It is finally here! Gothenburg, Sweden’s melodic death metal legends In Flames released new full length opus with Nuclear Blast! After listening to the EP that went with Metal Hammer a week ago we got a taste of what is to come, but only a taste, now here is the full meal. Here are twelve songs of melodic death metal that take In Flames to their old school era leaning more on death metal than on influences they had in their songwriting as decades moved with them. There are still some electronic effects behind the riffs, some excursions into some more melodic and mellow waters but I love how Anders’ voice transforms between growling and clean melodic singing on epic choruses, sounding better than ever! Besides hits that were already on that EP like awesome ‘State Of Slow Decay’ and ‘Foregone Pt I’ and ‘Foregone Pt II’, there is also superb ‘Bleeding Out’, a perfect combo between harsh death metal and epic melodies. But, one of my personal highlights is for sure almost ballad like ‘Pure Light Of Mind’ having such gentle and beautiful lyrics topped with Anders’ vocal melodies and having almost pop influenced undertones beneath metal, me having Roxette in mind for a few seconds hehe. ‘In The Dark’ and ‘Become One’ are also songs to add as highlights. This is for sure to become one of the candidates for album of the year, it is an album of the month for sure.
Dead Sun released seventh album by the Swedish mastermind Rogga Johansson, who played, have been playing or is playing in too many famous bands and projects to mention here. For sure one of the most prolific musicians in Swedish underground metal scene. This opus contains ten songs of full blooded Swedish death metal, quite a good mixture of old school Stockholm Swedish death, with Entombed, Dismember and Grave coming to mind, but there is also melody reminding me a bit of all those great Gothenburg melodic death metal bands, namely At The Gates and especially Edge of Sanity, whose work I love and respect so much. One of the songs that are highlights on this opus for me is for sure ‘Sand and Rot’ being melodic death metal lesson, with almost some gothic influenced drumming and structure and having that atmospheric parts with synths and flutes if I am not mistaken, or maybe it is only synth. The album as a whole is epic lesson in melodic death metal with heavy hitters like ‘Tid For Jakt’, one of the two songs sung in Swedish, then ‘Mausoleum Melodies’ and the title song. Melodic death metal is my favorite death metal subgenre, so I love this one. Go listen!
Gothenburg legends In Flames will deliver their new opus in couple of days. Until then, Metal Hammer decided to treat us with an e.p. containing four classics performed live and more important, four new songs from the forthcoming new album called ‘Foregone’. I will not comment live songs because we all know how In Flames sound live and that is mindblowing. New songs. Well, nice surprise. ‘State Of Slow Decay’ is a fast melodic death metal, Gothenburg style, which takes me back to the beginnings and my first listening to this band’s early albums, total blast from the past. Super energetic fast song with Anders’ trademark growling on verses and catchy clean vocal chorus. ‘The Great Deceiver’ continues in that direction, with a bit of melodic death groove thrown in making my mouth water for new album. ‘Foregone Pt 1’ and ‘Foregone Pt 2’ are connected songs with Pt 2 being more ballad and features other influences that In Flames incorporated to their music through the decades. Judging by four new songs, this new album is going to be massive and fantastic.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 