New album Foregone out February 2023

[miniroch]

And where would that everybody be? It seems like 50/50 positive vs mixed/negative in here, with just one "top 10 IF songs".
I don't think anybody sane would call that return to a roots, but that being said, it's a great track, and I guess that's what music is all about.

Some of you guys literally act like:

 

[eochaid]

This does have that Clayman vibe...big-time!

And where would that everybody be? It seems like 50/50 positive vs mixed/negative in here, with just one "top 10 IF songs".
I don't think anybody sane would call that return to a roots, but that being said, it's a great track, and I guess that's what music is all about.

Some of you guys literally act like:

From SOSD Youtube's comments.

"Clayman was life changing for me. This song feels like they're waving to their older fans saying, "We haven't forgot about you.""
"This does have that Clayman vibe...big-time!"
"this song reminds me of the quiet place"
"This is the In Flames we love!"
"I’ve been a fan of In Flames for well over 20 years. Hearing a song that sounds so equally “throwback” and modern is refreshing! Welcome back guys."
"If people would have told me, that i will hear old school IN FLAMES in 2022 i would have called them liars. Love it"
"This song absolutely slays worlds. It gives you that mid 2000s In Flames taste as well as even some of the older stuff."
"This brought me WAY back to early In Flames."
"This reminds me of Blinded by fear.Hope this new album will be a blast \m/"
"Dude, they should have named this song 'Redemption', because this is the best In Flames I've heard in like 15 years."
"I couldn't possibly be any happier. I love the band and all their songs no matter the genre or style, but a true return to the melodic death metal edge is absolutely amazing."
"It's been a 20 year ride for me. I bought Reroute to Remain when I was a senior in high school back in 2002. It's nice to see that the pioneers of melodic death metal are still kicking ass, evolving their sound, but yet still keeping their core. Truly amazing work."
"After a dozen long years I can finally pick up a new In Flames album. Welcome back guys. I needed the Colony, Jester Race, and even the Reroute to Remain sound."
"This was such an unexpected return to their signature sound! Glad to see them back doing what they do best!"

From DGD:

"Sound and Anders' vocals is amazing! Old IN FLAMES is back!"
".... dudes, two in a row now. Finally. Please let the rest of the album be like this . Getting those actual IF feels that you're supposed to feel."
"Such a killer track! Perfect mix of old and new school In Flames. Stoked for the album"
"In Flames sounds like In Flames again"
"It's like old In Flames meets a new Era. It's beautiful."

And so on.

It's like this people are trying to say that they have never heard old IF. Whatever that means.

And I don't think that you shouldn't be liking this new music. Everyone has the right to be wrong sometimes.

Oh. I remember how everyone was excited about ITM after the singles were released and now the most of you seem to have forgotten about that album. An album that's not actually bad. It's not also good but, at least, has around six or seven listenable songs.

 

[miniroch]

Totally right.

Also,
"Not IF classical, not the old sound back. Hundreds of comments like that, but i guess age of commenters influenced. Anyway, they are much closer than ever to that appreciated sound, even when that is impossible as people grow up and things are never the same. Let's see how is the new album, but IF is high quality on whatever style they do, so the best thing is always enjoy them."

"If you would either embrace the old pop-death metal or just actual death metal, something interesting would be probably the result but as it is... sure, not the worst, but nothing interesting either."

"I'm the only one here hearing At The Gates - Blinded by fear? Mediocre..."

"If this is the track for which they decided to make an official video, then I have a bad feeling."

And so on.

So, once again, where is that everybody?
I know that there's a fanboys base in YT and reddit, but that happens with literally every crap you'll see the other day, so how about you stick to some more reasonable places (like that one?) and make conclusions based on them?

 

[eochaid]

Well, not everyone digs deep into the comments. The same goes for their facebook accounts or similar sites. Then, when using generalizations, you should understand that's what they are. Genralizations. That doesn't mean everybody but a good amount of people.

Anyway, is that important? I don't think so. So, lets say that some people are saying that this is a return to their older style, again, whatever that means, and they are wrong or have never paid too much attention to those old days.

 

[The Grayfox]

And where would that everybody be? It seems like 50/50 positive vs mixed/negative in here, with just one "top 10 IF songs".
I don't think anybody sane would call that return to a roots, but that being said, it's a great track, and I guess that's what music is all about.

Some of you guys literally act like:

I didn't say in here. I said on Reddit and IF's socials. If you go browse those, you will see a shit ton of people saying exactly what eochaid posted. Again, if you like the new songs, that's perfectly fine. I'm not trying to start some campaign and get people to hate the songs. I'm pointing out that this is hardly a return to melodic death metal as people are claiming.

 

[DE4life]

I don't think that I have said that the songs aren't melodic. Heavy and melodic do not fight each other. It all depends on how the bands approach the music. I just said that Heavier doesn't mean good, like some people seem to be implying. SOAPF is melodic and it's good. Scream is Heavy and it's not very good.

About how I see the new songs, I'll try to explain it with a picture. It's a picture about transmitted feelings or sensations. For this, I use a greyscale map to represent light and dark. And I'll use a few bands as examples of what they transmit to me.

View attachment 31879

I think this summarizes it pretty well. I usually tend to like more bands that move towards the light espectrum of the map. I also like the bands in the "dark side" but not as much. I don't "receive" those many empotions from their music and I think that emotions have an important role when experiencing the music.

I'm not sure if this makes sense anyway. In my case, light would be the transmission of positive feelings through the music while dark is about negative feelings.

I think this is a pretty good illustration of how I see it as well. Traditionally IF have been on the lighter side of the spectrum, with a few exceptions (eg. Dead Eternity, Morphing Into Primal, F(r)iend, Everything's Gone). Even going as far as Battles and ITM the songs have been a lot more about the melodic than the heaviness or brutality. That's what I mean when I say this may be the least IF-sounding album to date. Yes Battles is garbage and plastic fake nonsense, but it's still very much on the lighter side of the spectrum. This is the only album where it feels like they're going fully into the darker side. It doesn't mean the songs are bad, but at the same time that is never what I've listened to IF for. If I want that kind of music there are plenty of bands I can go to for that. IF doing it is just... kinda meh for me. Again, it's not that what they are releasing is bad, it's just not what I personally want from them. Not as an entire album anyway. It's OK as one-off tracks to add variety, albeit that most of their heavier songs are not played often by me.

In regards to the IF reddit, I was actually surprised that the initial comments on 'Foregone' were calling it average and not so great. Usually it's a Ciko-style fanboygasm in there every time IF releases anything, so that's interesting.

 

[galvanized]

"This reminds me of Blinded by fear.Hope this new album will be a blast \m/"

This one is somewhat accurate. SOSD was like one ATG song, this new one is also strongly inspired by ATG or the second generation metalcore bands that came after.

I think this summarizes it pretty well. I usually tend to like more bands that move towards the light espectrum of the map. I also like the bands in the "dark side" but not as much. I don't "receive" those many empotions from their music and I think that emotions have an important role when experiencing the music.

Have you talking about new ATG or old ATG on your graph? Because I don’t think it’s possible to say old ATG is devoid of emotion with songs like this:

If you don’t listen to the whole thing, at least listen to the intro and 1:04-1:45.

 

[miniroch]

I didn't say in here. I said on Reddit and IF's socials. If you go browse those, you will see a shit ton of people saying exactly what eochaid posted. Again, if you like the new songs, that's perfectly fine. I'm not trying to start some campaign and get people to hate the songs. I'm pointing out that this is hardly a return to melodic death metal as people are claiming.

Something similar is happening here. [...] If you like the songs, that's cool. But let's not pretend that this is some "back to the roots" kind of thing happening.

I get the point, but still, your post seems like an attempt directed at people who like the song, that it's applauded just because it has harsh vocals. Also, I'm not sure why would you even involve people from reddit and YT and discuss over that, it's pretty much pointless to anyone who is aware on what's happening there. If you check the beautiful song called In This Life, you might see some posts like:
"I fuckin love this song feels like my soul is singing"

So yeah, once again, it's not everybody, it's a minority, who tends to post on YT just for the sake of praising the band they follow. It is happening for every band, prior to any album, regardless of what is going on there. Ignore it, don't ever evoke them again, end of story.

Let's not also confuse going back to the roots with playing MDM. Obviously they're not going with the former, but the latter is valid, since pretty much all the tracks revaled so far were MDM, just leaning more into the "death" part of the spectre. Like stated previously, its resemblance to AtG is not a coincidence. You might label it as metalcore, but this genre was built basically upon melodic death, so there's that.

 

[DE4life]

If you check the beautiful song called In This Life, you might see some posts like:
"I fuckin love this song feels like my soul is singing"

@ciko_gfb

 

[eochaid]

This one is somewhat accurate. SOSD was like one ATG song, this new one is also strongly inspired by ATG or the second generation metalcore bands that came after.



Have you talking about new ATG or old ATG on your graph? Because I don’t think it’s possible to say old ATG is devoid of emotion with songs like this:

If you don’t listen to the whole thing, at least listen to the intro and 1:04-1:45.

I'm not talking about emotions but about the kind of emotions that they inspire. I thought that was clear. It's pretty difficult to make music that transmits to emotion at all. But, IF are in the light side of the spectrum while ATG are on the dark side.

 

[ThePhobiac]

Well it wouldn't be the first time I've missed a cue.

When I said it's a Top 10 all-time In Flames song to me personally, I meant that it is currently in my personal top ten favorite In Flames songs, which should have no bearing on how other people perceive the song and should not be taken too seriously.

 

[DE4life]

I take it extremely seriously.

 

[ThePhobiac]

Like I mentioned previously, the objective Top 10 list is mostly Battles songs. Most people can't grasp the truth.

 

[eochaid]

I don't have problems with people liking this. My only issue comes when someone says that this is old IF or that it sounds like R2R or CC. Because it does not.

Then, as I said, you have the right to be wrong.

 

[DE4life]

Like I mentioned previously, the objective Top 10 list is mostly Battles songs. Most people can't grasp the truth.

We are, we are we arrreeeee -guitar solo muthafuckas-

 

[eochaid]

All the solos from this and the previous three albums should he replaced by Bjorn playing the Banjo.

 

[Cobra8472]

Anyone have a working link?

EDIT: Found it- anyone looking there's a mega link on Page 75. Apologies!

 

[Xpyro125]

Looks like for the Montreal show last night they replaced Behind Space/Graveland/Episode 666 with Moonshield and The Jester's Dance.

Goddamn it, I really wanted to hear "Episode 666" live.

This does have that Clayman vibe...big-time!
From SOSD Youtube's comments.

"Clayman was life changing for me. This song feels like they're waving to their older fans saying, "We haven't forgot about you.""
"This does have that Clayman vibe...big-time!"
"this song reminds me of the quiet place"
"This is the In Flames we love!"
"I’ve been a fan of In Flames for well over 20 years. Hearing a song that sounds so equally “throwback” and modern is refreshing! Welcome back guys."
"If people would have told me, that i will hear old school IN FLAMES in 2022 i would have called them liars. Love it"
"This song absolutely slays worlds. It gives you that mid 2000s In Flames taste as well as even some of the older stuff."
"This brought me WAY back to early In Flames."
"This reminds me of Blinded by fear.Hope this new album will be a blast \m/"
"Dude, they should have named this song 'Redemption', because this is the best In Flames I've heard in like 15 years."
"I couldn't possibly be any happier. I love the band and all their songs no matter the genre or style, but a true return to the melodic death metal edge is absolutely amazing."
"It's been a 20 year ride for me. I bought Reroute to Remain when I was a senior in high school back in 2002. It's nice to see that the pioneers of melodic death metal are still kicking ass, evolving their sound, but yet still keeping their core. Truly amazing work."
"After a dozen long years I can finally pick up a new In Flames album. Welcome back guys. I needed the Colony, Jester Race, and even the Reroute to Remain sound."
"This was such an unexpected return to their signature sound! Glad to see them back doing what they do best!"

From DGD:

"Sound and Anders' vocals is amazing! Old IN FLAMES is back!"
".... dudes, two in a row now. Finally. Please let the rest of the album be like this . Getting those actual IF feels that you're supposed to feel."
"Such a killer track! Perfect mix of old and new school In Flames. Stoked for the album"
"In Flames sounds like In Flames again"
"It's like old In Flames meets a new Era. It's beautiful."

And so on.

It's like this people are trying to say that they have never heard old IF. Whatever that means.

And I don't think that you shouldn't be liking this new music. Everyone has the right to be wrong sometimes.

Oh. I remember how everyone was excited about ITM after the singles were released and now the most of you seem to have forgotten about that album. An album that's not actually bad. It's not also good but, at least, has around six or seven listenable songs.

Yeah, they've been saying that shit forever. It's fucking brainless.

 

[ThePhobiac]

I don't think there's anything wrong with people finding hints of prior albums in the new stuff tbh. If The Great Deceiver sounds like a return to Clayman for someone, more power to them (I don't agree, but I do think there's some mid-era IF DNA in it). For some people Clayman might be defined by the lead guitar wankery, for others it might just be the fun energy, or even the lack of much clean singing. It's all subjective. If someone wants to argue that SOSD sounds like Whoracle, well, I personally don't hear it, but I'm not going to break out the rule book and tell them they violated Law 435.

 

[eochaid]

But they did. And they should be punished for it.

Now, seriously, when someone says that this or that song could fit on CC or Clayman... Well, they should be executed. Or better not. But they don't seem to know a lot about those albums. Not the ones that find hints but the ones that say that the songs seem to be taken directly from those albums. I've seen delusional people in my life but those are the winners.