New album Foregone out February 2023

[Xpyro125]

I think doing it this way preserves the momentum of the song -- adding an extra bar would be nice, but you'd lose that sense of urgency going into the verse imo. I don't think it was an error. I've written songs with abrupt transitions like that and it results in the whole song being shifted onto different bars.

Cutting it abruptly was probbaly deliberate, as it is not unheard of in music. I do get it that you'd rather enjoyed that part longer, but at this point I am happy whenever IF steps out of their comfort zone, as they have done so many by the numbers songs.

Fair enough, I can completely agree there. It is a more aggressive song (By IF's standards) anyways, so I guess it makes sense to do it this way. It's not really enough to change my mind, as I think there is some way out there to add another bar of it without losing that energy, but it doesn't ruin the song or anything close to that for me. It's definitely my favorite of the three singles so far.

 

[ThePhobiac]

Yeah, maybe if they had extended it to four measures and added some drums to lead into the verse, that could've worked, too. I wish there were studio diaries so we could get a sense of how they approached arrangements (I know for SOAPF there were a lot of arguments).

 

[TheJestersDoor]

Yeah, maybe if they had extended it to four measures and added some drums to lead into the verse, that could've worked, too. I wish there were studio diaries so we could get a sense of how they approached arrangements (I know for SOAPF there were a lot of arguments).

I'd be really interested to see a studio diary for this album. It'd be interesting to get a look into the songwriting process nowadays and working with Howard Benson.

 

[Xpyro125]

Yeah, maybe if they had extended it to four measures and added some drums to lead into the verse, that could've worked, too. I wish there were studio diaries so we could get a sense of how they approached arrangements (I know for SOAPF there were a lot of arguments).

Completely agree with both of those.

 

[GraemeSinclair]

I just listened to A Sense of Purpose for the first time in years. I wanted to see if my opinion of it had changed after the last decade of In Flames. I feel like since Siren Charms and Battles, some people have re-evaluated their post-2000 catalogue, and albums that were initially controversial or unpopular have seen their overall standing among the fanbase improve (particularly Reroute to Remain and Come Clarity).

I think I'm still struck by how anaemic it sounds in comparison to both Come Clarity and SOAPF, the two albums either side of it. Although at the time Come Clarity was seen as a 'modern' IF album that continued their departure from their signature sound (largely due to the clean-sung choruses and Anders' higher screams), there was a lot of blood and thunder - it was really aggressive, the guitars and drums sounded massive and there was no let-up apart from the title track (which worked really well). I know people have said that they feel like CC is more of a metalcore record, but I hear a lot of classic In Flames in its DNA.

That In Flames DNA feels much more diluted on ASOP, and I'm still trying to work out if it's production, instrumentation or songwriting that's the main reason. A lot of it might just be the increased presence of clean vocals, but then SOAPF had a lot of clean vocals too, and when it came out, I regarded it as a real return to form (although what form is debatable - the best of their post-Clayman material, or part of their all-time best). I think I'd comfortably say that the songwriting and production were much better on SOAPF, and there was maybe a bit more classic IF in the mix, particularly in the quality of the guitar melodies.

Basically, revisiting A Sense of Purpose hasn't made me think that I misunderstood a gem, but it has made me appreciate Come Clarity and Sounds of a Playground Fading more. I think, actually, that it's also increased my appreciation for the three singles from Foregone, because they sound much more like the IF I love than an album released 14 years ago, which is quite encouraging.

 

[DE4life]

I did a relisten of ASOP a while back... yeah, there's a lot of good ideas there, but as a package it doesn't really click. Production and vocals are massive handicaps which cannot be overcome in my view. Thankfully they got it right on SOAPF, but ASOP was a misstep in terms of production. To this day Jesper claims he can't understand why fans had a problem with ASOP, suggesting he's been smoking too much of the wacky baccy or never actually listened to the album after it was released.

 

[eochaid]

I don't think that there's an IF sound anymore.the closer to that is the first era and that went too fast. After that, every album sounds different.

This aside, I don't remember them sounding like a bunch of angry toddlers before.

 

[ciko_gfb]

I know all of us have the same question in mind for the longest time. Is this really an IF song??

 

[Pallbearer]

Not really

 

[Xpyro125]

I just listened to A Sense of Purpose for the first time in years. I wanted to see if my opinion of it had changed after the last decade of In Flames. I feel like since Siren Charms and Battles, some people have re-evaluated their post-2000 catalogue, and albums that were initially controversial or unpopular have seen their overall standing among the fanbase improve (particularly Reroute to Remain and Come Clarity).

I think I'm still struck by how anaemic it sounds in comparison to both Come Clarity and SOAPF, the two albums either side of it. Although at the time Come Clarity was seen as a 'modern' IF album that continued their departure from their signature sound (largely due to the clean-sung choruses and Anders' higher screams), there was a lot of blood and thunder - it was really aggressive, the guitars and drums sounded massive and there was no let-up apart from the title track (which worked really well). I know people have said that they feel like CC is more of a metalcore record, but I hear a lot of classic In Flames in its DNA.

That In Flames DNA feels much more diluted on ASOP, and I'm still trying to work out if it's production, instrumentation or songwriting that's the main reason. A lot of it might just be the increased presence of clean vocals, but then SOAPF had a lot of clean vocals too, and when it came out, I regarded it as a real return to form (although what form is debatable - the best of their post-Clayman material, or part of their all-time best). I think I'd comfortably say that the songwriting and production were much better on SOAPF, and there was maybe a bit more classic IF in the mix, particularly in the quality of the guitar melodies.

Basically, revisiting A Sense of Purpose hasn't made me think that I misunderstood a gem, but it has made me appreciate Come Clarity and Sounds of a Playground Fading more. I think, actually, that it's also increased my appreciation for the three singles from Foregone, because they sound much more like the IF I love than an album released 14 years ago, which is quite encouraging.

You pretty much summed up my feelings about the album as well as Come Clarity and SoaPF. I really can't understand just why critics and even some sites love ASoP so much.

 

[CladInShadows971]

CC is probably my least favourite of the modern IF albums. Just feels really generic to me and not like IF. ASOP on the other hand has crappy guitar production and Anders is at his whiniest but the actual composition is very IF - it is the most guitar melody driven album since Clayman.

 

[ThePhobiac]

Yeah, I relistened to the IF discography a while back and was surprised how much I enjoyed ASOP. It shot up high in my rankings. Lots of variety, harmonies packed in everywhere and effortlessly, and retains the catchiness that only IF in their prime could deliver. It's all unfortunately weighed down by Anders' bad performance and the flimsy production. I agree with "the most guitar melody driven album since Clayman" for sure.

 

[A88]

I think I have a soft spot for ASOP. Especially after seeing what came after SOAPF.

Musically there is a great IF album somewhere down there beneath all the droning vocals and plastic sound. Especially with TMT EP tracks included.

Also, maybe the last IF album where they didn't recycle riffs and melodies from the past or the same record.

 

[eochaid]

I don't see how asop is more guitar driven than CC. If there's something that "shines" on CC is the guitar work. A good mix of, at the time, old and new styles. Asop, though I like it, feels like a lesser, incomplete, brother to that one.

I really fail to see how The Mirrors Truth, I Am the Highway, Move Through Me, Drenched in Fear or March to the Shore are less generic and more guitar driven than anything in CC (but scream).

 

[DE4life]

I swear people get STYE and CC muddled up. The former is the album to discuss when talking about lack of guitar melodies, not the latter.

 

[CladInShadows971]

I don't see how asop is more guitar driven than CC. If there's something that "shines" on CC is the guitar w

It's guitar driven sure, but I was referring to guitar melodies/leads specifically. CC doesn't really have many. ASOP has little lead guitar melodies spread throughout every song.

 

[DE4life]

How do you classify STYE as above CC in this regard? Or are you putting the albums into different eras?

 

[eochaid]

I don't see that much difference. They surely added a lead guitar in the choruses from ASOP but I still hear lots of melodies in CC. In fact, I don't think that there's a song on ASOP that can compare, for example, with Vanishing LIght. Still, there are lots of guitar layers in CC and, in my opinion, that album is the closest that they have been to their first era since R2R was released.

 

[Xpyro125]

I don't see how asop is more guitar driven than CC. If there's something that "shines" on CC is the guitar work. A good mix of, at the time, old and new styles. Asop, though I like it, feels like a lesser, incomplete, brother to that one.

I really fail to see how The Mirrors Truth, I Am the Highway, Move Through Me, Drenched in Fear or March to the Shore are less generic and more guitar driven than anything in CC (but scream).

(I was going to reply to something else too, but I forgot which one and what I would've said to that)

Yeah, it's mainly due to the melodic, higher-stringed guitar leads. That being said, In Flames was still a band that on their old material had substance over style with a pretty damn good rhythm section to back up their leads, even if they were never as overtly heavy as their contemporaries. ASoP's guitarwork is melodic, sure, but it rarely lands for me, especially with all of the rhythm section just being chugging. That works fine on some songs, particularly where the leads are present (Or in "Move Through Me"), but a whole album of chugging with most everything else feeling flimsy at best on top of that? I don't feel it, especially with the lyrics being as genuinely misery-inducing as they are.

Come Clarity, meanwhile, has arguably peak guitar leads and rhythm sections from the band's modern discography. I'd say under half of its tracks excessively chug, and something like "Pacing Death's Trail" works really well in spite of that because of the guitarwork and drumming going together so powerfully (Particularly with the triplet notes). "Reflect the Storm", "Vacuum", "Come Clarity", and "Vanishing Light" are all great and varied examples of guitar-driven songs off the album. Sure, ASoP has the sweet-sounding melodies that people loved from the older albums in spades, but that's about it. I'm not saying it isn't guitar-driven; it is almost as guitar-driven as Come Clarity, if not just as much.

I won't touch on anything being generic-sounding or whatnot because, well, they're both mid-era metalcore that shine above most other works in that subgenre. You could absolutely argue either way for ASoP, and I'd probably agree.

I swear people get STYE and CC muddled up. The former is the album to discuss when talking about lack of guitar melodies, not the latter.

That being said, yeah, agreed, STYE is tonight's big loser.

 

[Jester Slave]

The dude who interviewed Jesper said he had already recorded an interview with Björn as well, he is just waiting for it to be green lit. I'm glad he finally speaks, because I honestly can't take so many Anders PR talk in such succession. I need some Björn PR talk for a change of scenery. I'm also interested in his thoughts about THE, as he never seemed to be so distant from Jesper.