In Flames do not need any special introduction. Not from the author of this text, or from anyone else. They have nothing to prove, as they have made some of the finest records of the melodic death metal, defining it at its early stages, experimenting themselves, thinking outside of the box and in some cases, dividing the opinions of metal fans. Balancing between doing “what we like, not considering what the people will say” and moving forward, taking steps forward to make their sound fresh, contemporary, adding new ideas and bringing back the old feeling. “Foregone” consists of a nostalgic album, if this may be written, a record which has a lot of elements that made the fans all over the globe love In Flames and has given the band the status it enjoys today. Fantastic melodies and memorable choruses which A LOT of bands would wish they wrote and played. The signature Gothenburg sound is as present as ever, with the trademark riffing of Björn Gelotte who plays like there is no tomorrow and sounds exactly like that. They rhythm section and groove leave no doubt, no second thoughts. “State of Slow Decay”, “Meet your Maker”, “In the Dark” are the perfect examples of that. The band is like saying to everyone: “Hey, listen, to whoever has ignored us or whoever thinks we have been lazy or not interested, this is what we can do, what we are capable of”. Every second of this album is fully convincing that the band goes full throttle. “Foregone” is the reasonable continuation of ‘I, the Mask’, but is definitely more melodic, more catchy, more refined on the vocal arrangements, the structure of the songs and the overall package. Personally, ‘Foregone’ brings me back to 2008 and ‘A Sense of Purpose’ a magnificent album, bridging the past, present, and future of the band. In 2023, In Flames rejuvenate themselves, re-using this inner strength they have, utilizing all their prominent elements which have made them what they are. Line-up changes has not at all disturbed the ability of the band to write great songs and keeping itself solid and untouched by external factors, like a very well-oiled machine. Anders Fridén shines on botch clean and brutal vocals, something which he does so well for so many years and is considered among the best. ‘A Dialogue in Flat b Minor’ and ‘Cynosure’ are a couple of favorite tracks on this album, which sounds awesome on your stereo. In Göteborg I trust!
♦ 8/10
Antonis Mantzavinos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_MSqS1-Ubs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ed6OX6G90
