New album Foregone out February 2023
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Jester Slave
Narcissist
Static-X has pretty much always done the same. But yes, NIN is a good example. I could name Gorillaz as well, but it would require a group effort with various music tastes to make an actual list of these bands.
Look at almost any big band's road to success and its aftermath. There are exceptions, so it's not really a rule, but some point after their highest points they either go stale or take a 90 degree turn which annoys a lot of people, and even if it's not necessarily bad, it's just not that level of quality anymore. Again, it makes a lot of sense, because as a successfull musician it is really hard to keep rebelling and innovating.
I don't think THE did anything special. They made a record which scratched many of your itches and I have no reason to believe it wasn't authentic. But it's incompareable to what IF produced from TJR to Clayman, where you could actually see the guys progressively incorporating and innovating new things into their music. THE is like a snapshot of an era gone by, executed decently. But don't mistake modern mdm with mdm with a modern paint on it - THE is the latter. And it's fine, no single music should be anything in particular. There are bands who are releasing the same fucking record every 2 years and it's fine. All I'm saying is that the magic is always with bands who are still eager to "show it to the world". Those bands and artists made such waves which changed the entirety of the music scene for maybe a hundred years now.
Look at almost any big band's road to success and its aftermath. There are exceptions, so it's not really a rule, but some point after their highest points they either go stale or take a 90 degree turn which annoys a lot of people, and even if it's not necessarily bad, it's just not that level of quality anymore. Again, it makes a lot of sense, because as a successfull musician it is really hard to keep rebelling and innovating.
I don't think THE did anything special. They made a record which scratched many of your itches and I have no reason to believe it wasn't authentic. But it's incompareable to what IF produced from TJR to Clayman, where you could actually see the guys progressively incorporating and innovating new things into their music. THE is like a snapshot of an era gone by, executed decently. But don't mistake modern mdm with mdm with a modern paint on it - THE is the latter. And it's fine, no single music should be anything in particular. There are bands who are releasing the same fucking record every 2 years and it's fine. All I'm saying is that the magic is always with bands who are still eager to "show it to the world". Those bands and artists made such waves which changed the entirety of the music scene for maybe a hundred years now.
In general I agree with you. For a significant number of bands my favourite albums of theirs are the first one or two they released, although as with everything there are exceptions where a band starts off shit but gets a lot better over time. Then other bands start off great, become garbage or simply average for a period, then bounce back revitalised later on. Freedom Call are an example of that.
I disagree with you insofar as The Halo Effect are concerned though. These guys are clearly energised and desperate to release a lot of music that's been pent up inside them for years. Niclas is so inspired he's already written another album's worth of material. Jesper wrote his first full melodic death metal song since the 90s with Last of Our Kind. Daniel and Peter are clearly having a blast, with the drums and bass both being allowed to shine throughout Days of the Lost. Stanne meanwhile has, imo, not sounded this inspired vocally since 2007's Fiction. THE isn't some half-hearted cash-grab with a bunch of old guys indulging in what they know best for a quick nostalgia pop. There's obvious passion behind this project and if you can't hear it then that's a shame, as it struck me as soon as I heard Shadowminds and even more so when you listen to the guys doing interviews.
I disagree with you insofar as The Halo Effect are concerned though. These guys are clearly energised and desperate to release a lot of music that's been pent up inside them for years. Niclas is so inspired he's already written another album's worth of material. Jesper wrote his first full melodic death metal song since the 90s with Last of Our Kind. Daniel and Peter are clearly having a blast, with the drums and bass both being allowed to shine throughout Days of the Lost. Stanne meanwhile has, imo, not sounded this inspired vocally since 2007's Fiction. THE isn't some half-hearted cash-grab with a bunch of old guys indulging in what they know best for a quick nostalgia pop. There's obvious passion behind this project and if you can't hear it then that's a shame, as it struck me as soon as I heard Shadowminds and even more so when you listen to the guys doing interviews.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkdoDh8oevt/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
So Peter and Daniel are releasing a book detailing their musical journey and their brewing business. Wonder if we'll get any interesting IF tidbits?
So Peter and Daniel are releasing a book detailing their musical journey and their brewing business. Wonder if we'll get any interesting IF tidbits?
ThePhobiac
be at ease
According to the promo copies, there's an anecdote about how the band recorded an album in 2001 called "Days of the Lost" and it was all but completed, but they decided to scrap it before it was mastered, and the only remaining copy now serves as a beverage coaster in Bjorn Gelotte's living room.
Jester Slave
Narcissist
I'd be surprised if we got anything juicy. It's not nice to air dirty laundry to begin with, and those two wouldn't have that much hatred towards Jesper or Anders that they would consider it. I especially can't imagine a scenario where they throw Anders under the bus, but avoid doing the same with Jesper, as it would especially be a dick thing to do.
So I would be surprised if we'd get anything but a diplomatic phrasing of creative differences and some fun stories.
Yes. They hate Jesper. They made a band with him because they cannot stand the guy. It's their "revenge" for having to deal with him in the past. They're not on Jesper or Anders' team but on Jesper's.
Also, the right answer is that this book is about them, music and drinks. Not gossip.
Also, the right answer is that this book is about them, music and drinks. Not gossip.
The Grayfox
Gravesinger
They should probably get a better proofreader. I don't remember a song called "Food for the Goods."
Yeah, for my part, I wasn't calling out the three of you (or anyone in particular) for being unreasonably critical. It's more that I feel we all love TJR, Whoracle, Colony and Clayman, and through years of discourse on here (for which I've been a bit of a part-timer) it's been somewhat implicit that, although most of us have found lots of things to enjoy on subsequent albums, those records are a level above.
So, viewing it very simplistically, one side of the 'can't win' coin that has existed for years (not just here but throughout their fanbase) is that by abandoning that signature sound, they're not as good as they used to be. The other side (which has emerged in the wake of the Foregone singles) is the idea that they're too far removed from those roots, and incapable of creating music of that calibre or variety again.
The reality is obviously a bit more nuanced. Here, all of us have a variety of songs, or even full albums from the post-Reroute era that we really like, and that could be compared with the best of the four classic records in terms of enjoyment. Some of those are quite far removed from the classic IF sound - for me, personally, Dawn of a New Day, Metaphor, Evil in a Closet, Come Clarity, The Attic and Stay With Me are some of my all-time IF favourites, and SOAPF is probably tied with Colony and Clayman in my ranking of IF albums. So, I get that your argument is that they *can* win if they put out an album of similar quality to CC or SOAPF without focussing too much on replicating their older sound.
That said, I think part of the strength of both CC and SOAPF was that they did draw on elements of the classic IF sound to a greater extent than the rest of their newer catalogue (I'd say the presence of those elements was also a strength of Reroute, but given that it was their first step away from their old sound, I think it's slightly different, those elements that carried over from Clayman were present because it was still how they were used to writing songs at the time).
For me, the disappointing thing has never really been that they added new elements to their sound, more that they largely abandoned some of my favourite old ones. I love the electronics on STYE, but I miss the lead guitar melodies; I love a lot of the clean-sung choruses on their post-2000 material, but I miss the growls from the classic records after Anders decided to change his harsh vocal style to almost exclusively screaming. By Siren Charms and Battles, they'd lost pretty much every connection to their roots and hadn't even replaced it with something good.
I'm not arguing that it's the same as their classic albums, but I've really enjoyed the use of growls, blast beats, time signature changes, folk-influenced melodies and more in the Foregone singles because these things were part of what made IF my favourite band in the first place and I'm just glad that they finally seem to want to draw inspiration from them again in any way, and include them alongside their more modern influences.
- Jul 25, 2016
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Just got back from seeing the boys at Brixton in London. Great show. They were on great form, Anders sounded good and was cracking jokes all night, and everyone else sounded tight. Setlist was great but not perfect. A song from every album bar STYE, SOAPF and SC (2 of them I'm more upset about than the other). I'll be uploading a couple of videos soon so I'll link them when I have.
Orbit Culture were as good as I hoped opening, they're a great band and sound just as good live. Even better I got to say hi to Nick the vocalist & guitarist during At The Gates's set (we'll get onto that) and he's a really nice bloke. Genuinely humbled at how passionate me and my brother are about his band. Shame they only had 5 songs. 8/10
Imminence were up next and were.... Something? Their vocalist had a violin he was using for half the set which sounded awesome and he has a good voice, but I couldn't tell you at all what the guitars were doing as the sound bar vocals and violin was mud. I'll check them out in the morning to see what their studio output is like, it could go either way. 6/10
I was really looking forward to At The Gates and so I find myself very disappointed by what I got. Their sound was incredibly and nearly painfully bad. All mud, guitars barely audible (got a bit better once i came back in from taking a break from the noise to meet Nick) as you'll hear in the video I put up tomorrow but it still wasn't great. The band weren't "going through the motions" as much as just hamstrung by truly shit sound engineering. A real dissapointment. If Slaughter of the Soul wasn't so iconic I'd have barely recognised it when they ripped into it. 4/10
In Flames I already mentioned but they were great, the best I've ever seen them in 6 shows. Opening with The Great Deciever is left of field but worked really well especially as they rolled straight into Pinball Map and cloud connected. After that they did a song from every album up to and including Clayman which included Only For The Weak. That's noteworthy as I've seen every headline UK tour they've played since 2014 and they haven't played that song on our shores since that 2014 show. Worth the wait but I don't want to wait another 8 years again thanks. The new songs all sounded great, especially Foregone part one which was brutal, but the middle section and guitar solos was where the song really shined. They closed up the set with a run down of "fan favourites" Alias, The Mirrors Truth, I Am Above and Take This Life. All were great renditions. My one criticism would be that the crowd wasn't very engaged. They were loud singing along, but not much energy being shown otherwise. The structure of barriers at Brixton doesn't help mind. Wallflower came across live 1000% better than it does in the studio as it actually sounds heavy. Still not amazing, but as the 1 battles song they played, it didn't stand out like a sore thumb in the way The Truth would. It was also noticeable that the taped vocals took more of a back seat this set than in the past. They were still there in places, but no where near as many as in shows I've seen before. It was a very consistent and cohesive set with no massive changes in style or pace which is an issue I've had with previous In Flames shows. if they were able to play more than 16 songs and add a couple of STYE and SOAPF songs It'd be an almost perfect setlist. 9/10
Orbit Culture were as good as I hoped opening, they're a great band and sound just as good live. Even better I got to say hi to Nick the vocalist & guitarist during At The Gates's set (we'll get onto that) and he's a really nice bloke. Genuinely humbled at how passionate me and my brother are about his band. Shame they only had 5 songs. 8/10
Imminence were up next and were.... Something? Their vocalist had a violin he was using for half the set which sounded awesome and he has a good voice, but I couldn't tell you at all what the guitars were doing as the sound bar vocals and violin was mud. I'll check them out in the morning to see what their studio output is like, it could go either way. 6/10
I was really looking forward to At The Gates and so I find myself very disappointed by what I got. Their sound was incredibly and nearly painfully bad. All mud, guitars barely audible (got a bit better once i came back in from taking a break from the noise to meet Nick) as you'll hear in the video I put up tomorrow but it still wasn't great. The band weren't "going through the motions" as much as just hamstrung by truly shit sound engineering. A real dissapointment. If Slaughter of the Soul wasn't so iconic I'd have barely recognised it when they ripped into it. 4/10
In Flames I already mentioned but they were great, the best I've ever seen them in 6 shows. Opening with The Great Deciever is left of field but worked really well especially as they rolled straight into Pinball Map and cloud connected. After that they did a song from every album up to and including Clayman which included Only For The Weak. That's noteworthy as I've seen every headline UK tour they've played since 2014 and they haven't played that song on our shores since that 2014 show. Worth the wait but I don't want to wait another 8 years again thanks. The new songs all sounded great, especially Foregone part one which was brutal, but the middle section and guitar solos was where the song really shined. They closed up the set with a run down of "fan favourites" Alias, The Mirrors Truth, I Am Above and Take This Life. All were great renditions. My one criticism would be that the crowd wasn't very engaged. They were loud singing along, but not much energy being shown otherwise. The structure of barriers at Brixton doesn't help mind. Wallflower came across live 1000% better than it does in the studio as it actually sounds heavy. Still not amazing, but as the 1 battles song they played, it didn't stand out like a sore thumb in the way The Truth would. It was also noticeable that the taped vocals took more of a back seat this set than in the past. They were still there in places, but no where near as many as in shows I've seen before. It was a very consistent and cohesive set with no massive changes in style or pace which is an issue I've had with previous In Flames shows. if they were able to play more than 16 songs and add a couple of STYE and SOAPF songs It'd be an almost perfect setlist. 9/10
- Jul 25, 2016
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underrated song in TJR in my opinion.
always surprises me just how well this one goes down live. I know it was a big single but still, it becomes a much better song live.
the video does a good job of clearing up the sound but you'll have to believe me when I say, they really didn't sound good. A shame.
always surprises me just how well this one goes down live. I know it was a big single but still, it becomes a much better song live.
the video does a good job of clearing up the sound but you'll have to believe me when I say, they really didn't sound good. A shame.
Glad you had a good time bro. A shame regarding ATG, but honestly even if the sound was perfect... Lindberg's vocals, JHC. Absolutely horrible. Dude just needs to stop.
Jester Slave
Narcissist
- Jul 25, 2016
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It's a really old historic venue in London, capacity is about 5000 as it has an upper balcony above where we were standing, and the floor is slanted so you get a good view wherever you are. The only bad thing is due to the slanted floor, and the existence of rows of barriers in the standing section, you can't really get any big pits going.
This has probably been posted already, but I just discovered it and I'm struggling to find words for how good it is. It really highlights how amazing and timeless their harmonies are. December Flower had me actually punching the air. It's a whole new way to enjoy those albums and a great counterpart to the originals.
ThePhobiac
be at ease
The acoustic version of Pallar Anders Visa is awesome.
Never heard this before, so thanks for posting it. I think The Jester Race could have been all-acoustic with no vocals and it would still be my favorite IF album.
Never heard this before, so thanks for posting it. I think The Jester Race could have been all-acoustic with no vocals and it would still be my favorite IF album.
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