In Flames

[UnmagicMushroom]

So yeah...In Flames are my favorite band - although I only own a handful of their CDs; Clayman, Reroute To Remain, A Sense Of Purpose (with DVD), The Mirror's Truth (single for A Sense Of Purpose). I have listened to Sounds Of A Playground Fading online and, although it's really different from their previous stuff, (and it has received a lot of mixed reactions from fans) I really like it (I really want to buy it though, but I haven't check if it has hit the shelves yet down here). Honestly, I like all of their songs from the beginning to where they're at now - I enjoy the style changes - each of them has something new on offer.

Plus I can play a few of their songs on the guitar

Also, I found out yesterday that In Flames are coming to my home country, South Africa, for RAMfest (a huge music festival). It's their first time coming to the African continent and I really want to go - not only to see In Flames - but to see an awesome lineup of both local and international artists/bands.

So there's got to be someone here who likes them The old, the new. Whatever. Go forth and discuss In Flames!

May the force be with you! \m/>_<\m/

[TwinSeed]

What song do you recommend I listen to first?

[John A. Zoidberg]

Listen to anything before RtR, and it is absolutely amazing. I don't like their new stuff, though. Too metalcore, not as melodic as before.


[quote name='TwinSeed' timestamp='1319853849' post='5605434']
What song do you recommend I listen to first?
[/quote]

Episode 666 is pretty good.

[TwinSeed]

[quote name='John A. Zoidberg' timestamp='1319854189' post='5605444']
I don't like their new stuff, though. Too metalcore, not as melodic as before.
[/quote]
I don't consider any of it "melodic" :/ Sorry, just not my type of music.

[John A. Zoidberg]

[quote name='TwinSeed' timestamp='1319854475' post='5605455']
I don't consider any of it "melodic" :/ Sorry, just not my type of music.
[/quote]

Melodic means it uses melodies.

In Flames is basically THE original Melodic Death Metal band. But to each his own.

[TwinSeed]

Sorry, I assumed you meant melodic in the sense of calmness.

[Tentacruel]

Really? I didn't know In Flames was that old. I know they essentially created Metalcore as well, but to think they also came before Melodeath bands.

A very important band indeed. I've only heard a few songs, not sure if they were old or new, but it's still awesome. I think the track was "Take this Life." The clean vocals are great, as are the growls, but the half-way in-between kind of through me off. I still loved it though.

[John A. Zoidberg]

They didn't create metalcore. They weren't metalcore until ASOP. They were one of the original bands to come out of Gothenburg, Sweden (with other bands like Soilwork and stuff), to come out with melodeath. But yeah, they weren't the original, really, but the most influential by far.

[Tentacruel]

They might as well have created metalcore. Practically all the (good) metalcore bands were influenced by them. Slayer practically created death metal, even though they never played it themselves.

[John A. Zoidberg]

In Flames has influenced most metal bands, really. From what I can see, they're The Beatles of metal. They just have very original and influential music. Although the departure of Jesper decreased musical quality by a lot.

But yeah, they wouldn't have created it if they weren't the first to play it. It would be like saying The Beatles created every single genre ever birthed give how influential they are,

[UnmagicMushroom]

[quote name='John A. Zoidberg' timestamp='1319887957' post='5605801']
In Flames has influenced most metal bands, really. From what I can see, they're The Beatles of metal. They just have very original and influential music. Although the departure of Jesper decreased musical quality by a lot.

But yeah, they wouldn't have created it if they weren't the first to play it. It would be like saying The Beatles created every single genre ever birthed give how influential they are,
[/quote]

Why do you recon their quality has gone downhill since Jesper left? Sound's Of A Playground Fading is the only album that they've done since his departure. There's a few minute clip on the A Sense Of Purpose DVD showing the guys coming up with ideas for Sounds Of A Playground fading - very beginning sketching stages. For all we know their newest stuff could have been the direction they wanted to take before Jesper officially left anyway. Who knows?
Also, they have gone through quite a number of style changes from album to album: Clayman > Reroute To Remain > Soundtrack To Your Escape > Come Clarity > A Sense Of Purpose - not to mention the stuff before; they all give quite a different vibe. I think their newest stuff is just a product of them, time and time again, reinventing themselves - which is why I respect these guys a lot, they surprise me with every release with some kind of originality. What's the destination? Don't know! But the journey is what it's all about I recon.
Wasn't Jesper really the main riff-man for In Flames before? - I think he was. Anyway, now with Bjorn fulfilling his role in studio I think it is a great time for In Flames to start "afresh", as it were, although I agree that Jesper's departure is a great loss.

[John A. Zoidberg]

I was saying it in a bit more of a probability sense. Jesper WAS the main source of basically all creativity coming out of In Flames. He wrote most of the guitar stuff and I believe lyrics (don't quote me on the lyrics thing, I'm not positive). Plus, he plays drums (he used to be their drummer) and keyboard, so he's probably written a lot of that, too.

In Flames' sound hasn't really been that great melodeath it was when they were in their earlier years. The days of Lunar Strain, Whoracle, Colony, and Clayman will probably be their best years. Plus Anders' voice is starting to go. Hopefully they can try to go a bit back towards their earlier days with their next album, whenever it comes out.