Metal Reviews

No way...
This is just getting good.

I never said once that they went nu-metal. Surely, this is just another one of your automated responses, for you are under the delusion perhaps, that I was implying such? Just as you're under the delusion that In Flames defined a sound.

I must ask; how can they define a sound if it's already there? That flat, mainstream melodeath sound, with whiny emo vocals? If this is what it takes to 'carve a niche', then I'm not sure whether to pity them or you.

As for the dreadlocks, it is clear that a Jonathan Davis image would appeal better to the American market. This was by no means an honest progression from their previous sound; they made the decision to sell out. And they did by adding mainstream bullshit to their sound.

In Flames don't have emo vocals. Listen to some emo, listen to In Flames. It's different. Mainstream Metal, perhaps, but this is Gothenburg we're talking about, not Black Metal.

And I think it's really being nasty to the Americans by suggesting that they're more likely to buy something if they see (has he ever been on the cover of an album with dreadlocks? No) dreadlocks. My god, just think of how many albums Cryptopsy or Suffocation would sell if one of their guys got some!

You know why melodeath bands sound alike? Because they're playing within the genre. Kinda happens with any genre of music, there may be slight variations but you know... We have categories in metal and other music for a reason.

Some bands kinda have the same sound but it's their own style of it. Melodeath, a style which In Flames helped to pioneer along with other key groups that I shouldn't even have to mention considering we're on a metal forum... Like AT THE GATES, has many fans and groups who play the style out of enjoyment for the genre. Like you know, lots of other genres of music.

Or wait no they didn't... " At The Gates was doing the whole melodeath sound even better. How can they be defining a genre when they're not the best? " So yeah At The Gates were the only ones who started the whole melodeath scene my bad.

I didn't think we'd have to do our metal ABC's with In Flames, to be honest.

Anyway... Afro pretty much said everything else I had to mention.

I thought Reroute sounded like generic melodeath. I don't know, I don't care either way about In Flames, but I've never listened to their stuff and been impressed.

Agreed. I may not be a fan of the past few In Flames albums, but still, when I hear an In Flames song, generally from Whoracle-afterwards, its pretty clear that its an In Flames song, and not an At the Gates or Dark Tranquility one.

I'm with Ken and Brahm on that. At The Gates' entire relevance in the metal world lies with Slaughter Of The Soul. They don't have the consistency of DT or the diversity of IF.

At The Gates also never took a picture that convinced my fickle American brain to buy their new albums:

I'd agree with what most of you are saying: In Flames is definitely a band that follows their own path and works within their own special niche.

But why does everyone seem to think that anything pre-Whoracle was generic melodeath? I have yet to find an album that's even remotely similar to TJR...

The new album is fucking amazing. Doubt it's going to appease any of the haters of anything not TJR or Whoracle, but fans will enjoy. Many great classic IF moments on the album so far from what I've listened to.

Can't wait to see them live with the new material.

?????????

red in the sky is ours is pretty big influence on melodeath in general too, and probably their most interesting (if not consistent) album

+1 except my favourite is Terminal Spirit Disease. I used to find tRitSkO pretty hard to get into, but that was back before I really started to "get" that rawer type of music. Should probably dig out that and With Fear... again as they've been gathering dust for a while.

What's with all the AtG hate? They didn't have the length of career that the others have, but then the Haunted are still around and carrying on the style of SotS fairly consistently.

tomas's band the great deceiver has some at the gates sounding stuff too, although they're primarily a hardcore band.

i should listen to terminal spirit disease more :o

The Great Deceiver maybe sounds a bit too clean and shiny IMO, although definitely worth listening to.

And yeah, Terminal Spirit Disease kind of moulds the gnarliness of the earlier stuff with the melodeath polish of SotS and combines the best of both those worlds, I think.

The Dead Eye = Slaughter Of The Soul?!

I also forgot to mention that In Flames' Delight and Angers is on MTV2's The Drop. They've been doing commercials for it all week.

I really never thought I'd see them be a part of that considering everything else that's on The Drop.

I like With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness best. Pretty unique sounding album.

I don't see much resemblance between The Haunted and ATG. There were two or three songs on the first 2 Haunted albums that had some riffs reminiscent of ATG, but that's all.

As for In Flames, they did indeed help to define the melodic death metal. Octavarius, you can't rewrite history. Between 94-96, albums like Terminal Spirit Disease, Slaughter Of The Soul, The Gallery and The Jester Race helped to define the subgenre of melodeath. Like them or dislike them, but to deny their influence on melodeath is like denying Overkill's importance in thrash. A stupid thing to say.

Just got done listening to the album myself...and...

Wow. Am I dreaming, or is this the best thing the band has made since Colony? I can't thing of a good word to describe something that is capable of stepping both backwards and forwards at the same time, in the best possible ways of each, but rest assured I would be using it to describe A Sense of Purpose if I could.

It almost makes me feel kind of guilty for not waiting for the official release date. Almost .

agreed, i dont think he was talking about TJR in flames though... but I think that either way you look at it In Flames were also the first to use the "flat, mainstream melodeath sound, with whiny emo vocals "

I've been reading this kind of response on the album at a few sites now. WTF? This album is basically NO DIFFERENT than Reroute To Remain, Soundtrack To Your Escape, or Come Clarity. When Reroute... came out, people were like: "What the fuck? Well, it's different...but I guess it's not that bad." And then when Soundtrack... came out, people were like: "Fuck this! More of this shit? This album is fucking gay! Fuck this nu-metal bullshit!" And then when Come Clarity came out, people were like: "Guess they're not changing back, huh? Well, I guess this is decent." And now it's like people have just gotten used to this sound so they're like: "Fuck yeah! This is their BEST album in years! It's old school...some."

Pffft! The last four albums have generally been exactly the same; but this new album is the most melodic album the band has ever done! Come Clarity is the only album out of the last four that had a bigger dose of that straight up old school melodeath style. This album is not channeling that melodic death metal style of old like Come Clarity did. A few songs like "Sober And Irrelevant" and "March To The Shore" definitely have elements of it, but there's surely no nod to the old school at all here. And like I said, it's largely the same style of the last three.

With that said, it's a great album. In Flames found a niche after Clayman, and I don't think they're moving any time soon.

To me it sounds like a cross between Come Clarity and Soundtrack to your Escape. I don't like it much, but it's pretty much what I expected. Those who like CC and STYE will probably like this one, and the same can probably be said for those who didn't.