Thoughts on A sense of purpose

[grey knight]

Because there's one for CC.

Alright, but well myself I have liked it since I got it, though I think that the songs with and/& are not really good, Move through me is not something in flames should have written, and lastly, The mirror's truth is just somekind of metal pop.

But good things, the rest of the songs are very nice;
Disconnected, would be one nice track if it had abit different lyrics.
Sleepless again, is one of my favorites from the album, but it has kind of an emo aura in it...
Alias, has some strange lyrics, but the music is alright, and the acoustics are beautifull at points.
I'm the highway, is pretty much the highlight of the album, the slow parts are not that interesting, but overally the song is great.
The chosen pessimist, is nice proggy longer song I haven't really paid attention though, I've so far listened to it only a couple of times.
Condemned, is one heavier track then, it's got nice stuff and ideas but overally it's not as good as etc. I'm the highway.
Drenched in fear, i one song somehow pretty similar to Condemned, has good stuff in it, but not overally that good.
March to the shore, I personally like really much, not the chorus. But the music is imo better than half of the stuff on the album. I won't comment the solo though, I just can't say if it's really good or just boring.

About the artwork everyone seems to have different opinions, I myself like it except for the boy and I think the jesterheaddemon could have been better.
I also like the colors personally really much.

 

[DE4life]

Hmmm... I really liked it when I first heard it, and thought it was possibly the best thing they'd done since Clayman. In retrospect, it isn't. It's on par with Come Clarity, which puts it ahead of STYE at least, but nothing more than that.

The album is quite organic, it flows from song to song without jarring the listener at any point. The songs are fairly simple and catchy. Anders has improved his cleans, and that's good because I think the cleans will become more prevailant as time goes on. There are no really bad songs, even TCP has grown on me to an extent. I originally hated it, but it's kind of relaxing to listen to whilst you're doing something else and need some background music. I still think it's out of place on ASOP and should have been put on The Mirror's Truth EP (with Eraser making its way onto the album, it deserves it) but never mind.

However, the simplicity of most of the album is what makes it grow old quickly. Much like CC, it doesn't have much replay value. It's an album you can go back to every so often and jam to, but it's not one that I could really get into again. After hearing them a few times the songs bore me, there's nothing underneath their original structures. It was the same with CC, and is a direct result of In Flames new, simple music style that appeals to their kiddie fanbase. The lyrics, IMO, suck. They're still better than a lot of metal out there, but that isn't saying much. The lyrics have been in steep decline since Clayman and this album continues that trend. The artwork, which has been in similar decline, also fails spectacularly on this album.

The vocals are a sticking point for me as well. Whilst Anders' cleans are improving, his screams are sounding increasingly jaded. His only decent screams on the album come from overdubs, the rest are half-scream half-yell, and knowing what he used to be capable of, this style doesn't really satisfy me. He struggles to scream properly now (though he didn't on CC), which may mean sooner rather than later he will abandon screaming altogether and focus on clean vocals. The vocals are good enough for the music, but they could have been much better.

Overall I'd say ASOP is a decent enough album, but it'll never be a classic. It's an album I'll come across every few months or so and listen to, then put back and forget about. It does not share the same timeless qualities as their older work, and is along with CC probably the best that "new" In Flames can produce.

 

[Damascus_Steel]

In Flames have sucked since Jester Race.

 

[Clay-Man]

I hate this album.

 

[FJChaos]

There's a few good songs here and there. The Chosen Pessimist could have been shorter and should have had a solo or something.
I just wish the vocals were a bit harsher and the lyrics were less childish.

 

[waif]

Anyone who doesn't realize and accept that In Flames are writing with pop sensibilities at this point and anything they turn out will resemble Elvenking more than AtG should probably gtfo because yeah, we know you hate it.

I thought by and large it was quite good. It's a bit of a mystery why the songs on The Mirror's Truth were left off, tbh, as they're as good as anything on the album. Anyhoo. I'm The Highway, Condemned, and Sleepless Again are probably the best songs. I don't like the Chosen Pessimist, although it does prevent the album from becoming monotonous (all 3-4 minute pop-metal songs). March to the Shore and Move Through Me are a little weak. Overall, I think it's an interesting new direction for the band. Everyone needs to accept that while there's a logical evolution from Lunar Strain to A Sense of Purpose, it's practically 2 different bands and so they should stop judging IF's new material against a style that they don't play.

 

[grey knight]

I can say that if Anders vocals become shit like Elvenking I will never buy their stuff again.

Offtopic; I personally love the cleans on STYE, sounds like he's suffering there, and it's just nice.

 

[Clay-Man]

I accept that In Flames has changed, but I liked Come Clarity. This was their next album. If I liked Come Clarity then I could have liked this, but it's not what I wanted.

 

[Sworn Enemy]

Its really not what anyone but the mainstream wanted. No 28 in the US. No. 1 in a few places. Even tho I wasnt completely satisfied with ASoP, they are moving forward and its a logical progression as far as I'm concerned. In flames for me is a band that I cant waitto see what they do next.

 

[In_Flames91]

The album's not that bad. If you ask me, the vocals aren't that "orgasmic" like someone said in an other topic. Just wish I had instrumental versions of all the songs. However, I saw those gods (for me) live, this Sunday. It was heck of a show, so no matter what kind of songs they create now, they still have that energy inside them and they express it in live performances.

 

[waif]

My headphones have actually been dying, which would normally suck, but for some reason what they've been doing is cutting out most of the vocals somehow. Anyhow, I was listening to Sleepless Again and the backing vocals came through fine. Those aren't heavily studio'd and tbh they sound pretty fine.

The songs would not work instrumentally.

 

[grey knight]

My headphones have actually been dying, which would normally suck, but for some reason what they've been doing is cutting out most of the vocals somehow. Anyhow, I was listening to Sleepless Again and the backing vocals came through fine. Those aren't heavily studio'd and tbh they sound pretty fine.

The songs would not work instrumentally.

That has happened to me with my CD player, I think it's cool and fun.

 

[waif]

Useful to me as a musician to get a better grasp on how bands weave music with vocals.

 

[Clay-Man]

Are you gonna press the karaoke button now?

 

[grey knight]

Useful to me as a musician to get a better grasp on how bands weave music with vocals.

That too, except that I use Guitar pro for it.

 

[waif]

Too cheap to buy guitar pro tbh. But yeah, it's pretty nice.

 

[Clay-Man]

Unless the guy who makes the midis/guitar pro tracks are fucking horrible at hearing the notes and get the songs completely wrong.

 

[grey knight]

Unless the guy who makes the midis/guitar pro tracks are fucking horrible at hearing the notes and get the songs completely wrong.

Not really, actually I can't say anything else, I don't cover songs that much.

 

[Clay-Man]

I'm sure I can make some awesome tracks if I took my time laying out the shit.

I'm really good at hearing the notes being played. I even heard out a really really buried synth effect in the chorus of Embody The Invisible, when hearing a live version with the synth volume at a ridiculously high level.

 

[grey knight]

Thoughts about;

I was thinking, should I try to make a t-shirt, like the one the boy on the ASOP cover has?

(If it came out as good looking, I would wear it over a black longsleeve, and I might add the inflames logo somewhere etc...)