In Flames

[cramx3]

THE HALO EFFECT - Shadowminds (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Honestly, that was pretty groovy! 

Yeah, I like it too 

[LithoJazzoSphere]

It's better than most of what In Flames has done in the past couple decades, but I think they can do better.  It's kind of like a Dark Tranquillity b-side. 

[Polarbear]

THE HALO EFFECT - Shadowminds (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Honestly, that was pretty groovy! 

Yeah, I like it too 

Yeah, that was good! This has a lot of potential, with all the talent involved.

I had no idea In Flames gave the boot to Niclas Engelin.

This is more In Flames than the current lineup of that band, considering all the members involved

[wolfking]

It's better than most of what In Flames has done in the past couple decades, but I think they can do better.  It's kind of like a Dark Tranquillity b-side.

This seems pretty accurate.  I didn't mind it though.

[Art]

Yeah, it didn't do much for me. Sounds like a current DT b-side. I kinda hate the production as well. Still gonna check the album, but now my hopes are really low.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Yea I agree this sounds more like DT than early IF. I wonder if Stanne wrote it? 

As much as I love early In Flames I would rather them doing something kinda diffrent than trying to relive their past. Sure deep down I woudln't mind it too much though. 

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I don't know, In Flames has been "doing something kinda different" for a couple decades now.  The more proper Swedeath bands have been churning out tribute albums to the buzzsaw releases for quite some time now, but proper 90s melodeath has pretty much been dormant for a long time now.  I wouldn't mind a revival of it as long as the quality level is high.  If you want something "different" there's a million newer bands exploring all kinds of proggy, techy, dissonant, and other more avant-garde stuff.  It's rare for guys pushing 50 to produce quality innovative work anyway. 

[Art]

Check Dungeon Serpent - World Of Sorrows, sounds like (really) early melodeath, and it's one of my favorite releases of 2021.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I actually quite liked that one, it might have even been in my tentative top 30 or so of metal albums this year.  But I don't remember it being especially melodic, maybe more in the Dismember Massive Killing Capacity sense if anything.  It's definitely on my list to revisit again though.  My template track is In Flames' "Man Made God", which is perfection. 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

THE HALO EFFECT - Feel What I Believe

Man the harmonies is just oozing In Flames.

[gazinwales]

THE HALO EFFECT - Feel What I Believe

Man the harmonies is just oozing In Flames.

Now this is more like it, much better than the first single...

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I want to like them, but they're not doing anything for me yet.  Hopefully the rest of the album will connect better. 

[wolfking]

THE HALO EFFECT - Feel What I Believe

Man the harmonies is just oozing In Flames.

I really liked this.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I really like the description of the song:

"The song is basically about how it felt growing up and discovering extreme metal in our late teens. Delving into something that was both frightening and alluring at the same time. And having that as the sole focus as you started playing in a band and in essence decided who you wanted to be. That confidence and laser focus is what still fascinates me I love that this somehow endured over the years. This is basically us at 19 screaming "How don't you understand this?". And even if people around us didn't get it at the time at least they could see our passion for it and that's what this song is about."

[Deathless]

Maybe we need to just create a Halo Effect thread, but here is another new track from the In-Flames offshoot band. This is good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDR52-9Zns4

[ErHaO]

Forgot about this, the latest two tracks are excellent!

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I wasn't crazy about the first two, but this one is definitely closer to what I'm looking to get out of them. 

[gazinwales]

Yeah sounds great album drops in August....

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Yea, another great song. This album is shaping up!

[Art]

This song is better, but I kinda hate the production (standard Nuclear Blast release sound).

[LithoJazzoSphere]

This song is better, but I kinda hate the production (standard Nuclear Blast release sound).

That's probably my main complaint.  It's just the standard anodyne metal production style, competent, but unexciting.  Part of what made Colony and Clayman so iconic was the massive, punchy, crushing production, arguably the peak of the Studio Fredman sound where Frederik Nordstrom had struck gold.  If they can't recreate that, I'd like to hear this album in more of an Amorphis production style, they're probably the best lately at getting a slick, polished approach to consistently sound good. 

[wolfking]

Maybe we need to just create a Halo Effect thread, but here is another new track from the In-Flames offshoot band. This is good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDR52-9Zns4

Instant Clayman/Colony vibes.  This is fucking fantastic.

[twosuitsluke]

I'm in shock guys, did In Flames just release a song that I actually like?!

https://open.spotify.com/track/4CbZ37zpHKk3FQuV7bRVHB?si=LZWDejJTQFe1_ocH8D4ZxQ&utm_source=copy-link

[wolfking]

https://youtu.be/goddrM-QozI

Well this was unexpected.  Really solid, strong Come Clarity vibes here too.

[twosuitsluke]

https://youtu.be/goddrM-QozI

Well this was unexpected.  Really solid, strong Come Clarity vibes here too.

Totally. I love that! Come Clarity was the first In Flames album I ever bought. The drumming in this new song is Take This Life 2.0.

Anders actually sounds good on this. What fucking year is it?

[wolfking]

Come Clarity is just excellent.  Nice comparison with Take This Life.

[Deathless]

This might be a stretch but maybe the Halo Effect writing and releasing solid music has caused In Flames to up their game? Doesn't hurt either way. Interested to hear the official track.

[SchecterShredder]

https://youtu.be/goddrM-QozI

Well this was unexpected.  Really solid, strong Come Clarity vibes here too.

Easily the best In Flames release in a decade. I'd basically written these guys off, but I'm intrigued about this new album now.

[cramx3]

In Flames also just announced a US headlining tour.  Sadly, it's the same date as another concert for me.  I would have otherwise gone.

[twosuitsluke]

https://youtu.be/goddrM-QozI

Well this was unexpected.  Really solid, strong Come Clarity vibes here too.

Easily the best In Flames release in a decade. I'd basically written these guys off, but I'm intrigued about this new album now.

Right there with you. I'd lost all hope of them ever putting out anything decent again.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I'm not getting my hopes up too much.  There is always at least a decent song or two and moments in others on their more recent albums, so I'm not holding my breath until I hear a full album of songs like this one.  But it is an improvement over their worst tendencies, and they have enough vocal layering going on to mask Davis' lack of singing ability.  It would be frustratingly ironic if the singles are by far the best tracks from The Halo Effect with a weak full album and In Flames somehow churned out a better release than them. 

Edit:  I caught the Floydian slip, and I'm just going to leave it because it's too accurate.   

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Lol I remember getting really excited about I, the mask and then I heard the whole album..... 

This sounds so much like the In Flames I used too love, hopefully they have more songs in the same vain on the album.

[wolfking]

Lol I remember getting really excited about I, the mask and then I heard the whole album..... 

This is a good point, the couple of singles they released were promising as hell, but the whole album ended up weaker than Battles.

[nick_z]

The new song certainly was a surprise!

...although, if I'm thinking of a comparison, I would definitely go for Slaughter of the Soul-era At the Gates. The main riff and the relentless drumming totally sound like Blinded by Fear! Chorus is way more melodic, though.

Good stuff...this makes me curious...

[billboy73]

Really enjoying this new one!  Hopefully it's not like the last couple of albums where the first single was okay and the album was mostly meh.  I saw them about a month ago, and Anders' growls sounded great.  Check out the set from the Nova Rock Festival a few days ago on Youtube.  Anders sounds solid there as well, and the band sound great.  Hopefully they will let Chris Broderick rip a few on the new album.  He and Bjorn with some trade-off leads would be excellent too.