In Flames - A Sense of Purpose 2008

Tracks:
1. The Mirrors Truth
2. Disconnected
3. Sleepless Again
4. Alias
5. I'm The Highway
6. Delight And Angers
7. Move Through me
8. The Chosen Pessimist
9. Sober And Irrelevant
10. Drenched In Fear
11. Condemned
12. March To The Shore

Band:
Anders Fridén (V)
Björn Gelotte (G)
Jesper Strömblad (G)
Peter Iwers (B)
Daniel Svensson (D)

Discography:
Lunar Strain (1994)
Subterranean (1995)
The Jester Race (1996)
Whoracle (1997)
Colony (1999)
Clayman (2000)
Reroute to Remain (2002)
Soundtrack to Your Escape (2004)
Come Clarity (2006)

Recording info:
Daniel Bergstrand (producer for V)
Roberto Laghi (producer for B, G & D)
Toby Wright (mix)
Stephen Marcussen (master)

Links:
inflames.com
myspace
nuclearblast

From Nuclear Blast came a podcast with this album into my iTunes library (god how I am making commercials for Apple these days) and then into my iPod (there you have it again). As I always do when someone give something especially for me, I listened to this album for some times in my little portable music device that can hold loads of songs (see, I try to avoid iPod commercials, darn I did it once more unconciously). What I heard was the typical flaming (that is slang for In Flames) sound that I quite like actually. It sounds quite like much I have heard before from these gentlemen (from Sweden) and that is acceptable (I am not that much into the more extreme side of the music).

Musically the flamers mix quite a bit, it is heavy and distorted and rather straightforward at times. At times we hear some diverting but not to the grade that it can be called progressive in the sense the word is used regularly in music but it is attractive and modern. Crystal clear production as usual, probably expensive. Vocally I think this band has a slight weakness, I have never liked the voice of Anders Fridén, I don’t know why but there is something about his voice that doesn’t suite me.

Besides the voice I would say that In Flames music is stable, it doesn’t stand out that much when considering quality. You get a solid product if you invest your money on the people in the flames. A solid product with no discernible strengths or weaknesses it is flat and solid all through the line, no song stands out in either direction. A fact is that the record is quite flat and doesn’t manage to stand out or shine.

Sure a record with no highs but also no lows could be considered a good solid record, sure it is so with this record too, the problem is that this makes the record feel more like a background with no real exciting parts which hardly makes you enthusiastic about it. But I guess for the already bitten flamers my opinion carry no real value, I am probably just another idiot for them to dislike: “why does he say that? Our band is the best” they may say and then stop reading; justifiably perhaps.

For you non-bitten flamers this may not work, or it may work, it may also seem unacceptable, but I think you will find it acceptable even if you are fans of more none-aggressive music.

In Flames works real well, especially for being and extreme band. Sure, some would argue that it is too polished and yes it lacks some aggression but it works. It is a very good record for the genre but it lacks that real attitude that make it stand out.

official website