see the sections reviews, interviews and live reports to find our  articles about In  Flames

reviews by Lisa Hieta - Larsson    Sara De Vita     Francesco Casale

preview- review  by Lisa "Blondie" Hieta-Larsson____    

It starts off with brutality. F(r)iend is like a heavy punch in your stomach.

There is a lot of obvious aggression and a feeling of darkness that I never before discovered in their music. It’s completely different in that sense and it feels as a fresh breeze!

The rest of the album describes the band as we are used to hear them with a lot of energy and very melodic harmonies combined with straight heavy metal.

Though compared to Reroute to remain it presents more experimenting with electronic samples. Take for example In search for I where some electronic sounds appears through the whole track. This influence takes the songs to new dimensions and make them become more alive.

There’s also a different drum sound that appears in almost every track. It’s a hollow, hard beat. The general impression I get of Soundtrack to your Escape is that they have become a bit heavier.  

Still, not much have changed concerning their sound and in a way they are quite predictable. But they are really good at what they do! To not become impressed by Anders Friden’s ability to vary between grim death growling and screaming/clean vocals is almost impossible!

The tracks I think best represent this album is:

Dead alone - energetic intro, hammering, rythmic drums with cool effects, rasping vocals, flowing harmonies.

Touch of red - heavy guitar riffs, contrasts between tranquil chorus and screaming vocals, heavy beating metal drums.

Evil in a closet - a calm ballad intro that bursts into a heavy metal refrain.

If you liked In flames previous recordings, don’t hesitate to collect this one. I promise, you won’t get disappointed!

Rating: 7.5/10

Lisa Hieta_Larsson  

review  by Sara "Shadow Lady" De Vita____     

50 minutes of pure ferocity!!!

A renewed and innovative sound: bass’n drum dare in the more cadenced Nu metal, unfailing Death guitars (in full In Flames’style) and a varied vocal attacking almost black extensions, to smooth out into a Nu-gothic, passing through the timeless growl of Death voice.

“F(r)iend” is an unstoppable hammering of gallopping sounds, with maddening riffs and drum relentless on a strong paving of bass work.

“The Quiet Place” plays, instead, on a sort of “surprise effect”: it develops with a soundtrack that in some places recalls the last Korn (someone will now hate me…hehehe), evolving into very personal musicality's and Death extrapolations of sure impact (especially in the vocal’n guitar work).

“Dead Alone”… here they are, the old In Flames: let’s say it, the true death, the scratching one, quick, refined, hammering, and yet full of grace: it is their own, without many artifacts, essential, and yet with style. “Dead Alone” is a sublime song, like only In Flames can do.

Heavier sounds characterize “Touch of Red”: there’s something in this work that makes it unique indeed, but believe me, I could not express it with words; I can only say that it is a work that will please not only the Deathers, but also the Black lovers (with its decadent and symphonic lines), the Powers (in its aulic and hymnal choirs), and Gothic Metallers (with its grace and aggressiveness).

All in all, a boiling cauldron of merging ideas in a liquid flow of notes that, like the rapids of a stream, can only be followed with the ears, in their crashing course.

Always moving, variables of an equilibrium that keeps changing…these are “Touch of Red” and “Like you Better Dead”.

“Soundtrack to your Escape” is an album never tires, managing to renew itself continuously and testing itself in difficult modernizations of the sound that rarely manage to marry such rooted sounds as those of the Nordic Death.

In this way I speak to especially refer to “My Sweet Shadow”, delicate and yet ferocious, and “Evil in a Closet”, a ballad with nostalgic flavor with unpredictable arpeggios and an almost synthetic voice.

Relax is over with the beginning of “In Search for I”, to follow with “Borders of Shading” and “Superhero of Computer Age”, where the band throws us again into a inhuman aggressiveness.

An assassin and compact drum work against which we are literarily and relentlessly slammed by the guitars.

A perfect musical assemblage between bass’n guitars, moving the instrument of Peter Iwers from rhythm to almost (I’d dare to say) solo!!!

Synthetised effects enrich the sound with a touch of electronics that is never out of place!

With the smoother (but not too much) sounds of “Dial 595-Escape” and “Bottled” we reach the end of this musical road; sunned, and yet satisfied with the winning bet of our incomparable In Flames and our lady Nuclear Blast, that once again placed the best bet: “never change the winning horse”.

Rating: 9\10

Sara De Vita  

preview- review  by Francesco "Hangedpuppy"  Casale  ____    

I press "play" to my cd player....silence....silence...digital numbers run on my little display...then an explosion...i stare wide-eyed...exclaiming my astonishment...rage and melody...and it was like necessity for me to listen to this album till i found every sound that this Nordic band creates.

Let’s start with “F(r)iend”....electronic noise that leads you to an obsessive guitar and drums...simple notes but powerful and really really heavy. After some minutes of continuous and chasing riffs finally we can listen to a short Death solo...followed by obsessive rhythm...a mix of guitar, drum and bass that are mixed magistrally to create a deep Death melody.

The voice of Anders is principally Death...acid and rabid...screaming and pulling his tonality to the extreme.

“The Quiet Place” starts with some strange atmosphere...signed by a little single guitar solo that reminds of the Death origin of the band...the crescendo stops with an explosion where the little solo is mixed with the other full guitar and bass. Anders starts slowly...quite whispering...he continues...letting his voice growing till a scream, and leads himself to the melody of this song. Really interesting is the architecture of the song : an alternation of speed and rhythmic sound counterpoise full electronic and ambient stops. I think this is my favorite song on this album....

In “Dead Alone” the band finds again its Death metal origin...continuous bass and drums....single notes with overdrive effect for the guitar....and acid speeching for the vocals that sometimes follows all the evolution of the song and joins the melodic line.

“Touch of Red” and “Like You Better Dead” explain more the new style of the band...some common choice like an omnipresent powerful guitar (more deep with overdrive)...a 4/4 battery rhythm (sometimes drives to 5/4). The bass principally follows the drums, maintaining a continuous deep bottom sound...(sometimes Larsonn is using a metal slap...like in “My Sweet Shadow”).

Here we come to one of the most significant songs of the album...“My Sweet Shadow”. The song starts with a extraordinary energy...like the band throw you in the air at 200 km/h...then the tempo stops...and Anders...with pathos...pulls out his feelings....singing and slowly driving into rage....mixing his voice with the sound and with a fabulous chorus...then stops again....crescendo again and chorus. It’s a liberation for my senses. It's like the music lifts yourself from earth....a little vortex that runs near you...a kind of soul elevation.

“Evil in a Closet” is a nice ballad...quite acoustic but although it’s maintaining all the line of the album...chasing every single sound...like the wonderful solo of guitar after 3 minutes of playing....leading again into a (this time) slow metal riff.

In a “Search For I” all the rhythms are exasperated...like the band want to recover the time lost in “Evil in a Closet”. Here the two guitars play together alternating solo and riffs...a good synchro work.

I see “Superhero of the Computer Rage” like a drama of the current society. The song is really fast...and I think it’s symbolizing the fast connection of internet...melody is a firm point in this song...in spite of the fact that In Flames use a straight and grind metal way to explain their feelings.

Anders is wonderful in “Dial 595-Escape”...changing his way of  singing...alternating clear voice, to grind and acid...and then to deep growl....especially in the melodic section.

The last song “Bottled” is a bit strange, cause it starts with heavy riffs...but the melodic line...it’s really melodic... with chorus and change of modulation. All this is covered by a simply beautiful Death guitar.

Impressions: a wonderful work... good mix of different styles and sounds...not so simple to listen to, cause in quite all songs all the instruments are mixed together... and it’s hard to separate the single sessions . In spite of this hard work... the album is really beautiful...one of that album that you will consume...and listen to again, again, again....

Rating: 9\10

Francesco Casale    

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