| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING The Beginning Of All Things That Will End State Of Slow Decay Meet Your Maker Bleeding Out Foregone, Pt. 1 Foregone, Pt. 2 Pure Light Of Mind The Great Deceiver In The Dark A Dialogue In B Flat MInor Cynosure End The Transmission Release Date: February 10, 2023 Label: Nuclear Blast Records Website: www.inflames.com |  |
IN FLAMES IS:
Anders Friden - Vocals / Bjorn Gelotte - Lead guitars / Chris Broderick - Rhythm guitars
Bryce Paul - Bass & backing vocals / Tanner Wayne - Drums
Anders Friden - Vocals / Bjorn Gelotte - Lead guitars / Chris Broderick - Rhythm guitars
Bryce Paul - Bass & backing vocals / Tanner Wayne - Drums
Now I'm the furthest thing away from an In Flames aficionado, but I'm obviously familiar with their history, enjoy some of their stuff, and have seen them live a couple of times, so I'm no obviously no stranger to In Flames. What's pretty weird about the band right now is besides the two core members: Anders Friden and Bjorn Gelotte, the band is more American now than Swedish with Chris Broderick on rhythm guitar, Tanner Wayne on drums and Bryce Paul on bass. For over a decade now, the band's records released in the 2010s received rather mixed reactions from fans and critics alike. Sounds Of A Playground Fading was the start of Anders incorporating a more wide vocal range and reducing the growls, but the album was still pretty well received. Siren Charms and Battles furthered the band's sound into more mainstream territory, and I, The Mask started to see the band bring back a few of their heavier elements while still sticking to their more accessible approach.
Here we are now in 2023, and the band have released what many are considering their finest album in a long time with Foregone, which sees much more of the band's melodic death metal roots making a comeback in addition to their alternative metal sound. The whole point to the story is that so many of the greatest bands in history have taken left turns with albums to explore new musical ventures, and the longer they tend to stay away from their core sound, fans are always so quick to jump on to the bandwagon of believing the end is near, but as we all know, many bands always find their way back on track with their core sound.........(whispered): always.
The heavy and melodic guitar work between Gelotte and Broderick take center stage on several tracks like "State Of Slow Decay", "Meet Your Maker" and "The Great Deceiver" with brutal low-tuned riffs and glorious twin harmonies. The two-part title track sees Tanner Wayne bringing the blast beats to the forefront in the first part, while the second part takes on more of a power ballad vibe. While the band returns to its heavier roots, they haven't forgotten about the direction they've been exploring on their last few records. "A Dialogue In B Flat Minor" delivers on that front, with a straightforward sledgehammer groove and the catchiest chorus on the album, while "Pure Light Of Mind" is another melodic rocker with a bit of a slower tempo, but not quite a ballad.
It goes without saying that this side of In Flames has been missed by fans for a long time, but you can all take your chill pills now that you got what you've been clamoring for. Will Foregone go on to become an In Flames classic? It's still too early to tell, but it's guaranteed to please many old school fans, while also winning over new listeners in the process.
Here we are now in 2023, and the band have released what many are considering their finest album in a long time with Foregone, which sees much more of the band's melodic death metal roots making a comeback in addition to their alternative metal sound. The whole point to the story is that so many of the greatest bands in history have taken left turns with albums to explore new musical ventures, and the longer they tend to stay away from their core sound, fans are always so quick to jump on to the bandwagon of believing the end is near, but as we all know, many bands always find their way back on track with their core sound.........(whispered): always.
The heavy and melodic guitar work between Gelotte and Broderick take center stage on several tracks like "State Of Slow Decay", "Meet Your Maker" and "The Great Deceiver" with brutal low-tuned riffs and glorious twin harmonies. The two-part title track sees Tanner Wayne bringing the blast beats to the forefront in the first part, while the second part takes on more of a power ballad vibe. While the band returns to its heavier roots, they haven't forgotten about the direction they've been exploring on their last few records. "A Dialogue In B Flat Minor" delivers on that front, with a straightforward sledgehammer groove and the catchiest chorus on the album, while "Pure Light Of Mind" is another melodic rocker with a bit of a slower tempo, but not quite a ballad.
It goes without saying that this side of In Flames has been missed by fans for a long time, but you can all take your chill pills now that you got what you've been clamoring for. Will Foregone go on to become an In Flames classic? It's still too early to tell, but it's guaranteed to please many old school fans, while also winning over new listeners in the process.
FINAL RATING
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