I didn’t respond to this thread for a few days because in all honesty, I really had no clue where to even begin with doing so. I’ll try to be cordial and not make any assumptions, so I’ll apologize in advance if anything comes across otherwise. I respect your opinion on THE, nothing really to say there, it’s fair enough.
Getting the buzzword out of the way, making pedo allegations against Anders, going back on them, and then going back to insisting on them is odd, especially when details like the title of Monsters in the
Ballroom wrong, particularly when it completely changes the denotation of the title and song (Granted, still not a great song whatsoever, and the lyrics are some of the dumbest to come from Anders even still), and when lyrics like those of Bullet Ride’s and Pinball Map’s choruses are also nursery rhyme-y. I don’t know if this part of your overall opinion was a shitpost or not, but if it was bait then you got us. I do very much agree with everyone else here in that yeah, there is a big maturity problem in Anders’ writing, particularly after the band shifting from the more fantasy-themed lyrics of their previous works to inner struggles/angst (Going off of Metallum for those terms) from Clayman-onward. I mean, Anders started saying shit like “I’ve never been able to use the force, I’ve only had it read to me(???)” and “Wish I could rape the day” in Pinball Map. I do think he has songs with much better and more mature writing, particularly on many tracks off Sounds of a Playground Fading— Which is surprisingly more mature in spite of and because of its theming as a metaphorical device. But even on something like Here Until Forever, a song for Anders’ son made at his son’s request, where it seems like he should have wiser lyrics that reflect his age, we get “When I look at you, I see me”. I would certainly hope so, Anders.
Now granted, things like the autotuned vocals from Battles-onward, the kid on I, the Mask’s cover (Which is your profile picture for reasons I have no idea why), the entirety of something like Call My Name’s video (Which would’ve been far better ammunition for said allegations than primarily shitty choruses), the overall quality of IF’s poorer lyrics, vocals, compositions, production, some of their albums overall, and
especially the goddamn children’s choirs are all things I really don’t like.
Battles, despite getting me into In Flames, is my least favorite album from the band; I liked ITM when it came out, but it’s aged incredibly poorly; I still just do not listen to Foregone at all because it’s the exact kind of thing that In Flames isn’t to me. We’ve all discussed a lot of things we don’t like about In Flames, a significant portion of which tends to overlap with what you haven’t liked about them from Reroute-onward. I generally think that going more towards modern metalcore and alt metal has been rather bad for the band, and I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment here. Doesn’t mean there aren’t things we can’t find enjoyment in even on albums we don’t like, and it doesn’t mean we should disregard a band that we’ve all loved at one point or another unless if we truly do feel it’s hopeless— Which is going to be tested with IF’s next album for me.
As for the thing with the one woman, I don’t want to make assumptions about her since I don’t know her, and I realize I’m speaking on something I have no part in nor experience with, but I do have the understanding that people who are generally into BDSM or are in that sort of community are very explicit regarding getting consent, defining what consent is and what is and is not consensual clearly in every scenario, and making sure that it very much is adults only. I say generally because yeah, there are unfortunately some sick fucks out there who are into kids and have overlap with a number of different groups or kinks. That shit sucks, and I think pedophiles, convicted or out free, should be shot dead. I know, riveting. I’ll say that I’m sorry that the woman showed you those photos when it was clearly not something you gave her the okay to do, and since it is something disturbing— Those things generally aren’t treaded lightly due to a kind of code of ethics they have, which she seemingly disregarded. It’s fucked of her to do that, and I’m sorry for you there. I don’t mean to make it a big topic here,
as it’d fall more under the off-topic thread, but I figured it should be addressed should that part of it not be a shitpost.
Sure pal. I'm a left wing Canadian (not the best of times to be me)
As someone who dated a Canadian woman a few years back, I’m sorry to hear that. I unfortunately heard about the state of affairs there far too often, but I guess it could be worse: You could have a multibillionaire giving a Nazi salute multiple times at a president’s post-inauguration rally.
