New album Foregone out February 2023

[TheJestersDoor]

I really like this one, thanks to DE for the link! Mixing sounds a lot better than any of the last 3 albums, guitars sound a bit sharper too but not amazing. Glad the vocals aren't overly loud in the mix but I feel Anders could have added more variety to the melodies in the verses. Easily the best song since SOAPF that's they've released.
I don't mind the similarities to At The Gates, it's the most Melodeath the band has been in like 15 years.

Oh, and the rhythm section is great, you can actually hear the bass, and the drums are excellent.

 

[DE4life]

I have to say if I was Anders or Bjorn I'd be uncomfortable with how close those riffs sound to Blinded By Fear. It's not identical but it's extremely close. Recycling their own music is one thing, but another very well known and respected MDM band? I dunno. Feels wrong for them to do that.

One positive about the chorus is that, whilst very simple, Anders isn't doing anything outlandish that he couldn't replicate live. No ridiculous high notes.

 

[eochaid]

They should have included the Bjorler brothers in the writing credits.

It's funny how we have come to appoint where people is happy about them not sounding like themselves. So you're mostly happy about them sounding like other band because their current selves is shit?

 

[ciko_gfb]

Well it’s that time of the year again.. Feels good to be back. I only listened the live version of the song couldnt find any New Zealand vpn. Can anyone send me the song?

 

[DE4life]

They should have included the Bjorler brothers in the writing credits.

It's funny how we have come to appoint where people is happy about them not sounding like themselves. So you're mostly happy about them sounding like other band because their current selves is shit?

Lol yeah, considering in the last decade 'sounding like themselves' is 2/3 Siren Charms and Battles... and even ITM had the likes of House, We Will (Not) Remember and In This Life... hearing them return to something resembling MDM is nice, even if they're basically covering ATG in their opening single

 

[eochaid]

You're about to be included among the leechers in this forum.

 

[eochaid]

Lol yeah, considering in the last decade 'sounding like themselves' is 2/3 Siren Charms and Battles... and even ITM had the likes of House, We Will (Not) Remember and In This Life... hearing them return to something resembling MDM is nice, even if they're basically covering ATG in their opening single

And that proves how shitty they were for the past decade.

Now, imagine this song being released back in the 2000s. People would be pissing on them. Now it's the lesser evil.

 

[DE4life]

And that proves how shitty they were for the past decade.

Now, imagine this song being released back in the 2000s. People would be pissing on them. Now it's the lesser evil.

Oh yeah. I mean, let's be real, SC and Battles were fucking atrocious. Not just poor but fucking bad. ITM was a step in the right direction but still had a lot of problems.

 

[TheJestersDoor]

And that proves how shitty they were for the past decade.

Now, imagine this song being released back in the 2000s. People would be pissing on them. Now it's the lesser evil.

I disagree as although it is very At-The-Gates-ey, if you have this with say, R2R or STYE production, it really wouldn't sound out of place, especially STYE, as they leaned into the "evil" downtuned nonsense on that one.

 

[eochaid]

I disagree as although it is very At-The-Gates-ey, if you have this with say, R2R or STYE production, it really wouldn't sound out of place, especially STYE, as they leaned into the "evil" downtuned nonsense on that one.

Man... Just... Don't.

 

[Riamu]

Total noob trying to vpn on my iPhone.. anyone able to dm me a link?

 

[eochaid]

Oh yeah. I mean, let's be real, SC and Battles were fucking atrocious. Not just poor but fucking bad. ITM was a step in the right direction but still had a lot of problems.

This reminds me of other bands that followed a similar route. I mean, bands that were "extreme", then searched for commercial succes that never happened and then tried to go back to a heavier sound but something was lost in the process.

What we have here is a band that had two years to write new material and the first thing that they come with is a rip off and a lame solo (I would count this one among the worse Bjorn had ever done).

That's not good and I'm not happy with it.

 

[ciko_gfb]

Well thanks DE for the link. My first expression: not good at all.

The "evil" part is the only cool thing on the song. At The Gates influence not good at all since ATG did this thousand times already and its not the IF I knew and like. Hope other songs will be better. Chorus is meh, solo is standard In Flames solo nothing special.

 

[DE4life]

This reminds me of other bands that followed a similar route. I mean, bands that were "extreme", then searched for commercial succes that never happened and then tried to go back to a heavier sound but something was lost in the process.

What we have here is a band that had two years to write new material and the first thing that they come with is a rip off and a lame solo (I would count this one among the worse Bjorn had ever done).

That's not good and I'm not happy with it.

What's frustrating is that IF found a new style that fucking worked. SOAPF was the route to go! You could evolve that sound. Instead they went off a cliff with Siren Charms and then pivoted to Benson to try and redeem themselves after SC flopped massively. It's such a shame. The sound was there, but they abandoned it after just one album and never went back. I don't get it.

 

[eochaid]

I don't think that they know how to sound themselves. The past albums have proven that there's a lack of musical direction.

Everything feels random.

 

[DE4life]

I don't think that they know how to sound themselves. The past albums have proven that there's a lack of musical direction.

I think Bjorn has an idea of how he'd want his music to sound, and SOAPF was that vision. Anders seems to have a different view though, as evidenced by SC, and this is where the problems start.

 

[DE4life]

Well thanks DE for the link. My first expression: not good at all.

The "evil" part is the only cool thing on the song. At The Gates influence not good at all since ATG did this thousand times already and its not the IF I knew and like. Hope other songs will be better. Chorus is meh, solo is standard In Flames solo nothing special.

Uh oh bad news for the boys when Ciko is trashing the new song.

 

[TheJestersDoor]

I feel like this is a conscious attempt to sound melodeath again. If this is the direction for the whole album in intrigued to hear it, as a single song like this on an album would make very little sense.

The positive to take from this even if you're not a fan of this song is the improved production, and the distinct lack of Benson influence (in the same way as there was on Battles and ITM).

I do think it is a very strange choice of a first single. For what it's worth I really like it though, and I really look forward to hearing it live whenever they next come to the UK.

 

[eochaid]

Well, cjko is right. If a band like IF feels the need to rip off a song from another band, then there's a serious problem here. And I agree. This doesn't sound like IF at all.

 

[TheJestersDoor]

I think Bjorn has an idea of how he'd want his music to sound, and SOAPF was that vision. Anders seems to have a different view though, as evidenced by SC, and this is where the problems start.

The thing is, Anders listens to a lot of extreme metal even still to this day, whereas Bjorn has typically listened to more classic metal, always naming Billy Gibbons and Dio as 2 of his main influences, which is strange considering the generally accepted (and likely true) view that Anders is the one trying to make the band change their sound.