The Swedish band In Flames had been touring for nine months when I spoke with Anders Fridén (vocals) pre-show in Chicago. His words were calm and sincere, a diluted version of his lyrics, and after watching their vigorous set, I’m glad he saved his energy.
In Flames has had more than their share of line-up changes since their birth in 1990. They had a tumultuous start that would leave most with their tails between their legs, but like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the band strode onward and upward.
In Flames is commonly defined as “melodic death metal.” I asked Anders if this was an accurate description of their sound.
“No, no,” he said. “I usually say we’re a metal band and that’s it. Yes, we have melody and some of our songs are aggressive metal, but…no, that’s the wrong term. I like the genre and I’m very proud of where I’m coming from, but I don’t think we are that band. We don’t have death metal lyrics, and I don’t think our music is anywhere close to death metal these days.”
“We have melody and some of our songs are aggressive, but [death metal] is the wrong term.” -Anders Friden
With the 2006 release of Come Clarity (Ferret Records), In Flames created a unique beast, fed it with pulsing guitars and throbbing drumbeats, and constructed something that was beyond the genre in which they began.
Wondering if the direction of their music was a conscious pre-meditation, Anders responded, “I think the feeling is there already no matter what we do, you know? I think that every new album you make is a reaction to the previous one no matter what. And with this album we felt the previous one was a little bit too mid-tempo. So now we want to write something a little bit more guitar-oriented, a little more aggressive.”
Don’t expect anything from the band too soon, though. With the hectic touring, Anders’ preference to be secluded during the writing process, and only one year since Come Clarity’s release, the recording process won’t begin until late 2007.
– Story and photo by Gen Wolff
In Flames: “Reflect the Storm”