New album Foregone out February 2023

The twist here is that Bjorn actually was in the studio when the band was recording Subterranean (or was it Lunar Strain?) so he gets to whip out Stand Ablaze whenever he pleases, even if he wasn't in the band and didn't do shit while he was there. B)

(Kidding obviously, but let me see if I can find the interview where he mentioned that he was there)
 
Ciko told me that Anders wrote Stand Ablaze, and Jesper just stole it off him.
 
It is time for them to re-record Stand Ablaze with proper band members.

Stand Ablaze (Crying, but feeling something) 2022
 
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Crying, remembering...

Solitary life
Committing suicide
Seeking sanctuary
From this world contrary...


They wouldn't even have to change the lyrics much.
 
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The way he changed the lyrics in 1999 was something like

'The time is now (the time is now)
Please tell me how (please tell me how)
That we stand ablaze

We are screaming
Remembering...

How it used to be
??? your soul eternally (honestly no idea what he's saying at the start here... sounds liked weighed, weight, raped... who fucking knows, he might not have even been saying a real word)
Meant to be, meant to be
In memory

We are screaming
Remembering how...

Solitary life
It's just like suicide to me
We are seeking the dream
In your promised world, you scare me

And now we stand ablaze, we stand ablaze
I lost my place in this vile place (Not sure about this one but again hard to understand what he's saying, due to pronounciation)
We stand ablaze'
 
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Well, I concede that I was absolutely wrong about thinking that the band wasn't affected by THE's existence. Man, this is just sad, even if it's for the best.

Can't imagine new AE is going to convert anyone who doesn't enjoy the current incarnation of the band. It's less melodic than Will to Power, which is a shame, but I guess some people may prefer it that way. For me there's no track here on par with Blood in the Water, or even The World is Yours or The Race (although Deceiver, Deceiver is basically a lesser version of The Race). It's a shame Alissa doesn't use her clean vocals a little more to add some variety. She's got a great singing voice but it's rarely utilised. The Watcher has the same issue as The Eagle Flies Alone in that the chorus melody is just a wimpy guitar in the background. Sounded way better live when the melodies were in the front.

First four songs and Sunset Over the Empire are OK. The rest mostly forgettable to me. Album artwork is pretty cool though.

Goddamn it. I was really hoping they'd utilize Alissa's clean vocals some more to actually do something fresh again. I can enjoy modern AE somewhat (I fucking love "As the Pages Burn" in particular), but I want them to have some sort of evolution. Admittedly, I haven't listened to too much of them, new or old.

I don't get your logic: BS and CiS are "playable" by them because the core of the band made a rerecording (may as well calthem a cover) of them, but not Stand Ablaze?! Okay, I get that part, but wouldn't live only "rerecordings" count the same?! At this point it's just splitting hairs about technicalities.

I think the entirety of that ep is pretty amazing and a bridge between LS and TJR. I think it's been long overdue for it to get some love and recognition.

Yeah, it's sad that the crowd was confused by the intro, but it is what it is; it's not like these people come to these shows for behind space or moobshield either.

I completely agree, especially with that middle part. I personally prefer it to Lunar Strain, but I'm probably in the minority on that. I dunno, it just feels like a natural progression from them as musicians and their skill with the craft.
 
I very rarely listen to Lunar Strain and Subterranean. I'll straight up admit that Lunar Strain is simply musically uninteresting to me, it's neither melodically refined enough nor is it actual death metal, it's basically this prototype blueprint of what's to come. Subterranean on the other hand felt inferior to The Jester Race when I really got into In Flames, plus it's a short EP and I would always rather play TJR or Whoracle instead.

That being said, when I do revisit Subterranean there is this interesting atmosphere about it that the band never managed to replicate later on. Just the keyboard intro to Stand Ablaze sets the mood perfectly. The comparison to Punish My Heaven is on point, like the end of the song guitar harmonies - it's the signature of the band but the melodies itself are too unrestrained and too playful, it all sounds a bit too fast and maybe there are a few notes too many. Then you listen to TJR which came out a year later and the progress is monumental, there is not a single excessive note on it. In general, the progression of Lunar Strain > Subterranean > TJR is some serious evolution when you consider just how short of a time period that was (1994/95/96).

Regarding In Flames and them deciding to play some older songs... I really don't care if they were affected by THE. That may or may not be true, it also very well may be the case of Anders being largely incapable of performing the songs of their past two albums live. There is so much autotune and clean singing on it that it's impossible without heavy use of backing tracks.
 
Well, I haven't gone to an In Flames show in many years, but the last time I did, there were about 50 vocal layers coming through the PA, so I don't think using heavy backing tracks is an issue for them, unless they've decided to move away from that, which would be a big plus. It sounded like shit. But then I'm a big believer in not using so much studio magic that you can't replicate it live; something Anders is apparently NOT a big believer in.
 
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Honestly hard to tell with Jesper if that was a positive or negative comment :D

As far as LS is concerned, I'll always go to bat for it. Considering it was written in something like a week it's pretty damn good. It's mainly let down by production and rushed schedule. You can hear from BS 99 and CiS 99 that the tracks are excellent, they just weren't presented in the best way. Take out Dreamscape, Everlost Part I and the title track and you've got a solid set of tracks.
 
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Honestly hard to tell with Jesper if that was a positive or negative comment :D

After his last... I seriously don't know the english word for that, when he threw shit at Anders, he's been trying to be on good terms with them. This is a part of that attempt. Though, it's been a failure.
 
Seeing as Anders is being a bell about THE, Jesper should just ignore IF stuff as well. But good on him for taking the high ground. Slave and Ciko in shambles as it turns out in 2022 Jesper is more mature than Anders :D
 
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