

I'm not sure if this has been a matter of time expectations so low that people is really amazed that he can actually do those or maybe it is that I'm missing something here.

 

[Jester Slave]

@drawntoblack I mean, you have to accept the fact that people age. You won't hear those songs the same way they were before just like you are not or will not be able to do certain things you used to do. It's not anything new that vocalists have to adapt to aging, so for example whether you like it or not that one of your favorite singer now sings some songs with a lower pitch, it is what it is. They either retire or somehow try to adapt.

I think those growls are decent, but more importantly, a welcome return of some of IF's aggression. Yes, I would rather have Anders screaming his throat out like on r2r stye and cc, but he can't. At least with the fake cleans you can apply live magic to try to reproduce them into a passable state. The Great Deceiver is a prime example of IF's current potential, and In The Dark is a good example of how you can mix and match it with a poppier chorus as well.

The easiest thing in the world is to be a cynic, and many of you are farming "karma" the same way redditors do.

It's fun to read old posts on this board from 20 years ago, because you can pretty much exchange the records' names and see the same exact discussions as now.

 

[DE4life]

Nobody gives a shit about "karma" here, bro. It's just, for the most part, a bunch of guys who have similar opinions on IF. You've got people on the darker side of the scale, people on the lighter end of the scale, people in the middle. Most of us can debate our views without getting upset and throwing insults. For whatever reason you, after all this time, still can't. Even Krofius, who was ultimate IF fanboy, eventually chilled out over time. Why do you have to be so aggy?

 

[eochaid]

So, Karma is reaching us through Anders? Wasn't there any less painful way? Like an enema?

 

[Jester Slave]

It's hard to chill out when my eyes are retracting into my skull reading some of the melodramatic, overly cynical, or circlejerky comments here. You wanted to hang your boots are the record dropped, because it was just too much of a disappointment. A praise for Anders' harsher vocal is immediately met with a "THERE ARE BETTER VOCALISTS" line. And of course, the circlejerk, the handful of people patting themselves on the back for having the same opinion, and to top it all off, you even cite a reddit post here, which does the same, just with another opinion.

Then, as I said, I sit in my time machine, read comments from nearly 20 years ago, and pretty much see the same shit. Not much has changed.

 

[eochaid]

"THERE ARE BETTER VOCALISTS"

Nobody has, still, said that. Though it's true. But that also means nothing for the discussion here. There have always been better vocalists than Anders. And worse (I hope)

 

[drawntoblack]

@drawntoblack I mean, you have to accept the fact that people age. You won't hear those songs the same way they were before just like you are not or will not be able to do certain things you used to do. It's not anything new that vocalists have to adapt to aging, so for example whether you like it or not that one of your favorite singer now sings some songs with a lower pitch, it is what it is. They either retire or somehow try to adapt.

I think those growls are decent, but more importantly, a welcome return of some of IF's aggression. Yes, I would rather have Anders screaming his throat out like on r2r stye and cc, but he can't. At least with the fake cleans you can apply live magic to try to reproduce them into a passable state. The Great Deceiver is a prime example of IF's current potential, and In The Dark is a good example of how you can mix and match it with a poppier chorus as well.

The easiest thing in the world is to be a cynic, and many of you are farming "karma" the same way redditors do.

It's fun to read old posts on this board from 20 years ago, because you can pretty much exchange the records' names and see the same exact discussions as now.

I'm fine with all of this. I'm fine with the current state of the band, I've accepted it and came to terms with it literally half of my lifetime ago. I don't glee when they come out and release the newest dumpster fire of a record. Nor do I expect them to ever return to their past glory, it's never going to happen. I'm not a cynic, at least when it comes to this band. There is no room left for cynicism when it comes to In Flames, I can't be skeptical about something that has no chance of ever being good again.

I come here because I still enjoy talking about the band that was really important for me at one point, the fact that most of you share my views is just a coincidence. And the reason why I come here for it is because no one among my friends in real life really give a shit about this band anymore since the band has been musically (not to be mistaken with commercially) irrelevant for almost 20 years now.

Casual slagging of the band is now essentially part of the forum's culture for better or worse, but when that gets out of the way there is still some interesting stuff to be read or a new (or old) band to be found or recommended.

 

[eochaid]

I come here because I still enjoy talking about the band that was really important for me at one point, the fact that most of you share my views is just a coincidence. And the reason why I come here for it is because no one among my friends in real life really give a shit about this band anymore since the band has been musically (not to be mistaken with commercially) irrelevant for almost 20 years now.

I have zero people to talk about metal. Well. There's my wife but she doesn't share my frustration because, for her, metal is just another style that she likes.

 

[DE4life]

My girlfriend actually liked Fellowship but yeah in general I don't really have anyone else to chat about metal with. Reddit is just bleurgh for the most part, although I did meet @Xpyro125 on there, who's a good bro. This place is just comfortable and generally has good humour and debate.

 

[DE4life]

Alright this is kind of weird, but the opening riffs of Pure Light of Mind remind me a little of God of Forbidden Light by Dissection I'm not wrong, am I? There's something similar there.

I actually think this song has something about it. I don't think it's suitable for this album or In Flames in general, but it's got some nice stuff going on instrumentally and the vocals do suit, despite being completely fake.

 

[Gums]

And yet people have been describing those growls as "insane" as if they're something special. While they're just growls. There are hundreds of death metal vocalists doing growls. The only thing that's needed is... What is required to growl? Just a little amount of technique so that they don't destroy their voices.

I'm not sure if this has been a matter of time expectations so low that people is really amazed that he can actually do those or maybe it is that I'm missing something here.

Haha. Well, yes, I am amazed that he can do something well, vocally, in a live setting.
To me, it sounds much, much better than the average death metal vocalist. It sounds great, has a ton of power, and he can do it repeatedly. I was genuinely surpirsed at what I was hearing. Hey, I'm going to give praise where I feel it's due. I'm also into this kind of vocal. Even if what you're saying about the technique was true, I wouldn't care, cause I think it sounds cool.

These low guttural growls he's been doing the past few years are technically fine and they do sound solid, but it's stylistically a very big departure from the actual records. I don't want to hear Clayman or Bullet Ride with the guttural low growls, that's not what made those songs what they were. It's a cop-out and it's done out of necessity because that's the only style of harsh vocals he can do now reliably.

I can understand your point. Personally I enjoy it, but I've already seen him (struggle to) perform songs the original way many times, and this sounded much better imo.
Also, what you're saying is along the same lines as what I was saying. If this is what he likes doing in a live setting, why doesn't he do it in the album. Now he's going be growling his way through these new songs at shows. Wouldn't a new fan find that kind of strange? Then when he gets to the chorus I'm not sure what he's going to do. He might need to learn some dance moves.

 

[DE4life]

In the Dark verses meanwhile are reminding me of Bottled/All For Me with that boring chugging

 

[DE4life]

Dialogue in B Flat Minor - 'evil riffs' are a bit too similar to other tracks on the record, but the outro is actually extremely similar to THE's outro to A Truth Worth Lying For not saying there's any copying going on here as I'm sure IF album was wrapped up before DotL came out, but it seems like Bjorn & Niclas had the same idea.

 

[Moonshield_]

@DE4life What you're trying to say throughout your last posts is that you gave another try to Foregone and it's slowly growing on you dude isn't it?

Have yet to check those similarities you mentioned between Pure Light of Mind and Black Dragon though

 

[drawntoblack]

Nevermind him, he is trying to Stockholm syndrome himself into obedience.

Stage 1: Denial.

 

[DE4life]

@DE4life What you're trying to say throughout your last posts is that you gave another try to Foregone and it's slowly growing on you dude isn't it?

Have yet to check those similarities you mentioned between Pure Light of Mind and Black Dragon though

I've got a YouTube playlist on whilst I'm working and a bunch of Foregone songs are on there, so it's been a kind of passive choice I know it's sacrilege but I actually don't think Bleeding Out is that bad it's not that interesting, but I still think it's better than End The Transmission and Cynosure, which are both crushingly pointless.

Nevermind him, he is trying to Stockholm syndrome himself into obedience.

Stage 1: Denial.

My stance on Foregone remains the same, for the record but if there's one song I'd say had potential if retooled slightly it would be Pure Light of Mind. I don't get the love for In The Dark... verses are devoid of anything worthwhile, chorus is just an earworm for the sake of being an earworm. No value.

 

[Jester Slave]

I know it's sacrilege but I actually don't think Bleeding Out is that bad it's not that interesting, but I still think it's better than End The Transmission and Cynosure, which are both crushingly pointless.

Cynosure's parts are somewhat incoherent, not as much as Foregone 2, but End the Transmission is amazing. I love songs which intentionally fall apart, plus it's a fun, dark and gloomy closer for the record. It's like when a movie has a bad (ie. the good guys don't win) ending or a post-apocalyptic feel.

Plus the riffing during the chorus is just really good on both ETT and MYM. The latter song is really annoying, because everything fits so neatly and it only needed like 30 more minutes from Anders to come up with a slightly better chorus, or at least with a lyric which fills the word requirements. It kinda encapsulates this record as a whole: you don't have to dig deep underneath to find gems, because many great stuff comes right at your face, but it needed a few rearrangements in order to be a contender as a classic 10 years down the line. I still think it will age well, but it's like a 7/10 which could've been an 8 or 9 with just an extra few weeks of work, which is maddening.