In Flames - The Metal Jesters' Escape

Sweden's In Flames are one of the most controversial bands in metal, owing to their chameleonic tendencies. Initially counted among the key figures of so-called melodic death metal, they later abandoned the genre, undergoing radical shifts in both their music and their image. Having moved closer to alternative metal, they then drifted away from that too, veering toward a more melodic and formulaic sound. In recent years they've been identified above all with the prominent figure of vocalist Anders Fridén, but their career is a long one, dotted with several key moments as well as talented musicians who have passed through their ranks.

Among the three "greats" of Gothenburg, alongside At The Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames are actually the last to appear chronologically and contribute to the development of melodic death metal. They rose to prominence once the movement was already underway and many of its defining traits already institutionalized. Nevertheless, they were among its most effective and influential exponents: between the late '90s and early 2000s, numerous bands across Europe and America drew on their sound.

Nor were they the first to systematically use clean vocals and to want to distance themselves conspicuously from melodic death metal in favor of new sounds: conceptually, Dark Tranquillity had beaten them to it as well, albeit starting from different stylistic premises than those that would influence In Flames. But while Dark Tranquillity went on to reclaim the genre's basic elements, if in a personalized and "borderline" form, In Flames went well beyond their original intentions, abandoning their roots altogether to find common ground between the sensibility of Scandinavian metal and the contaminations of American alternative metal. Their drive to build a bridge between the two scenes would bring them a growing fanbase and huge commercial success, making them one of Sweden's most famous metal bands; on the other hand, it would also alienate their early fans, fueling one of the most notorious controversies in metal.

Listening to any two random In Flames albums or songs might make you think there's been a mistake, so different—if not downright opposite—their styles can sound. Indeed, given the various lineup changes, the In Flames of the first album have nothing to do with those of the latest one, since they don't share a single member; but these are two extremes at the edges of a recording career that, in fact, saw its main changes occur within one and the same stable lineup.

Let's start from the beginning. The band's origins lie in the will of multi-instrumentalist Jesper Strömblad, who in 1991 joined Ceremonial Oath as bassist — a band that in some ways anticipated the sound of early In Flames and was among the founders of melodic-death-metal. The group aimed to strike a balance between death-metal, German thrash-metal (Kreator, Distructor) and classic heavy-metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate). Strömblad wanted to give his music an even more melodic, Maiden-esque imprint, but failed to win over his bandmates, who preferred to keep things rougher and more underground. After the release of "The Book Of Truth" in 1993 — in all respects a historically important milestone in the birth of melodic-death-metal, though largely forgotten due to its merely adequate quality — Strömblad left the band to form what he initially saw as just one of his many side projects, but which would go on to become his main creative outlet: In Flames. Meanwhile, in the UK, Carcass released "Heartwork", a genuine pioneering work of melodic death-metal drawing on heavy-metal and hard-rock, which inspired countless musicians to follow suit — including our Swedish friend.

With a makeshift lineup featuring Glenn Ljungström on guitar and Johan Larsson on bass, while Jesper Strömblad handled drums, the temporary trio recorded a three-song demo that was submitted to the independent label Wrong Again Records. Despite initial worries that the work was rushed and unpolished, the label liked the demo. When it came time to sign the new contract, Strömblad lied, claiming he already had thirteen songs written and recorded, when in reality he only had the three he'd submitted. The label enthusiastically agreed anyway.

Legend has it that the label's promoter asked to hear the rest of the material right away, and that Strömblad spent the entire evening scrolling through his phone book looking for friends willing to help record ten songs in under two days. In reality, it took a few more months before they entered the studio — specifically Fredrik Nordström's Studio Fredman, which had just finished working on Ceremonial Oath's own "The Book Of Truth" and would shortly afterwards host At The Gates for "Terminal Spirit Disease", beginning to define a sound for the Gothenburg metal scene.

The result was Lunar Strain, which, though still rough around the edges, also found a good reception in the Swedish underground. For the vocals, Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity was asked to lend his voice. His first attempt at growls and screams was dreadful, though he would go on to improve markedly with his main band. For now, it served only to put together tracks to present to the label. The two collaborators brought in for the demo were kept on, but alongside Glenn Ljungström (with whom Strömblad split songwriting duties) on guitar was now Carl Näslund. String sessions, meanwhile, were entrusted to Ylva Wåhlstedt.

Lunar Strain overall still adheres to death-metal conventions, but with a more melodic touch in the riffs and arrangements. Here you can hear the Ceremonial Oath legacy that Strömblad brought with him. Despite the poor production, which muddies the distortion, the album influenced the Swedish extreme scene and helped cement melodic-death-metal as a genre. It's also one of the melodeath albums most steeped in folk influence: traces of it surface in the acoustic guitar inserts on "Behind Space" and "In Flames", the viola on "Starforsaken", and above all in the melancholic acoustic ballad "Everlost, Part II" (featuring Jennica Johansson's female vocals) and the playful "Hårgalåten" (with its violin-versus-electric-guitar duel).

After the album's release, Strömblad decided to give up drums to become the band's main guitarist (he's a multi-instrumentalist, but guitar is his primary instrument). Alongside him, Glenn Ljungström remained on second guitar and Johann Larsson on bass. For vocals, he brought in Henke Forss, while the drummer's seat was left vacant, initially filled by Daniel Erlandsson, who however couldn't commit to the band full time (he would later find fame with Arch Enemy and Brujeria).

In June 1995 came Subterranean, officially an EP, even though the previous year At The Gates had released "Terminal Spirit Disease" — of almost identical length — and called it an LP. Dark Tranquillity, meanwhile, had released "Of Chaos And Ethernal Light" earlier that same year. In Flames came across as relatively more melodic than their fellow countrymen — certainly less tragic than the former and less imposing than the latter, but more direct and catchy, already steering their melodic-death-metal toward an early blend with British-style heavy-metal (their style set itself apart from Carcass by relying much more heavily on fast, vibrant guitar lines). This quality went down very well in the scene: the EP was a smash hit at home, and In Flames were by now considered Gothenburg's rising stars.

It opens with "Stand Ablaze", explosive and gripping, already showcasing Strömblad's guitar talent, full of creativity and ideas to spare. "Everdying" brings back folk touches to break up the metallic fury, especially in its long, melancholic coda. "Timeless", on the other hand, is a brief, entirely acoustic interlude. Strömblad proves to be one of the most genuine devotees of Swedish folk within metal, working it in wherever he can and giving his compositions extra character. "Biosphere", meanwhile, opens as a calm hard & heavy track before spilling into furious, granite-hard death-metal, effortlessly blending sweet and sour. Drum duties are split between Erlandsson and guest Anders Jivarp of Dark Tranquillity. The album was once again recorded at Studio Fredman; the production is better than on Lunar Strain, but still low-budget.

Later reissues include a handful of bonus tracks featuring four different vocalists, plus a few covers — most notably one of Metallica's "Eye Of The Beholder" — but the main one is Anders Fridén's take on Iron Maiden.

Fridén himself is now the band's linchpin: in 1993 we find him in Dark Tranquillity, recording "Skydancer" with them, while in 1995 he cut the rather unremarkable "Carpet" with Ceremonial Oath, Strömblad's old band, forging a bond with him that eventually convinced him to join In Flames full time. As for drums, a permanent member was finally found in Björn Gelotte, a well-known multi-instrumentalist and musical jack-of-all-trades on the Gothenburg scene.

With a stable lineup now in place, Strömblad could finally give full creative rein to the ideas that his previous band had kept boxed in by overly rigid constraints, and In Flames could throw themselves heart and soul into what many consider their one true masterpiece: The Jester Race, released on 20 February 1996. The album moves well beyond the coordinates set by Ceremonial Oath, striking a gripping, compelling balance between the aggression of melodic-death-metal, the melodic harmonies of heavy-metal, and the by-now trademark folk influence that colors both some of the melodic lulls and the acoustic passages. Above all, its critical and commercial success means the album now forms, alongside Dark Tranquillity's "The Gallery" and At The Gates' "Slaughter Of The Soul" (both released a few months earlier), the holy trinity of Gothenburg classics. Compared to the first of those, it's certainly a far less intricate, less imposing album, yet no less capable of real refinement in its melodic choices; compared to the second, it's utterly lacking in dark, oppressive, existential atmospheres, but in its own way it knows how to be aggressive and gripping.

"Moonshield", opening with double acoustic runs, quickly gives way to triple bursts of energetic, rocking guitar, over which Fridén's roaring vocals take center stage. "The Jester's Dance" is a metal ballad, driven by bass lines and clean arpeggios. "Artifacts Of The Black Rain", "Lord Hypnos" and "Dead Eternity" rank among melodic-death-metal classics, with fast, aggressive riffs woven together with catchy melodic turns and supporting power-chords. "December Flower" and "Dead God In Me" show off the album's more furious, extreme, death-leaning side, while "Graveland" is more thrashy, and the solo and synths on "Wayfaerer" pay tribute to 80s heavy-metal.

The Jester Race would prove hugely influential in the years to come for countless melodic-death-metal acts, both European and otherwise, who drew on it heavily — bordering on outright plagiarism at times. The album is carried above all by the Strömblad/Ljungström duo, occasionally joined by drummer Gelotte, himself a skilled guitarist, who throws himself into distorted double attacks and guitar duels reminiscent of classic British metal, nodding here and there to Carcass's "Heartwork" while still maintaining a distinct sonic identity. Worth noting is Fridén's growth and personal maturation: before this release he'd left a lot to be desired as a vocalist, but here he shows himself far more capable and assured, delivering a low, raspy growl well above his earlier performances. The lyrics were co-written in Swedish with Niklas Sundin of fellow Gothenburg band Dark Tranquillity, who then translated them into English since Fridén wasn't fluent in the language (the two also came up with the band's mascot, a stylized grinning jester).

1997 marks the official debut of HammerFall, a power-metal band featuring Jesper Strömblad as drummer (though he was replaced by Patrik Räfling on the actual recordings) and main songwriter, joined by none other than Glenn Ljungström on guitar and Johann Larsson on bass. None of the three would remain in HammerFall for the band's second album the following year, which was instead handled by Oscar Dronjak and Joacim Cans. In earlier years, Mikael Stanne and Niklas Sundin had also been members of the group for live shows, before turning their full attention to Dark Tranquillity. In Gothenburg, the web of collaborations is a bit of a soap opera — someone shown out the door often comes right back in through the window, sometimes switching instruments and genres, other times sticking with the same ones.

In 1998 In Flames returned with their third studio album, Whoracle, smoothing out and refining their sound. By this point, the Swedish band's greatest strength lies in how effortlessly they blend opposing souls without anything feeling forced or disjointed: rhythmic thrash/death harshness continues to coexist with classy interplay between melodic lead guitar and supporting rhythm guitar, producing riffs that are both intriguing and catchy. The more death-leaning side grows more distinctive still, while the heavier, more melodic side shows greater confidence, especially in the guitar work, which becomes more linear and direct — though unfortunately losing a small part of the quirky identity gained on The Jester Race (the song structures come across as somewhat more formulaic). Stylistically, Whoracle can be considered an excellent example of the fusion between melodic-death-metal, heavy-metal and folk influences. Less jarring than its predecessor, it nonetheless proves coherent and effective, becoming an influential classic of the Gothenburg scene. Its one drawback lies in the production, which sounds a touch too dry and boxy.

The opening trio bluntly sums up In Flames' ability to play with melody, grit and aggression: "Jotun" is a manifesto that pairs a thrilling heavy-metal foundation with more extreme outbursts, driven by a searing growl; "Food For The Gods" is an imposing slab of melodic death with more frantic, unsettling atmospheres; "Gyroscope" returns to the more melodic side, blending it with acoustic elements in an intriguing heavy/folk hybrid that peaks with a catchy chorus (despite the ferocity of Fridén's growling, it's to his credit that he manages to marry it to hookiness without sounding off) and a soft, nuanced solo. "Dialogue With The Stars" is a lively, engaging metal instrumental, embellished with folk touches. But that's still modest compared to "Jester Script Transfigured", the pinnacle of the band's melancholic folk soul and, alongside the monumental "Episode 666", the album's masterpiece — the latter featuring some of the most inspired, gripping riffs ever heard in melodic death metal: a grandiose progression of melodies between darkness and radio-friendliness. "Morphing Into Primal", on the other hand, is the least successful track: a rather bland thrash/death metal number that leans too heavily on At The Gates.

Vocally, Fridén's growl stays at the level of the previous album, perhaps getting a touch higher, but not by much. The main issue is that growling isn't an immediately accessible form of expression and takes some getting used to, and paradoxically this stands out even more in melodic subgenres, which can therefore reach a wider audience less accustomed to such sounds. In a few spots Fridén's clean voice also fleetingly appears, but it's just a couple of brief flourishes, sung in a low, acidic tone.

The lyrics are still handled by Niklas Sundin under Fridén's direction. The title, born from the fusion of whore and oracle, describes a concept album that starts from Scandinavian mythology to trace unsettling premonitions and develops into a dystopia where even apocalyptic catastrophes are turned into media spectacle. The narrative thread is abruptly closed with a cover of Depeche Mode's "Everything Counts", meant to suggest that humanity caused its own downfall but realized it too late.

Drawing a parallel with Dark Tranquillity, who released "The Mind's I" the same year, In Flames sound far less melancholic and passionate, but more direct and propulsive. In both cases the albums close with an acoustic instrumental title track that repeats an evocative motif. At this stage the two bands often swapped ideas, intentions, insights and opinions, so it's normal, if not predictable, to find certain similarities. That said, it's also possible that Fridén's brief clean-vocal touches helped convince Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity to fully embrace the same device on "Projector" the following year — though the result would prove very different, not just in quantity but also in tone, atmosphere and vocal quality. And it's Dark Tranquillity who would claim the Gothenburg crown for the systematic use of clean vocals.

Unfortunately, right after the album's recording wrapped up, Ljungström and Larsson suddenly left the band over artistic differences that were never clarified. The line-up found itself fractured with a demanding tour looming, and Niclas Engelin and Peter Iwers were recruited to fill the vacant spots for the occasion. Once the tour ended, Engelin amicably chose not to continue with the band, focusing instead on his own melodic death metal project, Gardenian, with whom he would record a few decent albums that remained underground. Keep the name Engelin in mind, because we'll run into him again more than once down the line. For now, though, his spot was permanently taken by Gelotte, who decided to switch from drums to guitar, while the formidable Daniel Svensson was brought in as the new drummer — a man who had made a name for himself in the underground because, with his band Sacrilege, he had briefly tried to keep the At The Gates sound alive.

In 1999, on Colony, the In Flames sound places greater emphasis on impact, virtuosity (Gelotte wants to show off his technique) and power. What stands out above all is the clean, polished production, which maximizes the massive dose of cutting riffs, heart-pounding solos and stunning power chords that the Swedes, with confidence and great inspiration, churn out in abundance, almost like a kind of fan service. The one who benefits most is Fridén, who unleashes a searing, powerful growl unlike anything heard before or since. It's a result that owes a lot to the production too, as on "Ordinary Story", where his vocals sound as delicate as they are clearly touched up. But Svensson's drum assault is also showcased to full effect: powerful, fast, precise and rich with intriguing combinations, rendered perfectly thanks to the spot-on production choice of Studio Fredman. The atmospheres are slightly dark, thanks in part to the Hammond organ inserts. It's not a desperate or anguished album, except in a few moments; rather it tends to be dramatic, consistently aggressive, yet melodic.

"Embody The Invisible" is an exuberant opener, with searing, biting, supremely catchy guitars that manage to sound more anthemic than the band had ever shown before. The phenomenal "Zombie Inc." achieves the same effect, featuring one of the best heavy showcases from the Strömblad/Gelotte duo, capable of screaming guitar feedback at full volume as if it were the true voice of In Flames.

The title track is overwhelming and devastating, and is perhaps Svensson's finest performance, even if it tends to repeat the same core riff a bit too much. The remake of "Behind Space" is the album's most extreme, visceral, death-metal moment, while the chorus of "Insipid 2000" is monumental, propulsive and epic.

The acoustic element is almost entirely abandoned, except for the instrumental interlude "Pallar Anders Visa", which ultimately serves only as a brief moment of calm before the return of distorted explosions. The closing "The New Word" also condenses the album's downside, namely a tendency toward excess and exuberance that's somewhat indulgent for its own sake, specifically in a solo that seems to be just a display of speed.

Colony hits with devastating force and never lets up, even if it lacks the innovative spark of The Jester Race. Compared to Dark Tranquillity, who released "Projector" the same year, In Flames sound more impulsive, energetic and immediate, with less melancholic atmospheres and a far less pronounced keyboard role, plus arrangements that are more incisive but also more formulaic and, perhaps, predictable.

In 2000, Clayman seems to fix this last flaw, keeping the structural foundation of Colony but developing the songs in a more unconventional, atmospheric way, with greater use of electronic effects in post-production. Corrosive melodic digressions appear more often, while Fridén has abandoned the growl (which he probably can no longer sustain) in favor of a visceral, powerful scream, alternated with more frequent passages of clean singing. The riffing also tries to sound less linear and more multifaceted; acoustic parts are completely removed, replaced by clean-guitar inserts that sometimes lend a bluesy touch, while at other times sound darker and more rarefied. Guitar-wise, the band's blend of death metal and heavy metal has by now become highly distinctive, with tones balanced between the 80s and 90s and, once again, a meticulously polished production.

The album leans closer to the first in the dark, exceptional "...As The Future Repeats Today" and — albeit in a more schematic, traditional form — in "Another Day In Quicksand"; while it leans closer to the second in the energetic, anthemic "Swim" and the magnificent "Suburban Me", the latter also featuring Chriss Amott (Carcass, Spiritual Beggars, Arch Enemy) on a memorable solo. The single "Only For The Weak" shows influences from 80s heavy rock, driven by a fun, biting power chord and a highly melodic keyboard line. By contrast, "Satellites And Astronauts" is a melancholic, desolate, dark ballad.

Among the highlights are also the scorching opener "Bullet Ride" and the brisk, ferocious title track. Otherwise, Clayman is an original work with few parallels in terms of the uniqueness of its sound, featuring some of the best solos the band ever unleashed, propulsive riffs and a Fridén in dazzling form. It would become a model for the so-called American melodic-metalcore scene, which would draw on it so heavily that at times it almost seems to pillage the Swedes outright — imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. Lyrically, it's also the first In Flames album where Fridén handles all the lyrics himself, without Niklas Sundin's help, and a shift in themes starts to become visible, growing increasingly introspective and less elaborate. The limited edition also includes a cover of Swedish glam-metal band Treat, "World Of Promises", maintaining a link to the 80s, as had already happened three years earlier with Depeche Mode; plus "Strong And Smart", a reinterpretation of a track by Swedish punk-rock band No Fun At All.

While the presence of clean vocals and undistorted arpeggios on Clayman may perhaps have been inspired by Dark Tranquillity's "Projector", in other respects the two bands' atmospheres prove quite different, certainly less gothic in In Flames' case. Their peers also released "Haven" in 2000, which stands out even more with softer, catchier riffs, more electronic, keyboard-driven atmospheres, and vocals built solely around a low growl. Both bands had developed their own style in very different ways from their debuts, diverging noticeably in form both from their earlier selves and from each other, but sharing a desire to go beyond convention and offer a personal vision of the Gothenburg metal sound, of which they now stood as the standard-bearers following the breakup of At The Gates. Not all of In Flames' audience, however, is satisfied with the band's recent albums: death-metal purists judge them to be excessively melodic, clean and overproduced compared to the sound of their early work. They've grown too different and now have a different audience.

In 2001 the dismal live album The Tokyo Showdown reveals a poor sonic showing and an even worse Fridén, unable to sustain either his clean voice or his screamed vocals. It's clear that outside the recording studio his vocal limitations are considerable, and it's not far-fetched to suggest this stems from improper growling technique, which can damage the vocal cords.

If, until now, there had been some physiological discontent among the earliest fans, in 2002 came a true bolt from the blue, marking a real rift between In Flames and a more traditionalist section of the European metal audience: Reroute To Remain. The title alone hints that the Swedes want to steer their sound in a new direction. There's a reduced role for solos, more essential melodies built around choruses, more pronounced rhythms, and more varied, emotional vocal lines. Fridén here often alternates clean singing with nasal screaming: in some respects it recalls what young post-hardcore bands like Thrice or Glassjaw were doing at the time, but at other moments he almost seems to be channeling the flexibility of Chino Moreno of Deftones, while still reinterpreting it all in his own personal way.

Fridén's lyrics by now have little to do with the past, having also abandoned many of the fantasy or sci-fi themes that once defined them, in favor of more intimate, autobiographical subjects. On the guitar front, many of the distinctive traits of Colony and Clayman are dropped, in particular the combination of power-chords underpinning a razor-sharp melody, while thrashier attacks remain, which paradoxically feel closer to the earlier records. This, however, is an illusion, because Reroute To Remain can't simply be labeled melodic death metal (except incidentally, for riffs like those just mentioned, which stay true to the band's stylistic thread only because they're grafted onto an entirely new framework that has nothing to do with the genre). Rather, In Flames draw on a whole array of influences, dipping into the American alternative-metal melting pot as well, to forge a hybrid style. The attempt to combine Scandinavian aggression and musical sensitivity with more modern influences, chiefly from North America (though not only), is a bold one, but it alienates the sympathies of old fans. The music press would come to regard Reroute To Remain as something like the Swedes' own "black album", so fierce were the controversies surrounding it. Some accused the band of selling out to nu-metal, but this is a sloppy, nonsensical criticism, since the genre's characteristic traits are barely present, if at all — starting with its peculiar syncopated riffing or hip-hop influences (the latter entirely absent). In some cases, people pointed the finger at the melodic choruses, crudely confusing them with what Linkin Park were doing, which only shows the confusion among both press and metal audiences. If anything, In Flames' melodies find more common ground with post-hardcore, metalcore, groove-metal, and new wave.

Reroute To Remain is a transitional album, one in which the band experiments with new sounds, ranging from the quasi-industrial, Rammstein-esque riffs of "Cloud Connected" to the almost Slipknot-like outbursts of "Transparent", from abrasive, melodramatic tracks like the fantastic "Minus" to more radio-friendly ones, like the single "Trigger" or the bizarre metallic power-pop of "Free Fall".

The moments closest to melodic death metal emerge in the jittery riffs and drumming of "Egonomic" (albeit with a very melodic, poppy chorus), partly in "Drifter" (laced with melodic punk-rock riffs and a europop-style chorus), and in the heavy/death of "Dismiss The Cynic". The acoustic guitar also makes a welcome return on the beautiful ballad "Metaphor" and on the shrewd, unsettling "Dawn Of A New Day", though this time the band seems to draw inspiration from overseas indie-rock rather than Swedish folk. Potentially a sensational album, bold in its approach, Reroute To Remain doesn't fully live up to its own ambitions. This is mainly due to the excessive simplification of some tracks, which never go beyond the verse/chorus formula, losing much of the harmonization and synergy that had been a trademark of the band. Furthermore, several riffs feel far less inspired than usual, and Fridén's vocal performance is uneven (not to mention the choruses where some decidedly unconvincing backing vocals sap the melody of its punch, starting with the opening title track). All this results in an album that, at an excessive 14 tracks — some of them filler-flavored — becomes a heavy listen over its runtime. The production is unconvincing too, no longer handled at Studio Fredman but at Daniel Bergstrand's Dug Out Studios. The shift makes the sound mushy and weak, flattening the guitars and ruining Svensson's drum tone. Among the EPs released alongside the album, worth noting are an immersive industrial-rock remix of "Cloud Connected" and a mediocre cover of "Land Of Confusion" by Genesis.

The supposed nu-metal influences surface explicitly and clearly in the dark, down-tuned riffing of the Passenger project (not to be confused with the English singer-songwriter of the same name) from 2003, born out of the collaboration between Anders Fridén and Niclas Engelin. Rounding out the lineup are Håkan Skoger of crossover band Headplate on bass and sound engineer Patrick J. Sten on drums. In truth, the band had already come into being under the name Cliff back in 1995, with the intent of playing alternative-rock, but it was quickly put on hold. Fridén thought of reviving it after working with Engelin on the 1997 tour, and the band changed its name, taking inspiration from the famous Deftones song of the same name, featuring Maynard of Tool and released on "White Pony" in 2000.

Between one commitment and another, Passenger finally arrive at their self-titled debut three years later. The record is highly creative, enriched by darkwave, europop, emocore, alternative-rock (A Perfect Circle) and alternative-metal influences (Deftones being particularly evident), which, once metabolized and blended together, give the final result a very personal character. Fridén focuses on his clean vocals with their distinctive nasal timbre, delivering his best in terms of melancholy, expressiveness and versatility. He will never again reach these heights. Engelin proves himself a talented guitarist, painting melodic arabesques that are never predictable and contributing to the bittersweet atmospheres of the record.

If nu-metal in these early 2000s had turned into a pop trend that imploded under its own weight — as shown by the prepackaged formula of Linkin Park, who would soon abandon it to jump on other trends — Passenger represent its opposite side, the one still steeped in creativity and imagination. The announced second chapter of the project soon vanishes without a trace, as Fridén devotes himself entirely to In Flames, while Engelin turns his attention to Engel. And it's a shame, because neither project would ever recapture Passenger's melodic flair.

The side-project Dimension Zero, on the other hand, founded by Jesper Strömblad (who handles both guitar and bass) and Glenn Ljungström back in 1995, is wholly devoted to a traditional, thrash-leaning melodic death metal in the style of At The Gates.

The band released the EP Penetrations From The Lost World in 1997, their official full-length debut Silent Night Fever in 2001, and This Is Hell in 2003, before Ljungström left for personal reasons. Strömblad would later release He Who Shall Not Bleed in 2008 and then put the band on hiatus; its ranks would also include names such as Fredrik Johansson (namesake of the former Dark Tranquillity guitarist), Daniel Antonsson and Hans Nilsson, a testament to the collaborative spirit typical of the Gothenburg scene.

Dimension Zero take a much more derivative approach to the "Slaughter Of The Soul" sound, and their releases coincide with the various shifts in direction made by In Flames over the years, even though the final results end up quite far apart in terms of genre.

With Passenger, Fridén can indulge his more melodic, pop-leaning passions without compromising the heavier, more metallic sound of In Flames, while Strömblad with Dimension Zero can have fun playing conventional, no-frills thrash or melodic death metal. Meanwhile, Strömblad and Gelotte also form All Ends, together with the latter's sister: a heavy-rock project with a female voice, though the band, after a single demo, is quickly shelved and will only return years later with a revamped lineup.

The hopes of those who thought In Flames' change of direction was just a misstep, and that the band would eventually turn back, are dashed in 2004 with Soundtrack To Your Escape. The title seems almost ironic: is it meant to suggest an awareness that it will drive old fans even further away? Even the band's image is now very different from the past: Fridén shows up for promotional photos with a beard and dreadlocks, which leads the press to compare him to various nu-metal artists. In response, he has T-shirts printed reading "[Link]In Flames", which he wears at some shows, and in interviews he reiterates that anyone who doesn't like the band's new direction is free to ignore it and go listen to the old records.

Soundtrack To Your Escape pushes the shift made on the previous album to its extreme consequences, losing almost all contact with the Gothenburg sound, which is no longer the band's defining trait (except on "In Search Of I", the track closest to melodic death metal at its core, albeit still heavily transfigured), to the point that the band almost seems to no longer be itself. This, however, also alienates those fans who had still been willing to defend Reroute To Remain.

The new sound is coated in dark, industrial atmospheres, driven by melody. The album alternates between tracks that are nominally aggressive and violent (the industrial/death of "F(r)iend", later echoed in "Touch Of Red" but with an irritating call-and-response chorus between Fridén and backing vocals), moments of pure melody with magnetic riffs and heavy use of electronics (the gorgeous single "The Quiet Place", the vigorous "Borders And Shading"), emotional digressions (the anomalous ballad "Evil In A Closet", with a dreadful chorus in which Fridén sounds like a caricature of himself, or the far more successful "Discover Me Like Emptiness", where he instead delivers one of the most heartfelt, evocative performances on the record) and high-pathos, melodramatic climaxes (the mix of industrial-metal and alternative-rock of "My Sweet Shadow", one of the album's peaks).

The warm, dirty production is a mixed blessing: on one hand it fully captures the atmospheres the songs are trying to create, but on the other it again dulls the power of the riffs and drums. This time the band seems to have a clearer idea of what it wants to do, and the record sounds more cohesive and polished than its predecessor, but the impression remains that, Fridén aside, In Flames aren't entirely comfortable with this melting pot of influences. Alongside a leaner format, with evocative atmospheres and gripping melodies, there remain thrashier moments that clash with the rest, and catchy choruses that sometimes lack bite, revealing an inconsistency between songs that keeps the album from reaching alternative-metal masterpiece status. There are, in short, plenty of little gems that shine brightly, as well as material that's far more lackluster: and the reason is probably that the band is still trying to fully make these influences its own, experimenting with various solutions, adjusting its stylistic traits — still in a kind of "break-in" period, or even still "learning", so to speak. The album is still worth hearing at least once even for those who aren't drawn to this sound, if only to take note of the change undergone and the differences from the past. It's genuinely interesting, for better or worse, to examine just how different In Flames' musical output had become compared to their earliest albums.

In 2006 the band seems to respond to the criticism — often frankly excessive — that had been levelled at them in recent years, and releases what they present as the trait d'union between the old and new In Flames: Come Clarity. At first listen, there really are harder, angrier ideas closer to melodic death metal, a sense of power and heft that recalls Colony a bit more (helped by a cleaner, more polished production), riffing that more often ranges between Whoracle and Reroute To Remain, as well as a natural inclination toward the melodic and vocal openings of the last two albums. On the vocal front specifically, Friden is more direct in his performance and often sings with generally more refined, polished lines, nailing the melodies more consistently and avoiding some of the ill-fated gang-vocal choruses of the past. Lyrically, too, he's become more optimistic, probably influenced by the birth of a daughter two years earlier, to whom he dedicates the title track. The background electronic textures have for the most part been cut or relegated to mere decoration, toning down the atmospheric side. It's a necessary trade-off, though, to preserve the songs' impact and groove. From a technical standpoint, the drumming stands out as hard-hitting and sharply defined, with Svensson on fine form. However, the linear, chorus-driven songwriting, plus the greater use of breakdowns, also suggests a degree of inspiration from melodic metalcore, the new trend that had emerged in North America after the death of nu-metal, which paradoxically draws on bands like In Flames themselves. It's no coincidence that the record was actually recorded in early 2004 but released a year later by Nuclear Blast, to avoid overlapping with releases from rival label Roadrunner, which specialized in that scene. Essentially, the "masters" are taking cues from the "students" and absorbing them into their own style, and there's no shortage of passages that recall bands like Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage or Caliban; elsewhere, though, In Flames seem to look back toward Gothenburg, almost responding to Dark Tranquillity, who a year earlier had released "Character", heavier than its predecessors. The comparisons have to end there, though, because for some time now the two "cousin" bands have been playing very different music in terms of foundation, texture and approach.

As usual, the record is uneven, swinging between moments where the band's stylistic personality shines through with great songs that seem to strike a balance between Swedish and American sound, and others where that personality seems to get lost. It's also certainly less bold and unconventional than its two predecessors. There's some inconsistency between driving hits (the furious "Take This Life", the molten, corrosive "Leeches", the blistering "Scream") mixed in with flatter, forgettable material, or tracks that could have been thrilling but are undone at certain points ("Reflect The Storm", stirring but with a very weak chorus).

Among the more original tracks is "Dead End", a duet between Friden and Swedish pop singer Lisa Miskovsky, whose voice is melodic yet forceful; "Vanishing Light", which blends industrial-flavored riffs in the style of STYE with a melodic power-chord assault reminiscent of Colony; and the title track, a power ballad opened by acoustic arpeggios that then gives way to walls of guitar over an emo vocal melody.

The album doesn't do especially well in Europe, but in the United States and the UK countless bands belonging precisely to the melodic-metalcore scene would go on to express, in interviews, deep reverence and love for this work, at times even calling it a cornerstone of their own sound, alongside touchstones like Killswitch Engage's "Alive Or Just Breathing". In that sense, In Flames once again proved seminal. Unanimously, in any case, what's appreciated is that, allowing for the due differences from the past, Come Clarity still sounds distinctly "In Flames".

The Swedes finally seem to have found a stable footing to settle on. Two years later, in fact, A Sense Of Purpose builds on the approach of Come Clarity and refines its style, emphasizing its sense of impact and melody, and making it more polished and immediate. Here too we find echoes of sounds more in keeping with the Reroute To Remain era, as well as a heavy-oriented edge that, now in the riffs, now in a solo, can recall the vein of the Whoracle-Colony-Clayman triad, but with a more modern production and a strong vocal presence from Friden, who alternates between screams and melodic singing. The riffing, in fact, gives more space to Friden, who begins to carve out a central role in driving the melodic identity of the songs.

It could be said that with A Sense Of Purpose, In Flames found their definitive coordinates, fusing styles from the Scandinavian and Anglo-American scenes with real command of both languages. But it's still not quite a masterpiece, because in terms of composition and arrangement the album is in some ways predictable, with the usual riffs that are powerful yet catchy, easy-listening choruses, and energetic atmospheres steeped in an intimate, emotional sensibility. There are fewer peaks compared to previous albums, yet the record overall proves more balanced, with tighter songs. The mood is relatively upbeat, and although there's no official confirmation, the album's title probably alludes to the pride Friden feels in being the father of a 4-year-old daughter and another child born recently.

At times the band comes across as a bit derivative, even of itself, and waters down the songs too much by leaning on easy melodies. But the guitar interplay between Stromblad and Gelotte sounds inspired for the most part, and Svensson once again proves himself an honest, competent drummer — even if he sounds a bit held back, as though he couldn't freely unleash his more dynamic, forceful ideas without compromising the songs' accessibility. This synthesis of aggression and radio-friendliness could, at this point, be developed further by perfecting its ingredients. Frankly, if there's a weak link in the band at this stage, it might in some ways be Friden: as a singer he certainly has a very personal timbre and a distinctive emotional charisma, but technically he shows several shortcomings (he comes across as lacking especially live) and by now needs heavy production to be at his best. Friden has a vocal style all his own, versatile and recognizable, yet his cleaner parts swing between evocative and whiny, while his screaming has by now lost its power. At its worst, he even seems to be aping Chino Moreno, Jeffrey Moreira or Jonathan Davis.

Once again the reception is mixed, with both praise and pans, though without the extremes seen on other occasions.

In 2007 the self-titled debut of All Ends, the side project left on hold a few years earlier, is also released. Stromblad and Gelotte are no longer listed as official members of the band, but they contribute to the songwriting. The album shows some similarities to bands like Chevelle, Alter Bridge and Evanescence, mixed with the occasional melodic turn with a Gothenburg flavor, or rather closer to the style of the two In Flames guitarists themselves; overall, the record blends riffing that's partly hard rock, partly alternative-metal/post-grunge, led by the exceptional vocal duo of Emma Gelotte and Tinna Karlsdotter, thoroughly inspired in delivering catchy pop melodies that contrast with the more aggressive riffs, making the songs potential hits. Beyond that, though, the album is a touch repetitive on the guitar front and doesn't offer much beyond the vocal performances. A nice detour, but not a revolutionary one.

Between 2009 and 2010, In Flames go through a critical period: besides the label change, from longtime home Nuclear Blast to Century Media, the band has to deal with Jesper Stromblad's decision to announce his departure (initially temporary, later permanent), officially due to issues with alcohol and depression (which had plagued him since at least the start of the decade, with some very difficult psychological moments), but behind the scenes also due to growing internal friction with the other members and disagreements over the direction of the project. A real blow for the Swedes, who find themselves writing an album without one of their key creative minds. Stepping in to replace him is nonetheless an old friend: Niclas Engelin, the same one from the 1997 tours and from Passenger in 2003, who in recent years had also started another alternative-metal project called Engel, with which he tried to blend, in varying doses, alternative rock inspired by A Perfect Circle, emocore, and touches of punk-rock and industrial-rock, with greater pop-metal and melodic-death-metal openings on the later albums (the debut Absolute Design remains perhaps the best record by a band that soon had little left to say).

With these premises, Sounds Of A Playground Fading is released in 2011, and it's curious that, with Jesper's departure, there isn't a single member left who also appeared on Lunar Strain, the first album released under the In Flames name (it's a musical example of the Ship of Theseus paradox). The title itself is already telling: the sounds of a playground fading away could stand for the band's own past memories, its "childhood", as if to suggest that now, after many years and countless experiences, the early days are just a memory slowly dimming. Friden, by now the band's figurehead, changes his look once again, with short hair and a lab coat-style jacket giving him a more adult, less post-adolescent appearance, and in interviews he keeps insisting that he has no interest in revisiting the band's past sound, and that anyone who doesn't like this incarnation of In Flames will just have to live with it.

Stylistically, the album largely stays on the same path followed on the previous two records, which might seem like a "novelty", even though, truth be told, pretty much everyone by now expected In Flames to become more "static" than in the past. Still, the catchier side of the sound is pushed even further, especially in the choruses, while the guitars simplify their role.

The sense is that the band is gradually evolving into a pop-metal outfit, but unfortunately it does so in the worst possible way, leaning on cliches, recycling a handful of ideas, and generally watering down the songwriting to paper over a lack of compositional substance with a bland sense of catchiness. There's greater use of walls of guitar, but they mostly function as filler for Friden's vocal melodies to rest on, with the whole album built around him.

The record thus comes across as more monotonous and less inspired than its predecessor, with precious few riffs able to grab the listener's attention and watered-down arrangements, probably also due to Stromblad's absence. What the band relies on, essentially, are a handful of punchy refrains to create a sense of "motion", followed by melodic choruses that are really what grabs the attention, but an overall sense of incompleteness lingers.

Sounds Of A Playground Fading is, up to this point, the least creative and least inspired record the Swedes have made. A shame, because with A Sense Of Purpose it seemed they might have found the right balance between radio-friendly melody and guitar-driven attack on which to rebuild the band's music after Stromblad's departure, but the Swedes evidently chose to play it safe, diluting their sound to the point of making it harmless. There's no shortage of fun, catchy moments, but it amounts to fleeting escapism, before everything starts to sound almost like a collection of B-sides from the previous album.

Meanwhile, Jesper Strömblad teams up with Glenn Ljungström, his old In Flames bandmate, and singer Marco Aro, previously of the Haunted, to found the project The Resistance, in an operation pretty much identical to the one attempted over a decade earlier with Dimension Zero. This time the sound sits between old-school Swedish death metal and the related death'n'roll strain (which blends it with genres like groove metal, hard rock and blues rock). In both cases the reference point is fellow Swedes Entombed, whose sound is replicated in a fairly schematic way; the only exceptions are the relatively melodic phrasings that nod to early At the Gates, again in a deliberately obvious manner. The 2013 debut "Scars" is a genre record made to have fun and entertain without any great ambitions, but it lacks strong compositional ideas to stand out in the scene and is far too repetitive. It's interesting, though, to compare it with Dimension Zero to study the differences between death metal styles with the same main songwriters behind them. In 2016, "Coup de grâce" sees Glenn Ljungström hand over his instrument to a returning Daniel Antonsson, but nothing changes in terms of results, and the band splits up shortly after due to internal conflicts.

Things don't go any better for In Flames with Siren Charms in 2014, broadly a rehash of all the stylistic tics and stereotypes seen in 2011, continuing down the path of simplification and banality. You can tangibly feel the absence of Strömblad's creative input in In Flames, the dynamic mind behind the riffs and the most compelling core hooks of previous albums. The record, released this time on Sony, is more or less a photocopy of its predecessor and draws plenty of negative reviews from critics, though it achieves a degree of commercial success with the more mainstream audience. There are few riffs worth mentioning, the choruses are catchy enough but increasingly interchangeable, and the lyrics have by now become harmless and devoid of any spark.

After the album's release, another blow: Daniel Svensson leaves, determined to devote more time to his family and his brewery. The band's choice of replacement causes a stir: rather than one of the many colleagues from Gothenburg and the surrounding area, or the Swedish metal scene in general, they bring in young Joe Rickard, who comes from the American christian-rock scene. The choice is telling of how relations between In Flames and the scene they came from have cooled in recent years (so much so that in interviews there are exchanges of thinly veiled jabs with Strömblad, while Fridén starts describing the band's early albums as flawed, drawing disapproval from fans); but it also leaves the impression that the Swedes are knowingly eyeing a particular market and a particular type of audience, and that their most recent musical choices are no longer entirely genuine.

The band's career hits rock bottom in 2016 with Battles. With this album, which sees In Flames return to the Nuclear Blast fold, the band simply comes across as a group that can no longer find new ideas and recycles the few successful ones from recent albums to maintain radio appeal, at best. By now three albums in a row have been undermined by throwaway, cloying or filler moments. Gelotte and Engelin's guitars occasionally paint some successful melodies, but for most of the time they struggle to produce original riffs. Fridén himself can no longer effectively carry either the more melodic or the more aggressive vocal lines without relying on digital touch-ups. His lyrics are among the least deep and least crafted he's ever written: stripped of the emotional tension of the past, his compositions turn into harmless little songs for a teenage audience.

Joe Rikard's drumming proves flat and dull. There are passages where you can hear the cut-and-paste of digital sound editing used to fix timing issues. The lack of chemistry with the rest of the band is evident, and it's hardly something you can just gloss over: a 28-year-old coming from a completely different musical scene, dropped into a band of over-40s who've played together since their teens and had a very different musical upbringing. Rikard may well win over a young English-speaking audience, but Svensson's class remains on another level entirely. That doesn't stop the odd catchy song from surfacing, but the band doesn't achieve this by bringing in pop ideas that sound fresh and genuine — rather, it does so in the easiest and most banal way, by repurposing the choruses of the most stereotypical overseas post-hardcore/melodic-metalcore bands and lingering on chart trends that are years out of date. As proof, the album's credits list numerous producers as co-writers of the songs alongside the band members, highlighting their interference in the songwriting and the need to meet specific market demands. All this only adds to the dismay even among fans who defended the band's early-2000s changes, which — for better or worse — gave rise to works far more personal, sincere and creative than anything In Flames have released in recent years.

The one bright spot of the production is that, after a long time, Peter Iwers's bass is audible again, though the feeling is that it's wasted here.

In 2017, the EP Down, Wicked & No Good is made up entirely of covers of songs by various bands that, in one way or another, influenced the band members' musical growth. The Depeche Mode cover is the most successful, with riffs and atmospheres recalling the best moments of Passenger and Soundtrack To Your Escape. The Chris Isaak cover is less intense and deep, more timid and intimate, pleasantly different from the original but let down by a rather banal chorus and Fridén's overly nasal voice. Unfortunately, though, the Alice In Chains and Nine Inch Nails covers lose all the pathos of the originals and are, vocally, embarrassing.

In 2017, Jesper Strömblad forms the project Cyhra together with Jake E, former singer of Amaranthe, blending what the two bands have been doing in recent years: melodic metal built on pop choruses and trancecore electronic inserts. The album Letters To Myself isn't exactly a revelation, but it manages to sound more inspired and genuine than the recent output of both parent bands, despite a perhaps excessive use of drum triggering. The project has a follow-up in 2019 with No Halos In Hell, a pop-metal record that's certainly not revolutionary but enjoyable.

In 2018, bassist Peter Iwers leaves the band 20 years after joining (and briefly plays in Cyhra as well): his role is temporarily handed, once again, to an American, Bryce Paul Newman, initially a touring musician for the North American shows. Young drummer Joe Rickard also makes way for another touring musician, Andrew Tanner Wayne, coming from the Californian post-hardcore/screamo scene. But in the overall scheme of the band none of this really matters, since the songwriting is by now the sole domain of Björn Gelotte, Anders Fridén and, in part, producer Howard Benson.

In 2019 comes I, the Mask, which is more convincing than its predecessors and is probably the band's best album in eight years — for what that's worth. Two opposing tendencies coexist here, one that leans on the radio-friendly side (unfortunately still lacking personality and relying on pre-packaged tropes) and another that wants to revive the band's more genuinely Swedish riffing (though without much conviction). While the hope is that this offers variety as well as enjoyable moments, in the long run it actually lacks balance between the two sides. Stylistically it could be placed somewhere between the more solid A Sense Of Purpose and the blander Sounds Of A Playground Fading, but the end result remains very uneven. The now well-established repetitive formula persists at its core, drawing on a watered-down version of the more mainstream trends of American melodic metalcore, emphasizing the vocal melodies with mixed results and avoiding any real push toward greater originality in the songwriting or even a minimum of sonic experimentation. This is also down to the direction taken alongside producer Howard Benson, who once again takes part in (interferes with?) the songwriting, indulging Fridén's ideas and shaping a pop-metal imprint that's catchy as usual but overly self-indulgent and dated. There's no other outside involvement, except on one track, and thankfully that limits the bombast that Battles descended into.

The guitar side, in any case, comes across as generally more solid and less "plastic" than on the previous record. Singer Fridén also seems more inspired and (autotune aside) less tinkered with in production, delivering a more lived-in, dynamic performance. Still, this remains the band's weakest point, alternating between thrilling, emotionally gripping vocal lines and more insipid ones, with lyrics that are poorly defined.

After the album's release, Niclas Engelin leaves the band under unspecified circumstances. He will be replaced by Chris Broderick of Megadeth.

In 2020, a chiptune version (an 8-bit style of music) of the entire I, the Mask is released first, essentially a harmless bit of fun along the lines of what had already been done in 2003 with "Moonshield" on the Trigger EP; after that, the band re-records some tracks from Clayman to present on the digital EP Clayman 2020, a promotional move ahead of the album's upcoming reissue and remaster for its 20th anniversary. The new recordings fail to convince, as the power of the guitars is dampened, the drums without Svensson feel colder and less present, but above all Fridén no longer has the fierce vocal charisma of old (though he does sound more spontaneous and genuine — a relative plus, given that the final result has less creative and expressive depth). Finally, the new production is decidedly inferior to Nordström's classic work in terms of atmosphere and sonic dynamics.

In 2021, the project The Halo Effect is announced, making its album debut the following year with Days of the Last. It features former members of In Flames, chief among them founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad, but also a returning Daniel Svensson, Peter Iwers, and even Niclas Engelin. On vocals is the singer-leader of Dark Tranquillity, their friend Mikael Stanne. It's essentially In Flames, but with someone else in Fridén's place — and not just anyone, but the very face of their fellow Gothenburg colleagues, and the man who, back on the band's 1994 debut, had lent his voice before swapping microphones with Fridén himself. It almost feels like a slap in Fridén's face. Stanne's performance matters because it reveals a synergy that had long been lost, and the technical and charisma gap between the two singers, both in the growls and in the clean-vocal passages, is plain to hear.

The album recovers the melodic death metal hallmarks that In Flames had lost along the way, while still allowing for plenty of melodic openings and a few more modern influences.

You can feel the enthusiasm and spontaneity in the musicians, and above all Strömblad's personal style is instantly recognizable; it's a pleasure to see him rediscover the inspiration and melodic verve of years past. The result is enjoyable, but in the end it's an unpretentious divertissement.

In 2023, with the new Foregone, the current incarnation of In Flames manage to find a successful combination of melody and aggression without sounding bombastic, alternating more spontaneously between melodic-death-metal riffs, metalcore-meets-alt-rock attacks, pop undertones, melodic effect-laden choruses, and sparse acoustic touches. The album partly trims away what were the flaws of I, The Mask (the repetitiveness and shallowness of both the lighter and heavier elements) to focus instead on its strengths. The synthesis between the band's two souls sounds more genuine this time, and in its heavier moments it recalls 2006's Come Clarity, albeit without the same bite and compositional inspiration.

It almost seems as though Anders Fridén and Björn Gelotte wanted to answer The Halo Effect directly, but without giving up the band's American-leaning side. Fridén in particular throws himself into it, proving more convincing than in recent memory and without sounding too saccharine, except for a few moments where he overdoes the emotional sobbing. The songs are, on the whole, decent, with few missteps, mainly when the band seems to be imitating Bullet for my Valentine too closely or when the alternation between furious riffs and emotional choruses feels too forced; in any case, there's a greater sense of continuity compared to the previous record.

Among the most effective tracks, "Meet Your Maker" starts off violent and furious, then gives way to an emotional chorus built on radio-friendly guitars. "In The Dark", on the other hand, opens blistering only to fizzle out too much. "Bleeding Out" doesn't fully convince vocally, but redeems itself with a virtuoso solo. The power ballads "Foregone pt. 2" and "Pure Light of Mind" wink at Bullet For My Valentine. The most intriguing songs come at the end: "A Dialogue In B Flat Minor", with its industrial-tinged riffs and emotional chorus; "Cynosure", rocking and absorbing; "End The Trasmission", with a fun, melodic chorus.

Foregone won't disappoint fans of the band's recent direction, will stir mixed feelings among those who liked the band up to 2010, and is unlikely to win over anyone who didn't care for the turns the band has taken since 2002. This is In Flames: lightness in both the good and bad sense, heaviness in both the good and bad sense. A band of contradictions that audiences either love or hate.

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