ALBUM REVIEW: Foregone – In Flames
After the incredible debut from THE HALO EFFECT last year, people may argue whether we need another IN FLAMES album. Surely after 13 previous albums, their best is long behind them? Oh, how could people be so naïve? Not only have the Swedish stalwarts created a glorious body of work for their 14th album but it’s arguably their best effort in 20 years.
Let’s get this out of the way first. IN FLAMES have had a tumultuous time since the release of their worldwide breakthrough album Come Clarity in 2006. Some saw it as the band almost selling out for commercial gain, while others saw it as them capitalizing on their potential. It certainly got the band’s name on people’s tongues. Since then, however, it’s been a real mixed bag. A few lacklustre releases culminating in the one-two gut punch of Siren Charms and Battles and the cacophony of noise that once surrounded the Gothenburg giants was now a mere whisper. They had become a tale of has-been heroes within the scene to many. But 2019’s I, The Mask lit a small light at the end of the tunnel. A glimmer of hope to those fans who once adored them and even those who stuck through it all. While it wasn’t perfect, it was a step in the right direction.
Fast forward to 2023’s Foregone and the band have come full circle. Re-energised, reinvigorated, and with ex-MEGADETH shredder Chris Broderick now in the line-up, the grit and groove is back once again, with the band ready to prove to the world that they still mean business. The opening plucking of an acoustic guitar partnered with beautiful cellos feels like a warm welcome home. It’s a stunning piece of music that sets you up nicely for what’s to come. Before you get too comfortable, in comes the fury of State Of Slow Decay – a ferocious number that makes you say ‘Now this is IN FLAMES’. The guitars speed through while frontman Anders Fridén snarls over the top with his trademark bite, and the clean chorus is sang in a style reminiscent of their Come Clarity era.
Meet Your Maker is an early album highlight and one of the best showcases of all the band are capable of. “At the end of the masquerade, your time’s up now there’s hell to pay”, Fridén sings during the chorus and echoes what is being construed through most of the album. The lyrics throughout the album take stabs at the current state of the world and what’s happened over recent years. It’s quite a dark album tonally, with very little hope on display here. The solo during the track is the first glimpse of the addition of Broderick, who is one of the most underrated guitar players in the game. His solo during Bleeding Out is sensational.
The guitar tone in general throughout the album is chunkier than their previous efforts and it puts so much weight and meaning behind the riffs. Each note hits like a ton of bricks. Speaking of, the intro to Foregone Pt 1 is one of the heaviest riffs the band have ever created. The two-part title track in general is quite magnificent; with Part 2 being a softer counterpart to the unrelenting first half, it adds balance to the chaos. The main riff swings like a pendulum before the vocals kick in, proving that Fridén has been working hard on cleaning up his vocals for this album. Any criticisms of his work recently can be quashed here. His cleans have never sounded better.
The melody marches on with the closest thing this album has to a ballad, Pure Light Of Mind. Imagine the title track from Come Clarity with the meaty production of A Sound Of A Playground Fading. While this is their commercial darling, it doesn’t feel tacked on or derivative. It features a wonderous sway that swells with emotion, especially during the uplifting chorus. It’s one of the only hopeful moments on the record and one that comes at a perfect time before the album kicks back into high gear with the galloping The Great Deceiver.
The latter half of the album doesn’t let up much but there are more moments that hit with that mid-tempo stomp and a hefty weight rather than rushing in at full speed. In The Dark and A Dialogue In B Flat Minor are both incredible tracks that prove once again that IN FLAMES are still capable of writing memorable choruses. In fact, the whole album features some of their best songwriting in terms of memorability which had been absent in recent releases. Cynosure allows bassist Bryce Paul to get a little spotlight, as his bass cuts through the verses to significant effect, while drummer Tanner Wayne compliments his work perfectly towards the conclusion of the track. After the last notes of the closer End Transmission come to a stop, fans of the band should hopefully be sporting a massive grin with the knowledge that the boys are well and truly back.
IN FLAMES have finally created an album that mixes their old and new styles together organically. Nothing sounds forced and everything works to almost perfection. Foregone is the best album the band have produced in the last 15-20 years and it’s a pleasure to see them back with a fire well and truly lit beneath them.
Rating: 9/10
Foregone is set for release on February 10th via Nuclear Blast Records.
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