New album Foregone out February 2023

[Xpyro125]

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.

The production is the only thing that really holds me back from listening to Lunar Strain and Subterranean more often. It's weird because I don't think either one has egregiously awful production whatsoever, but there's just a scratchiness and a lack of fullness in the mix that turn me off from them.

 

[DE4life]

The production is the only thing that really holds me back from listening to Lunar Strain and Subterranean more often. It's weird because I don't think either one has egregiously awful production whatsoever, but there's just a scratchiness and a lack of fullness in the mix that turn me off from them.

I can understand that for sure. Production isn't bad per se, but it doesn't really enhance the LS tracks in any way. Vocals also have a weird mix in the music which makes Mikael sound a lot worse than he is.

I don't really take issue with Subterranean's production, but nowadays I find Henke Forss' shrieky vocals kind of insufferable. I can deal with it on Stand Ablaze, but the rest... well, it puts me off listening to the music far more than Stanne's vocals on LS. I know a lot of people like Forss' vocals though, so it's more of a personal thing for me I guess. Doesn't help that the lyrics are laughably bad.

 

[ThePhobiac]

Lunar Strain sounds like its cover art -- cool concept but little atmosphere. It really does sound like it was recorded on the moon.

Forss is definitely the weak point of Subterranean. I remember happening upon his Wikipedia page back in like 2006 or something and it stated "He is widely agreed to have been the worst vocalist In Flames ever had" and I took it as fact, lmao.

Music is top-notch, though, even if it is a little quirky in spots.

 

[DE4life]

Lunar Strain sounds like its cover art -- cool concept but little atmosphere. It really does sound like it was recorded on the moon.

Forss is definitely the weak point of Subterranean. I remember happening upon his Wikipedia page back in like 2006 or something and it stated "He is widely agreed to have been the worst vocalist In Flames ever had" and I took it as fact, lmao.

Music is top-notch, though, even if it is a little quirky in spots.

Lol, I mean, considering they've only ever had three vocalists, two of which are considered legends of the genre, that isn't exactly as damning a statement as it sounds

 

[eochaid]

two of which are considered legends of the genre

Mikeal and Jocke, together with Anders and Forss, make 4 vocalists.

 

[DE4life]

Can't forget Per Gyllenbäck, Jennica Johansson, Lisa Miskovsky and Emilia Feldt as well. And I'd still have Henke at the bottom

 

[eochaid]

I seriously prefer him in Stand Abalze that Anders' clean singing live.

 

[DE4life]

I prefer taking COVID swab tests to Anders' clean singing live.

 

[Jester Slave]

I'm impatiently expecting his essay regarding the matter.

No essay, I simply think there's always time for that. They covered bs and cid back then, they covered sa (again) now. Sure, if Anders and co really liked it they would've done it ages ago, so no, I do not think it is a genuine reaching back in this interpretation. BUT I do think this is their most crowd-pleasing venue so they just busted it out as something unexpected. I'd be surprised, but not disappointed if it remained a staple.

Btw I don't think it was because of the halo effect, as they started reincorporating older songs since the in my room tour.

I'm behind on the halo news - how was Anders a bellend about that?

Edit: lmao i really liked forss' vocals...

 

[eochaid]

Anders is being really suportive and looking forward to hear the full album.

Just Kidding. He, basically, said... "Who cares? I don't."

 

[DE4life]

Well, when the interviewer asked Anders about it he became visibly cold and defensive. He claimed he hadn't heard anything they'd done and dismissed them as "one of many bands". Had absolutely nothing positive to say about them. It was weird. Even the interviewer in the YT comments admitted he hadn't expected that kind of reaction as he thought those guys were friends with Anders.

 

[eochaid]

Didn't he mention something similar to "there are a lot of bands from ex-IF members?"

 

[DE4life]

Something like that... he just came across as a smacked arse about the entire thing.

 

[Jester Slave]

Damn, I hoped Peter, Daniel and Björn would bridge the gap between Anders and Jespers. It's weird that he did not go the pr route and say some generic bs that he is glad mdm is flourishing blahblah.

But I can't be too harsh on him, we won't ever know what went down between them, and Jesper was a straight up dick to him online in the past, so it's not THAT surprising that there is no love lost between them. Sad, because some festivals where both of them are/were playibg would've been prime canditates to bury the hatcher with them making cameos 8n eachother's show. Jesper doing some bs and moobshield, anders doing that skydancer stuff or whatever

 

[DE4life]

The interviewer was trying to get across that there is no rivalry/bad blood between the bands, but Anders' reaction basically made it seem like there was. I don't think it's just Jesper either. Peter mentioned some issues with Anders years ago when Cyhra first formed. Lord only knows what's going on with Niclas. I don't think Daniel has said much of anything after leaving IF. It doesn't seem like any of them are on particularly good terms with Anders though. What's that saying, ''If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole'.

 

[eochaid]

Anders says that he didn't saw THE, at the Swedish festival, because they were playing the day after IF.

Then, Peter and Daniel went to watch IF play live. And they took pictures with some other musicians that day but not with anyone from IF.

I will say that, if someone is having issues here, that person is Anders. And it's not just about Jesper.

 

[Jester Slave]

Stuff like this is what you see from bands whose members are in their early 20s but make amends in their late 30s, early 40s. It is funny to see it happening backwards. I'd like to know Björn's take on this.

 

[eochaid]

He must ask Anders first.

 

[The Grayfox]

I’ve always thought Anders was kind of an asshole. He comes across as a douche bag in a lot of interviews and just really pompous. It’s not difficult to see how people in the same band as him might have problems with him.

Granted, I’m biased because he actually was an asshole to me

 

[ThePhobiac]

I always thought Anders was just an awkward introverted dude with a weird sense of humor who is more than a little defensive, which tbh is kind of understandable given the amount of vitriol he and the band got in the early 00's (of course, he also engaged in overly-aggressive pushback against that criticism). I think he's all too aware of the shit he gets online, which leads to him sounding dismissive in interviews because he knows he can't please everyone. This is all underscored because the frontmen of the other two big Gothenburg bands, Lindberg and Stanne, are easygoing extroverts in comparison. That's just my interpretation, anyway.

Vocals aside, I think the man himself gets a bad rap.