An In Flames Tribute
A brief In Flames history
In Flames recording lineups
A look at their albums
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Clayman promotional pic - Band Left to Right; Bjorn Gelotte, Anders Friden, Peter Iwers, Jesper Stromblad, Daniel Svensson
Often-times called "Gothenburg Metal", due to the town of it's originators, Melodic Death metal is the scorching sub-genre of metal played by the likes of Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity, Soilwork, The Crown, the late At the Gates, and most importantly, In Flames (I'm a little biased...admittedly so though :-))
A Brief Look At -
Formed in Sweden in the early 1990's, In Flames have long since been riding the forefront of the Melodic Death metal scene. Started by guitarist Jesper Stromblad, In Flames' trademark majestic brutality is only matched by it's intriguing lyrical content. Singer Anders Friden, often-times a mystery in himself, delivers powerful, growl vocals. He can, however, transition to a cleaner tone at the drop of a hat, and does so frequently in the latter part of In Flames' recordings. While by no means the best singer out there, Friden is able to make use of what he has by pouring immense amounts of emotion into his songs. The guy likes what he does, and for that, he's earned my respect. Fuck anyone who says that singing Death vocals is easy...just try it for two straight hours. The seminal part of Melodic Death metal, in my opinion, is the guitar work. Axemen Jesper Stromblad and Bjorn Gelote are able to captivate listeners and keep them hooked with their fluent, crunch-laden rhythm sections, as well as their streaming, slower riffing, usually done on the higher register of the fretboard. They are able to both twin their parts, and play individually, making it go off without a hitch. Both, very skilled players. The guitars are usually down tuned, to both compliment Friden's voice, anc give the band an all around thicker sound. Daniel Svensson adds a very capable drummer, keeping rock-steady beats throughout, although he does tend to change tempos quickly, always keeping the listener on his feet (I will always use "his" when I deal with listeners of Death Metal. Any female that objects, email me). Bassist Peter Iwers is the backbone of it all, playing nothing astonishing or necessarily groundbreaking, but combining with Svensson to form the rhythem portion of one of the heavier bands out there. In Flames are known for their ability to keep their music very hard-hitting, yet at the same time, very groove-ridden. Indeed, this is why they sit on top of the Melodic Death Metal pile.
- In Flames are fans of Star Wars
- In Flames have personalized, thicker guitar strings, to give their trademark sound "more crunch"
- In Flames cite Iron Maiden as one of their major musical influences, especially their guitar playing
- One In Flames member is a big Tom Jones fan...
- In Flames lyrics are for the most part "self interpretive", in that it is up to the listener to decide what Anders is singing about
- More to come as they are discovered...
In Flames Fast Facts-
- All In Flames lyrics are written and composed by Anders Friden and Niklas Sundin (Dark Tranquillity)