[In Flames] Album Review, Foregone: Lacking Spice And New Energy

In Flames (Instagram @inflames)

JAKARTA - Swedish/American metal band, In Flames, released their fourteenth studio album, Foregone, on February 10, 2023, via Nuclear Blast. The album features two In Flames' songs released earlier this year, namely State Of Slow Decay and The Great Deceiver.

Foregone demonstrates In Flames' desire to reinvent themselves with an iconic sound that has stuck with them for two decades.

Although the clue seems to be in the title of the album, however, the tracks that spout riffs smelling of the band's classic sound are the most obvious indicators. The acoustic song The Beginning of All Things That Will End, which was requested as the opening act, immediately evokes the aroma of The Jester Race (1996).

And instead of being dominated by groove, many of the best songs on this album actually feature both melody and harmony, as in State of Slow Decay or even the speed contained in Foregone, Pt. 1.

At its best, Foregone provides a vital sound similar to Whoracle (1997) with the acoustic 'breaks' in In the Dark or even the re-introduction of a contrasting solo on The Great Deceiver.

They tied themselves to this decision with the addition of Chris Broderick (ex-Jag Panzer and Megadeth), whose playing combined the best of In Flames guitar solos and the most creative ideas of Björn Gelotte. In short, it's a no-nonsense album!

Foregone is also full of reminders that it's 2023, and the 'prodigal son' has just returned to his fold. One of the biggest tensions on the album is between the assertive choruses and the intensity of the melodeath. This is the strangest tension in terms of sound since Colony In Flames (1999).

The fundamental pride of In Flames' classic sound is that they can take any melody on guitar and cut through with it. This is demonstrated in Foregone, Pt. 1, where the track is so catchy and fun at the same time.

Anders Frieden's groove orientation and clean vocals become more prominent toward the end of the album. Foregone's main criticism, however, is that In Flames relies too much on Anders, who lacks the strength of Björn Strid (Soilwork) or the emotional sensitivity of Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth).

And the real problem with Foregone is, the album stutters in the second half with three songs that tend toward mid-paced grooves and lack spice and new energy in their sound, as in A Dialogue in B Flat Minor, Cynosure, and Pure Light of Mind.