In Flames

[LithoJazzoSphere]

...although, if I'm thinking of a comparison, I would definitely go for Slaughter of the Soul-era At the Gates. The main riff and the relentless drumming totally sound like Blinded by Fear! Chorus is way more melodic, though.

It's not like In Flames is new to that sound though.  ATG leaned into it more, but the pedaltone riffs with thrashy drumming are all over The Jester Race, which came out just three months after Slaughter of the Soul. 

[nick_z]

...although, if I'm thinking of a comparison, I would definitely go for Slaughter of the Soul-era At the Gates. The main riff and the relentless drumming totally sound like Blinded by Fear! Chorus is way more melodic, though.

It's not like In Flames is new to that sound though.  ATG leaned into it more, but the pedaltone riffs with thrashy drumming are all over The Jester Race, which came out just three months after Slaughter of the Soul.

Yeah, there are certainly common roots, although I think Slaughter of the Soul really was the one characterized by that straightforward, thrashy approach. I love SotS to pieces, but most songs have that kind of tempo, and a ton of those riffs (as you mentioned) which, incidentally, would influence SO many bands over the years...they did it first, though  Plus they had Tompa, and they were able to work just the right amount of melancholy in the fury, which made that album so very special.

The Jester Race surely has songs along those lines (e.g. Graveland), but overall it has much more emphasis on harmonized leads and "folkier" melodies. It is a much more varied and colorful album - and less aggressive, I think. Both amazing albums, though, which is really what matters 

The new song, to me, truly has that Blinded by Fear feel, when it gets going. I haven't followed In Flames all that much over the last few years but, yeah, this sounds like a departure from the songs I have heard, at least.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Yeah, I do prefer TJR, but SotS is kind of like the Reign in Blood of melodeath (although even then it has "Into the Dead Sky" and "The Flames of the End" as a breather and coda). 

[wolfking]

TJR >>> SOTS.

No competition in my book.

[nick_z]

Yeah, I do prefer TJR, but SotS is kind of like the Reign in Blood of melodeath (although even then it has "Into the Dead Sky" and "The Flames of the End" as a breather and coda).

Absolutely! That's the perfect description for it (I've used it myself  )

[gazinwales]

All the great pro shot live footage on YT from this year festival circuit, they have a live keyboard player on stage.
Not sure if I've ever noticed it before or maybe it's a new thing?

[gazinwales]

Another killer new song 'The Great Deceiver'
https://youtu.be/8USZ-kY-Jco

[wolfking]

Wow, that was fresh!  Great song.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I don't know if The Halo Effect has kicked their arses to be more like In Flames. 

This is Colony stuff! 

[Deathless]

I don't know if The Halo Effect has kicked their arses to be more like In Flames. 

This is Colony stuff! 

They can say it hasn't but I 100% think it has. Which is a good thing! It's good to see IF can still write good songs.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I don't know if The Halo Effect has kicked their arses to be more like In Flames. 

This is Colony stuff! 

This is still missing that massive Colony guitar tone and production, but it's easily the best thing I've heard from them in well over a decade, possibly two.  The main thing The Halo Effect has over In Flames is Stanne, there's absolutely no way Friden can compete with that.  But if Stromblad, Engelin, and Svensson aren't giving it their all and the two In Flames tracks so far are at all portent of the overall release, this could be the upset of the year.  I still highly doubt that, I can't imagine Anders going an entire album now without showcasing his croaking and whiny cleans, but the score is way closer than I'd have expected based on the singles released so far. 

[gazinwales]

Bottom line for me is, we potentially have two great albums coming out and I couldn't care less
where IF 'retro' sound came from as long as top quality 

[wolfking]

This is Colony stuff! 

Easy there tiger.

[billboy73]

Really enjoy both of the new tracks, and that has me pretty optimistic for the new album!

[ErHaO]

Yeah, I dig the new tracks. Welcome surprise.

[LCArenas]

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT INTRO. Is that Colony I'm hearing in the first seconds of the song? And the rest of the song sounds absolutely amazing as well! Honestly didn't think they could go back to their heavier sound. This sounds great!

[Polarbear]

Yeah, I dig the new tracks. Welcome surprise.

Yeah, both of them were pretty good! Too early to declare this as the return to form, since there have been a couple of good tracks, on each the latest In Flames records.

But so far, this is promising.

[wolfking]

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT INTRO. Is that Colony I'm hearing in the first seconds of the song? And the rest of the song sounds absolutely amazing as well! Honestly didn't think they could go back to their heavier sound. This sounds great!

I'm not hearing this Colony influence as much as others.

[Zydar]

A friend of mine is going to see them here in Sweden tonight (Dalhalla).

[LCArenas]

Yeah, both of them were pretty good! Too early to declare this as the return to form, since there have been a couple of good tracks, on each the latest In Flames records.

But so far, this is promising.

Yeah, I agree with this. I, The Mask had the title track as one of the first tracks released and it got me insanely hyped. The rest of the album was pretty good too, but I kind of expected something more like that song. Heck I even liked "The End" and got a little bit hopeful before they came up whatever Battles was.
But so far it sounds really good.

[wolfking]

For me, I, The Mask could be their worst album.  The couple of singles were decent but they were so misleading.  I'm a fan of their whole career but that album sucked.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I thought it was a slight step up from the previous two.  I don't remember liking anything on Siren Charms to speak of other than maybe "When the World Explodes", mainly because of Emilia.  There are always some cool guitar parts on their later albums, but the vocals bring everything down. 

[fadetoblackdude7]

For me, I, The Mask could be their worst album.  The couple of singles were decent but they were so misleading.  I'm a fan of their whole career but that album sucked.

Nothing is worse than Battles for me. Jesus what a turd of an album and that was the one that made me stop immediately buying each album on release day.

[wolfking]

Hmmm.....yeah true, Battles was atrocious.  Siren Charms I liked.  Something about it, but I can see why people hated it.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

For the life of me I've never been able to figure out exactly why, but Anders' Passenger side project is way more fun to listen to than most In Flames albums in the past two decades. 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Man, imagine a tour with Dark Tranquillity, In Flames and The Halo Effect. They could just swap members to the left and right. 

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Although Stanne is the only shared member at present between any of the three, and incidentally the only one to be in all three at one point or another. 

[twosuitsluke]

New single, Foregone Pt. 1.

https://open.spotify.com/track/4GAE2sALmyF5ZvrxOEvloU?si=PHRwVFPyS12J6lF54qC9VQ&utm_source=copy-link

Also new album Foregone, to be released February 10th.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I mean 3 solid singles so far makes this album a bit more interesting than previous albums. 

[wolfking]

Hmmm...the singles are promising but that cover reeks of the last couple of albums.  Just a bad vibe from the cover. 

[nick_z]

Another good one! Color me surprised...

To me, it's not just a matter of being more aggressive or "old-school"...these songs feel pretty inspired, with good riffs, melodies and solos.

Good for them (and for us  )!

[billboy73]

I love that album cover (imagine if the old logo was on that cover though), and the 3 singles are great.  February 2023 can't get here soon enough guys!

[wolfking]

Love Broderick getting a solo in that new single too.

[gazinwales]

I love that album cover (imagine if the old logo was on that cover though), and the 3 singles are great.  February 2023 can't get here soon enough guys!

The old logo has no bearing on the music, which is the most important thing, even the cover itself, not fussed as long as the album is killer.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

4 good singles so far, looking forward to this album I am. Hopefully they have more tracks on the album that's equally interesting.

Btw I just stumbled upon IF live from 96 and Anders voice sounds like a screechy teen compared to what he sounds on the album. 

In Flames - December Flower live