New album Foregone out February 2023

[The Grayfox]

Setlist for Latin America tour:


The Great Deceiver
Pinball Map
Everything's Gone
Ordinary Story
Darker Times
Behind Space
Graveland
The Hive
Trigger
Cloud Connected
Only for the Weak
Foregone Pt. 1
Alias
State of Slow Decay
The Quiet Place
The Mirror's Truth
I Am Above
Take This Life


This setlist is a bit confusing to me. On the one hand, you've got Ordinary Story and Trigger in there, which are somewhat rare these days. Then you've got some classic stuff, but it's the same shit we've come to expect; Behind Space, Graveland and The Hive. I think this is their first proper headliner in support of Foregone, yet they're playing the same basic 3 stock songs. Are they just phoning it in at this point or what?

 

[GraemeSinclair]

Setlist for Latin America tour:


The Great Deceiver
Pinball Map
Everything's Gone
Ordinary Story
Darker Times
Behind Space
Graveland
The Hive
Trigger
Cloud Connected
Only for the Weak
Foregone Pt. 1
Alias
State of Slow Decay
The Quiet Place
The Mirror's Truth
I Am Above
Take This Life


This setlist is a bit confusing to me. On the one hand, you've got Ordinary Story and Trigger in there, which are somewhat rare these days. Then you've got some classic stuff, but it's the same shit we've come to expect; Behind Space, Graveland and The Hive. I think this is their first proper headliner in support of Foregone, yet they're playing the same basic 3 stock songs. Are they just phoning it in at this point or what?

I'm sad that December Flower might be a one-off flash in the pan. I thought it was great at Dalhalla and wanted to see it stay in the setlist (long enough that I might actually get to hear it live in person). Maybe it'll get swapped in for something else at another point in the tour, or maybe that's wishful thinking. I also think it's wild that they're still only playing three songs from Foregone, with no rotation. Don't get me wrong, I would actually want to hear all three of those songs live, but it does seem odd that they're not airing more material from the record they're supposedly promoting.

Having said that, I feel like that setlist is a night-and-day improvement over where we were about a decade ago. Six songs from before Reroute, four pretty decent songs from their last two albums. When I saw them in 2014, this was the setlist:

In Plain View
Everything's Gone
Fear Is the Weakness
Trigger
Resin
Where the Dead Ships Dwell
With Eyes Wide Open
Paralyzed
Through Oblivion
Ropes
Delight and Angers
Cloud Connected
Only for the Weak
The Chosen Pessimist
The Quiet Place
Rusted Nail
The Mirror's Truth
Deliver Us
Take This Life

Two songs from before Reroute, six songs from Siren Charms alone, plus three from ASOP. Darker times, as it were...

 

[eochaid]

Why are people surprised that they're not playing songs that Anders cannot sing?

 

[The Grayfox]

Never stopped them before

 

[eochaid]

Maybe this time is too ridiculous to even pretend?

 

[DE4life]

Just suggests to me that, despite what they've claimed, they aren't that into Foregone - and by they, I mean Anders and Bjorn. It sounds like In Flames trying to be anything other than In Flames, a bit like Battles but in a very different way. Battles was in Flames trying to be what Howard Benson and his crew wanted them to be. Half of Foregone is In Flames trying to be something they never were, but what they mistakenly think people remember them as. Because Anders and Bjorn don't really understand the band's legacy or what made them special. If they did then Clayman 2020 would never have come into existence. The other half is just more Howard Benson's in Flames, an illegitimate identity that is borne from a band that is out of ideas and probably should have disbanded a decade ago.

 

[DE4life]

IF's next tour is looking grim. Only 2% of people think Foregone is deserving of a top 3 spot, so I am sure they are going to get booed off-stage if those fools don't respect the opinion of a FINNISH METAL SITE and tailor their setlist according to that.

Looks like they did respect the opinion of the FINNISH METAL SITE after all

 

[The Grayfox]

There are some seriously forgettable songs on Foregone that I can see never being played once. I'm kind of curious what people's thoughts on it are at this point. I think it speaks volumes that they are just sticking to those same three songs though. The fact that they can't be bothered to rehearse the new material is odd. You're not going to hear me complain that Ordinary Story and Trigger are in this rotation instead of more Foregone songs, but it is weird.

 

[Xpyro125]

On one hand, it’s kind of my pipe dream to have every song played live at least once, even if it’s not suited for live play. On the other hand, there are a lot of songs in IF’s discography that I probably wouldn’t listen to the live version of more than once.

Meet Your Maker, Bleeding Out, Foregone Pt. 2, and End the Transmission are all songs I probably wouldn’t even listen to the live versions of once. Yes, I had to look up the album because I forgot half the songs on it.

Considering that my interest in Foregone is minuscule and my hope to hear them play some old gems live again, this is kind of the perfect time for them to do so— Certainly moreso than when they were touring for Battles, since he couldn’t scream or growl then either. Do I think they should stick to songs that are in his range? Yeah, but considering that something like Ordinary Story is on the setlist, I’m happy with that being played and exposed to new fans, even if he can’t sing it. I wasn’t a fan of the band yet the last time they actually did have it on the setlist, so there’s a chance I can actually be around for it now. I dunno, I’m just looking at the bright sides of all of it.

 

[ThePhobiac]

They'll be playing a bit far from me, but I'm seriously considering going to see them anyway for Ordinary Story alone. I still remember when I first saw the music video when I downloaded it off Warez -- it was dead of winter outside and I had just gotten back home from skiing. Seeing Anders without dreads, his face all redded out. This band blew me away at every turn when I was first getting into them. Such good memories.

I still think Foregone is very solid. My opinions of the songs haven't come down to earth, so to speak, the way they did with Battles and ITM. It has its Sirius Octane elements that I could do without. As long as they play Foregone Pt. 1 when I see them, I'll be pleased.

 

[The Grayfox]

Man, I remember downloading the Ordinary Story video too. Really shitty quality mpeg that took me half a day to download. I must’ve watched that video a hundred times. I’ve always loved that song, it’s a true gem in the IF discography.

 

[DE4life]

In Flames touring with Arch Enemy and Soilwork next year. Back to da roootz.

 

[The Grayfox]

I was talking to a friend about that tour this morning. He mused that it would be cool if it came to the States and then followed up with "then again, if it did, I almost wish it was just Arch Enemy with Soilwork supporting." Ouch haha

 

[Jester Slave]

Looks like they did respect the opinion of the FINNISH METAL SITE after all

They played a lot of SC despite the much harsher and broader criticism. New records not having proper tours started with Battles, though ITM was hampered by Covid.

You've got your setlists you were hoping for, but I'd take the 2014 one in an instant. I'm glad they are coming back here in next October, and with Soilwork! But I really hope they don't bring this dogshit of a setlist with them. If we exclude the newer songs since SC which couldn't have been played back in 2014, Alias is the only song I'd be excited to hear in this new setlist.

I'm exaggerating, but this new setlist is a beer and bathroom break until Trigger finally starts - okay, a bit harsh to Pinball Map I suppose. It boggles my mind that some of the users here are applauding this shit.

 

[galvanized]

In Flames touring with Arch Enemy and Soilwork next year. Back to da roootz.

Bring back Johan, then we’ll be cooking

 

[DE4life]

It boggles my mind that some of the users here are applauding this shit.

Probably because, even after all of these years, the concept of others having opinions that deviate from your own is still a concept you fail to grasp.

I mean, I could say it boggles my mind that anybody would consider a triple-hit of Behind Space/Graveland/The Hive as a "beer and bathroom break", but then I remember a significant amount of nu In Flames fans don't really like MDM, so it makes sense.

With that said, it is a bit weird that anybody who considers them enough of a fan of the band to attend their shows would not be excited to hear:

Pinball Map
Ordinary Story
Behind Space
Graveland
The Hive
Trigger
Cloud Connected
Only for the Weak
The Quiet Place
The Mirror's Truth
I Am Above
Take This Life

I mean, I know some of these have been played a lot over the years, but they're still great to hear live. And, for you in particular Slave, it's not like they've been to Hungary so often that you've been spoiled with hearing those songs over and over. I know you claim to be exaggerating, but to what extent? You'd only be excited to hear half of those? A quarter?

 

[Xpyro125]

As much as I’d hate to say it, Graveland is pretty bathroom break-worthy to me, and that’s as someone who did enjoy hearing it live well enough. It’s just the most boring song off TJR (Still better than most of Foregone imo), and it’s the one that endures on their setlists. At least The Hive is fucking awesome, even if it falls into that latter category as well.

 

[DE4life]

As far as Lunar Strain is concerned, I can understand them choosing Behind Space. It's an awesome live track (although as they play the '99 version you could argue it's really a Colony song).

In terms of Graveland and The Hive, yeah, it's just them being lazy. I like both songs, but come on, switch it up a bit. Moonshield and Artifacts have been played somewhat often over the years, why not those? If you genuinely care about the older songs and aren't just breaking the rare ones out every so often to get some headlines on websites, how about giving a run to The Jester Race, Dead Eternity, Lord Hypnos (never played) or December Flower? We know Chris can handle the solo in DF. Anders always talks about Dead Eternity being 'special' as it was the first track he did IF vocals for... so why does it never get played?

I've always thought The Hive was in there to give Anders a short break vocally, as the last half of the song is an instrumental. If they wanted to genuinely put an effort in as far as giving the older albums their due, how about Jotun, Food for the Gods, Episode 666, Morphing Into Primal, Gyroscope? I appreciate stuff like JST and WWTM might not be great live crowd pleasers, but the others? No excuse other than being lazy.

It's just an extension of "da hitz" mentality that has infested the band for decades now, but the tracks they choose from the older albums aren't really what you'd put into that category. Artifacts and Episode 666, sure... but Graveland and The Hive? Good songs but fuck me, stop being so boring and play something else.

 

[Xpyro125]

I feel like they play those two specifically because hey, Anders/the band just likes them— Though I could totally see that mentality for The Hive. I personally love The Hive, though I do agree it’s been played too much. I don’t ever think Graveland and The Hive were ever really the hits from either album, so I don’t think it’s that.

 

[ThePhobiac]

I can see them revisiting Dead Eternity at some point. That seems to be "next" on their most-requested-to-be-played-live list.

tfw when I go see them live and Anders is like "Here's an old one for you...this one's called Biosphere..."