New album Foregone out February 2023

[DE4life]

To be fair, Siren Charms lyrics are pretty decent and probably the best lyrics we’ve gotten in 10 years.

I think they're pretty banal honestly, but for the record I don't mind if people discuss them, it's all good. It was just disappointing for me personally

 

[DE4life]

Okay, I really don't remember properly either. Only that they were listening to the demo in a car and were surprised at something.

But what I know for sure both Niclas and Björn said some songs had completely different feeling to them in the demo phase before any vocals were recorded. And that the rest of them only heard Anders' vocal parts towards the end of the studio sessions. Björn wasn't entirely sold on some of them at first, but eventually agreed that "the songs sound better that way." Perhaps genuinely so, but on the other hand the guy's practically an epitome of diplomacy in interviews anyway.

Yeah, it seems clear that Anders and the rest of the band had very different visions on how SC was supposed to sound. Anders on this occasion clearly got his way.

 

[DE4life]

I don't think Anders really enjoys talking to people. That's not a shot at him. I don't really enjoy it either if I'm being honest. Unfortunately for him, being the frontman of a band generally means more interviews, press stuff, etc. But even talking to him as a fan and watching other people talk to him, you could see he wasn't having a great time. He probably just isn't very social.

Bjorn on the other hand is very outgoing and you can tell he is more of a 'people person' than Anders is. The last time I talked to any members of the band in person, it was Anders, Bjorn, Peter and Daniel. Bjorn and Peter were very friendly while Daniel and Anders were much more reserved. Jesper was nowhere in sight. Funny story, one time in San Francisco, I actually saw Jesper jogging away from fans who were coming up to talk to him. That's how social he is. Or was, at the time. I believe that was the same show when Johan came out and played bass on Behind Space -- which I had totally forgotten about until now.

Pretty much, yeah. Although for the record, being an introvert doesn't give Anders an excuse to be a dick, as he has been with some interviewers. I'm an introvert too, but I know how to be polite and not act like a petulant child if I'm asked about something I don't like.

It's quite ironic actually, even though Anders/Jesper are often seen as the polar opposites in IF, you could argue that personality-wise they are very close. Both introverts, both can be childish and petulant, both dislike interviews and the media in general. Meanwhile Bjorn and Peter especially are much more social, upbeat guys who you could have a beer and chill with. Not really sure about Daniel, maybe quieter than the others but not an arse, from anything I've heard anyway.

 

[DE4life]

But I'm weird also. I enjoy We Will Remember and Not Alone, so...

We Will Remember I'm indifferent on - don't hate it, but don't really like it much either. Not Alone, though... yeah, I actually quite like it as well, for some reason. It feels like it belongs on Battles, honestly, but the production is a lot better which helps.

I also weirdly quite like the Battles title track, and Us Against the World. Not sure why, and I probably shouldn't, but for whatever reason they both click with me. Not in the sense that they're songs I'd seek out to listen to, but if they came on I'd be fine with listening to them.

 

[eochaid]

The only good thing that I can say about SC is that it's not battles.

It's such a failure.

And the comparisons of some songs with CC or R2R. They don't belong to any of those albums. They're nothing alike the songs from those albums.

SC is boring. Poorly done and put together. The songs don't make a coherent collection and are, by themselves, lame.

I find it funny how people hates In This Life when it's a song straight from SC.

 

[DE4life]

In This Life is too well structured for SC, and by that I don't mean it's good, only that the instruments and vocals are correctly aligned unlike almost all SC compositions. Also on SC Anders was slightly more aware of his limitations, no excessive autotune or shit like "liiiEEahhheeeahhhiifffeee" - makes me want to vomit fr.

 

[ThePhobiac]

Nothing since SC sounds like it could have come from SC, imo. Battles and ITM can't be compared to that album. Just totally different approaches and styles.

 

[eochaid]

In This Life is too well structured for SC, and by that I don't mean it's good, only that the instruments and vocals are correctly aligned unlike almost all SC compositions. Also on SC Anders was slightly more aware of his limitations, no excessive autotune or shit like "liiiEEahhheeeahhhiifffeee" - makes me want to vomit fr.

Everything about ITL stinks to SC. But with a better producion.

 

[DE4life]

My only question is.... do you rank it higher or lower than Here Until Forever?

 

[eochaid]

The lower ranks must be:

1. House.
2. The Truth.
3. Rest of Battles.

I, on a serious note, don't think that HUF is worse than the rest of Battles. I just find it to be really funny.

 

[eochaid]

It's even funnier that, when reading the lyrics again, I realize that the song is really about Anders. Less about his son.

 

[Pallbearer]

And the comparisons of some songs with CC or R2R. They don't belong to any of those albums. They're nothing alike the songs from those albums.

That's not entirely true and I'm able to prove it using music theory.

Spoiler

All those songs were made using the same 12-note chromatic scale

 

[eochaid]

Music theory beats me again.

 

[Ilias7]

http://www.radiometal.com/article/in-flames-maitre-temps,437834#more-437834

I found this huge interview with Anders. You can use Google translate. There are pretty interesting stuff there about recording the new album, working with producers, Niclas leaving the band for feeling exhausted, claiming he hasn't heard the new album of THE and that he could do an old school thing if he would like.

 

[eochaid]

I also could. But I don't feel like doing it.

 

[DE4life]

Lmao, what's up with that picture at the start of the interview tho what's going on with Broderick's hair?

 

[DE4life]

We've always said, “This is how we work, this is how we work. But when we got into the Battles album, we changed management and had a new producer, Howard Benson. So Björn and I thought, “Maybe we shouldn't say no all the time. We could perhaps say yes. We were told, "You should meet such people, you should write with such others, you should do this or that." We were also played acoustically for promo stuff, that sort of thing. We said, “Okay, let's try. We'll see if it suits us. It wasn't, and writing with other people just wasn't for us. At least we said yes and tried something. We know it's not for us, and today, we are doing exactly what we want again and being ourselves. I think it is important to try, in order to be sure. But no regrets. Regrets are a waste of time.

Well, at least they realise Battles was a mistake and we should never have to hear collaborations between In Flames and Benson's cronies again.

 

[ThePhobiac]

Interesting thing in that interview is that they almost worked with Bergstrand for Clayman. Imagine that album with Reroute's production and how that would have affected the conversations around this band for the next twenty three years.

 

[DE4life]

Sometimes we are truly blessed.

 

[GraemeSinclair]

Interesting thing in that interview is that they almost worked with Bergstrand for Clayman. Imagine that album with Reroute's production and how that would have affected the conversations around this band for the next twenty three years.

Imagine those beautiful melodies sounding distant and buried under a continually hissing crash cymbal... Imagine Pinball Map sounding like System... Imagine all the growling being taken out of the album. I'm glad that didn't happen.