In Flames
- MEMBERS:
- Anders Fridén – vocals
- Björn Gelotte – guitar
- Niclas Engelin – guitar
- Joe Rickard – drums
BIOGRAPHY
In a music scene full of seemingly endless subgenres and transient trends, In Flames are an example of what it means to steadfastly stay true to your vision. Since forming in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1990 the legendary melodic metal act have toured the planet countless times and influenced many of today’s biggest metal acts without ever ceasing to push their own signature sound forward. In that spirit the band’s twelfth full-length “Battles” sees In Flames eschewing proven formulas in favor of trying new things, most notably finding a new collaborator in Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, The Used ) who was brought into the band’s coveted inner circle in order make Battles an album that will appeal to every type of In Flames fan.
“This album came together much sooner than we thought it would,” guitarist Björn Gelotte explains when asked about the writing process. “I was very reluctant in the beginning but I had a bunch of riffs so I just sat down with [vocalist] Anders [Fridén] and started working on stuff and it began to come together really quickly.” Before bringing things to bassist Peter Iwers and guitarist Niclas Engelin, the duo decided to leave the comforts of Sweden for Los Angeles where they would write all day and then BBQ and drink beer until the early hours of the morning. “I think being in California really affected this album in the sense that we had a studio in the house that we were staying at and the vibe was really relaxed which lent itself to productivity,” Fridén adds.
In fact although the band were only planning on recording 11 songs they actually came away with 15 of them and this inspiration was partially due to Benson’s influence on the overall process. “I think it really helped having a producer who could make us focus on what we needed to accomplish and keep us on track,” Fridén continues. “This was a very new approach for us because we’ve never let anyone else in the way we did with Howard,” Gelotte adds. “We met with a lot of producers prior to starting this album and he seemed like the only guy who didn’t want to change anything; he just wanted to make sure we were making the best In Flames record that we could and it just felt right,” he continues. “It’s not that we aren’t happy doing things ourselves. we just thought we would try something different because that’s what this band has always been about.”
That confidence and palpable excitement is dripping all over “Battles” from the instantly infectious “take the power back” anthem “The Truth” to the jaw-dropping technical brutality of “Through My Eyes” and distinctive groove and climactic chorus of the album’s title track. In other words, the album sees the band making the hooks sharper, the riffs tighter and honing the overall attack in a way that parallels their legendary live shows in an unparalleled fashion. “When people hear this album I think they’re going to instantly know that it’s the new In Flames without us repeating the same song over and over and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of,” Fridén says. “There’s something in the fingers of the guys and my voice that’s undeniable but I really hope that our songwriting is something can continue to evolve the way that it did here in the future.”
That relentless drive to innovate in light of their success is something that’s been inherent in In Flames‘ approach from day one and it’s something they’ve never lost sight of despite their countless accolades and constant reinventions. ”We decided early on we are going to do this band our way and aren’t going to think about what the flavor of the month is,” explains Gelotte. “In the end we are the ones who are going to have to play these songs and stand behind them and as long as we love what we you do and make the listener feel it then that’s what makes it an In Flames song,” he continues. “That may sound like a cliché but it’s true. We need the music to be as interesting to us as it is to our fans because this has never just been a job for us, it’s a way of life.”
This mission statement to be working as evidenced by the fact that In Flames‘ audience is a wide range of ages, genders and music fans, which is ultimately due to the fact that the band have never tried to be something they’re not. “The beautiful thing about this band is that you can do whatever the fuck you want and that’s the whole point of the music because all of the restrictions and labeling kills it in a way,” Gelotte summarizes. “This time around we had the Howard filter to come in and give us a new perspective on how we could approach this songs but ultimately what it comes down to is very simple: Is it good or is it bad? If it’s something that all of us can stand behind and be proud of then we know that it’s an In Flames song.”
VIDEOS
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DISCOGRAPHY
I, The Mask / 2019
Battles / 2016
1. Drained
2. The End
3. Like Sand
4. The Truth
5. In My Room
6. Before I Fall
7. Through My Eyes
8. Battles
9. Here Until Forever
10. Underneath My Skin
11. Wallflower
12. Save Me
Battles is the twelfth studio album by the Swedish metal band In Flames. It was released on November 11, 2016 in the United States via Eleven Seven Music. It is the last album to feature longtime bassist Peter Iwers and the first album to feature former Red drummer Joe Rickard.
Siren Charms / 2014
1. In Plain VIew
2. Everything’s Gone
3. Paralyzed
4. Through Oblivion
5. With Eyes Wide Open
6. Siren Charms
7. When the World Explodes
8. Rusted Nail
9. Dead Eyes
10. Monsters in the Ballroon
11. Filtered Truth
12. The Chase
Siren Charms is the eleventh studio album by the Swedish metal band In Flames. It was released on September 5, 2014 and September 9th in the United States via Sony Music Entertainment. The last album to feature long time drummer Daniel Svensson before his departure in 2015.
Sounds of a Playground Fading / 2011
1. Sounds of a Playground Fading
2. Deliver Us
3. All for Me
4. The Puzzle
5. Fear Is the Weakness
6. Where the Dead Ships Dwell
7. The Attic
8. Darker Times
9. Ropes
10. Enter Tragedy
11. Jester’s Door
12. A New Dawn
13. Liberation
Sounds of a Playground Fading is the tenth studio album by the Swedish metal band In Flames, released on June 15, 2011 through Century Media/Razzia. This is the first album recorded by In Flames without founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad, who left the band in February 2010 making it also the first In Flames release not to have two guitarists. The track “Deliver Us” was featured in the soundtrack to the video game Saints Row IV.
A Sense of Purpose / 2008
1. The Mirror’s Truth
2. Disconnected
3. Sleepless Again
4. Alias
5. I’m The Highway
6. Delight And Angers
7. Move Through Me
8. The Chosen Pessimist
9. Sober and Irrelevant
10. Condemned
11. Drenched In Fear
12. March To The Shore
13. Eraser (Bonus track at Japanese version)
14. Tilt (Bonus track at Japanese version)
15. Abnegation (Bonus track at Japanese version)
A Sense of Purpose is the ninth studio album by Swedish metal band In Flames. The album was released first in Japan on 26 March 2008 with 15 tracks and later in Europe on 4 April 2008 through Nuclear Blastand through Koch Records in North America on 1 April. This is the last album with Jesper Stromblad, at this point the last original member. He quit in February 2010.
Come Clarity / 2006
1. Take This Life
2. Leeches
3. Reflect The Storm
4. Dead End
5. Scream
6. Come Clarity
7. Vacuum
8. Pacing Death’s Trail
9. Crawl Through Knives
10. Versus Terminus
11. Our Infinite Struggle
12. Vanishing Light
13. Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone
Come Clarity is the eighth studio album by the Swedish metal band In Flames. The album was released on February 3, 2006 in Europe through Nuclear Blast Records and February 7 in the U.S. through Ferret Records.
This album was originally entitled Crawl Through Knives but was changed to its current title and the track itself is listed incorrectly on some programs as “Crawling Through Knives” along with others such as “Reflect the Storm” as “Reflect the End”, and “Versus Terminus” as “End of All Things”
Soundtrack to Your Escape / 2004
1. F(r)iend
2. The Quiet Place
3. Dead Alone
4. Touch of Red
5. Like You Better Dead
6. My Sweet Shadow
7. Evil in a Closet
8. In Search for I
9. Borders and Shading
10. Superhero of the Computer Rage
11. Dial 595-Escape
12. Bottled
13. Discover Me Like Emptiness (Digipak Bonus)
Soundtrack to Your Escape is the seventh studio album of Swedish metal band In Flames. It was released on March 29, 2004 by Nuclear Blast. The album was available in both a regular jewel case release featuring 12 tracks, and a limited edition digipak with a bonus track, “Discover Me Like Emptiness.” The Japanese version had the additional track “Clayman.”
Reroute to Remain / 2002
1. Reroute To Remain
2. System
3. Drifter
4. Trigger
5. Cloud Connected
6. Transparent
7. Dawn Of A New Day
8. Egonomic
9. Minus
10. Dismiss The Cynics
11. Free Fall
12. Dark Signs
13. Metaphor
14. Black & White
Reroute to Remain (subtitled: Fourteen Songs of Conscious Insanity, and on reissue: Fourteen Songs of Conscious Madness) is the sixth studio album by the Swedish metal band In Flames. The album saw a major change in musical style and was In Flames‘ second considerable step in the direction of a new sound, and was met with rejection among many of their fanbase. The album’s more accessible sound attracted many new fans and popularized In Flames‘ name within the American heavy metal scene, helping to secure a top spot at Ozzfest. This was the band’s first album to present singles, which were “Trigger” and “Cloud Connected”.
Clayman / 2000
11. Bullet Ride
2. Pinball Map
3. Only For the Weak
4. As the Future Repeats Today
5. Square Nothing
6. Clayman
7. Satellites and Astronauts
8. Brush the Dust Away
9. Swim
10. Suburban Me
11. Another Day In Quicksand
12. Strong and Smart (Bonus track 2003)
13. World of promises (Bonus track 2005)
Clayman is the fifth album by Swedish metal band In Flames. The album was released by Nuclear Blast on July 25, 2000. Most of the lyrics deal with depression and internal struggles. The album’s cover art is based on Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man drawing.
Colony / 1999
1. Embody The Invisible
2. Ordinary Story
3. Scorn
4. Colony
5. Zombie Inc.
6. Pallar Anders Visa
7. Coerced Coexistence
8. Man Made God
9. Resin
10. Behind Space ’99
11. Insipid 2000
12. The New Word
Colony is the fourth album by Swedish melodic death metal band, In Flames, released on May 21, 1999, through Nuclear Blast Records.
It was the first In Flames album to feature the classic line-up, Björn Gelotte switched to lead guitar to replace Glenn Ljungström and Daniel Svensson filled the drummer position left vacant by Gelotte. Peter Iwers also became the new bass player, replacing Johan Larsson. With Anders Fridén and Jesper Strömblad remaining on vocals and rhythm guitar respectively, this lineup remained unchanged until 2010.
Whoracle / 1997
1. Jotun
2. Food For The Gods
3. Gyroscope
4. Dialouge With The Stars
5. The Hive
6. Jester Script Transfigured
7. Morphing Into Primal
8. Worlds Within The Margin
9. Episode 666
10. Everything Counts
11. Whoracle
Whoracle is the third album by Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames. The album was released through Nuclear Blast on 27 October 1997. Apart from “Everything Counts”, which is a cover of a Depeche Mode song, all songs were composed and arranged by In Flames. The lyrics were translated by Dark Tranquillity guitarist Niklas Sundin, after Anders Fridén had written them in Swedish. Whoracle is the final album to have Johan Larsson & Glenn Ljungström.
The Jester Race / 1996
Lunar Strain / 1994
Lunar Strain is the debut album by Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames.
It is the only album not to feature Anders Fridén on vocals. Instead vocals were sung by Mikael Stanne, who is currently the vocalist of Dark Tranquillity and was a session musician for In Flames at the time. He had sung with this band previously on “Demo ’93”. Coincidentally Fridén was the original vocalist for Dark Tranquillity and he effectively traded places with Stanne in 1995.
The album is known for its “folky elements” with the inclusion of violins and acoustic guitars.
The songs “Behind Space” & “Clad in Shadows” were rerecorded with the future lineup of this bands’ future release Colony – the songs were released on the album, although both songs were renamed with ’99 at the end of the titles and both songs ended up on different version of the album with “Behind Space ’99” on the standard and “Clad in Shadows ’99” on the reissue. “Clad in Shadows ’99” was also released on another reissue of this band’s future album, Whoracle.
REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWS
Tons of Rock, Oslo Norway – June 27-29
Tons of Rock started back in 2014 with bands such as Volbeat, Anthrax, Slayer and Ghost as headliners. Back then the festival was in an old fortress called “Fredriksten Festning”
July 9, 2019 by Kenneth LarsenTOURDATES
| Date | Venue | City | Country | Info | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-06T19:00:00 | Eventim Apollo | London | United Kingdom | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-08T19:00:00 | Zenith Paris - La Villette | Paris | France | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-09T19:00:00 | Rockhal | Esch-sur-alzette | Luxembourg | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-11T19:00:00 | Sporthalle Hamburg | Hamburg | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-12T19:00:00 | Mitsubishi Electric HALLE | Dusseldorf | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-13T19:00:00 | MAINSTAGE Brabanthallen | 's-hertogenbosch | Netherlands | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-15T19:00:00 | THE HALL | Dübendorf | Switzerland | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-16T19:00:00 | Alcatraz | Milan | Italy | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-18T19:00:00 | Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle | Stuttgart | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-19T19:00:00 | Jahrhunderthalle | Frankfurt Am Main | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-20T19:00:00 | Zenith | Munich | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-22T19:00:00 | Gasometer | Wien | Austria | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-23T19:00:00 | Barba Negra | Budapest | Hungary | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-25T19:00:00 | Tipsport arena | Prague | Czechia | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-26T19:00:00 | DRESDEN | Dresden | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-27T19:00:00 | Columbiahalle | Berlin | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-29T19:30:00 | Oslo Spektrum Arena | Oslo | Norway | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-10-31T19:00:00 | Malmö Arena | Malmö | Sweden | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-01T19:00:00 | Scandinavium | Goteborg | Sweden | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-02T19:00:00 | Hovet | Stockholm | Sweden | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-03T19:00:00 | Nordichallen | Sundsvall | Sweden | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-05T19:00:00 | Helsinki Ice Hall | Helsinki | Finland | Info | Tickets |