Sounds of a playground fading --- In Flames --- 2011 (Century Media)
Let's stay in Scandinavia for now --- who needs the blistering heat of the sun? --- and check out a band I once listened to but discounted immediately I heard that growl. Seems in later years In Flames toned down the growling and the screaming that had characterised their music for a long time and began to use more recognisable vocal options, so perhaps this, their so-far latest album, may be a but more accessible to a weak little girl like me.
Nice jangly guitar sound to open the title track, though I'm waiting for an ambush of course. About a minute in the guitars kick in properly, but holy crap! They're melodic! Then they get a bit more chuggy and the vocal comes in. Well, it's screechy but rather like himself from Entombed I can make out what Anders Friden is singing. Quite easily, actually. The music is also what I would probably have to term the least death metal of what I've heard up to now. The title track is --- dare I say it --- catchy with a great hook in the chorus. Unexpected is not the word. Great guitar solo then from Bjorn Gelotte, very clean and polished, and far reduced in speed to the previous death metal bands I've listened to.
Is that synth I hear? A bassy synth? Oh yes it most certainly is, as "Deliver us" starts, with the guitars joining in and the percussion hard and heavy but not of the skullcrushing or triphammer type I've been getting used to. Another fine hook, which would not be out of place in a power metal song really, and the vocals are less screamed this time. Very effective guitar work, some fine solos and the keyboards definitely add something to the song. "All for me" rocks along in a slower groove, with some nice measured and well-paced drumming, while "The puzzle" is harder and faster, the first song on the album to hit close to that sort of breakneck speed death metal seems to love so much. Even at that though it's still running to catch up, and the hooks are there again, so whereas Morbid Angel or Death just hammer out what is to me fast noise, In Flames are actually making music.
The ending to "The puzzle" is really quite special, a great instrumental ending and then what I think is a high-strung guitar opens the next track. Whereas Iron Maiden once opined that fear is the key, In Flames believe "Fear is the weakness", and this track powers along nicely with a sense of frustrated anger from Landers, the next one quite anthemic with a great marching rhythm and screaming guitars carrying "Where the dead ships dwell". Very low-key and introspective --- first time I've used those words in conjunction with a death metal album! --- for "The attic", with a dark, ominous undertone that belies the music. Very atmospheric, then we're back rocking and headbanging with "Darker times", as Landers rediscovers his growl and his scream.
"Ropes" is a bit more on the standard metal side of things, with more great hooks and superb fretwork, not to mention the clearest vocal from Landers I have heard on this album. Glad to hear he can sing normally too. Mind you, he's back roaring and growling for "Enter tragedy", which seems to again feature some keyboard work, courtesy of guest musician Orjan Ornkloo, then the inevitable "jester" song this time around is "Jester's door". Ever since they put it in the title of their second album the jester head has been In Flames' mascot, and every album since then has mentioned it in one way or another. A kind of clarinet sound on the keys accompanies a dark, spoken vocal as the song opens, very ambient and eerie. The lyric would seem to indicate though that this could be the end of the jester, as he mentions
"I love you all/ Thanks for everything" and then announces that he's vanishing through the jester's door.
There's little musical accompaniment to this track, lending more credence to the belief that it may have been the jester's farewell speech. We will see on the next album I guess. This could be further reinforced by the title of the track that follows on its heels. "A new dawn" features, of all things, cello played by Johannes Bergion, and it works well with the uptempo guitar and trundling drums. Some really nice laidback guitar here too, and the album ends on "Liberation" (yet more evidence that the jester is on his way out?) with another very welcome clear vocal and a pretty laidback, almost AOR sound if you can believe that. Very commercial and would make a great single, or a great track to play to your Metalhead friends and confuse them by asking who they think it is, cos it sure as hell don't sound like In Flames!
TRACKLISTING
1. Sounds of a playground fading
2. Delivery 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
Without question, this is the most enjoyable death metal album I've ever listened to. Purists may scoff and tell me In Flames are not death metal, or that I should listen to their earlier material, but I really like this and I don't care what anyone says. It's the first death metal (yeah, yeah!) album that I haven't just endured, prayed to end, or basically kept one ear on while doing other things. This one I really liked. The last track in particular surprised me with an almost prog/pop style, and I wonder if this is a new direction for the band?
Longtime fans may hate this, but I must say I like it a whole lot. If that makes me a pussy, then hand me my tampax, because this is the kind of music I can actually listen to.
Read more here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flames