|
By JEFF MAKI
Overseas In Flames is one of the biggest metal bands currently out there. They play to thousands of people, large festivals and have opened tours for some of the legendary metal acts ever including Metallica, Motorhead and Judas Priest. They helped spawn the Swedish scene of melodic death metal, in which countless bands are now copying or borrowing from the sound. After all these years they are just now starting to infiltrate U.S. soils. Unfortunately, unless you're a hardcore metal fan in the U.S. you probably have never heard of In Flames. They receive no radio play, are not on MTV, and do not really tour the U.S. on a regular basis. But for those of us who have heard this band we are witnesses to metal greatness. Not since the early Metallica albums, Megadeth, Judas Priest or Slayer perhaps, has a band had such an influencing style such as In Flames and has the potential to be one of the best ever when all is done.
In Flames sound has evolved and changed drastically over their career. With the melodic death metal of The Jester Race or Whoracle to the more accessible Clayman, to the american metal/swedish death hybrid, Reroute To Remain, In Flames are constantly incorporating new elements into their sound and keeping things new and exciting. Soundtrack To Your Escape is the next logical step for In Flames. While still retaining their Swedish sound, they add industrial textures and even more American influence on this release. They have created an album that is listenable over and over again and will have your full attention with each and every riff. The fans cried sell out somewhat with their last release, Reroute To Remain, but I believed that it was their strongest release to date. Soundtrack To You Escape contains many elements from that release while standing as a totally original album on it's own. The high pitched screamed vocals are still here, double bass and guitar harmonies all sound clearer and crisper then ever before and it's just heavy as hell. There are clean Korn-esque vocals along with the more traditional In Flames styled vocals as well. Within every track there is a chorus that will have you singing or screaming along after repeated listens. This is one of those albums, that after the first listen, it's so damn good that you're not even sure what you just heard. You basically have no choice but to listen again and again.
"F(r)iend" is the opener and is just brutal. This track is possibly one of the heaviest songs In Flames has ever recorded. "The Quiet Place" was the first single from this record and probably the most accessible. It's almost as if it is In Flames, mixed with nu-Metal but the combination is original and one of the strongest tracks on this album. "Touch Of Red" is a chugging, headbanging frenzy with one of the catchiest choruses ever from a metal band. "My Sweet Shadow" is an excellent ballad-type song which brings to mind old Metallica material from the Master Of Puppets era. "Borders And Shading" has one of the best riffs of the album and a devastating beat throughout. The guitar work here is amazing. These are just a few examples of the strong material on this album. As a whole Soundtrack To Your Escape contains anything and everything you could possibly want from a metal band and would serve as a good introduction for those who have never heard In Flames. The time is now metalheads. In Flames are innovators in the metal scene and only get better and better with every release. They have already made their mark in metal history and they seem to have a long career still ahead of them.
|
