In Flames just released their new album Foregone which has largely been hailed as a return to their melodic death metal roots. Though if you ask vocalist Anders Fridén, In Flames never really drifted too far from their roots in their first place.
Fridén said in an interview with Metal Injection that he feels In Flames has always stayed in touch with their beginnings, and that a lot of the criticism comes from people being on different legs of their musical journeys. Fridén posits that if every In Flames record was recorded right now in the same studio with the same gear and the same producers, that people would see the similarities a lot more.
"I don't feel we've disconnected from our roots or disconnected from… we have everything with us and we always, constantly look forward. This is our fourteenth album. There will be times where we will not be in the same rhythm as a fan that got into the band in 1997. I get all that stuff, but I can't fight it. I can't try to please every single person and where they are in their musical journey. Those people have to understand we do this for us, and maybe right now we align with where people have been and where they are."
"I feel the past few albums might have lacked a little in the production. The attack of the guitars, the attack of the drums, the overall focus – that's where we are right now. Imagine all of our albums were recorded at the same time with the same producer, with the same great gear, the same feeling we have at that point. I think they would sound more similar than they actually do.
"But all the albums are different times and different circumstances, so they all come out a different way. But it's still In Flames. We still have the sound."
You can also check out our full review of Foregone here.
