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September 7, 2008 |
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01. F(r)iend
02. The Quiet Place
03. Dead Alone
04. Touch Of Red
05. Like You Better Dead
06. My Sweet Shadow
07. Evil In A Closet
08. In Search For I
09. Borders And Shading
10. Superhero Of The Computer Rage
11. Dial 595-Escape
12. Bottled
13. Discover Me Like Emptiness (Bonus)
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Just about two years ago, IN FLAMES released an album that many deemed to be nothing short of a sell-out to the "nu-metal" side. Personally, I could not disagree more. "Reroute To Remain" may have been something different in comparison to such monumental releases as "The Jester Race", "Colony" and 2000's highly acclaimed "Clayman", but in my opinion, there was nothing "nu-metal" sounding about that album whatsoever. I listen to "Reroute To Remain" quite frequently and to me, it still sounds as heavy as it did when I first heard it. It is actually quite comical that so many thought that IN FLAMES were steering towards "adopting" a nu-metal style when really, the truth of the matter is that so many OTHER bands have chosen to "adopt" IN FLAMES' sound. Nevertheless, it did not sit well with many of their fans and unfortunately, became one of the most belittled efforts from a band who have been one of the leaders in the European melodic death metal movement since the mid-1990s.
Well, 2004 is shaping up to be a good year for Gothenburg's favorite sons with the release of "Soundtrack To Your Escape". This album spawned high hopes among critics and fans alike and many were wondering if IN FLAMES could come back with a strong and powerful enough album that would topple the opinions that seemed to have plagued "Reroute To Remain". Indeed they have! "Soundtrack To Your Escape" solidifies the band's commitment to producing original material that utilizes their traditional sound while experimenting with more modern influences.
The disc's opener, "F(r)iend," starts off with a very brief annoying electronic sound but is quickly crushed by an onslaught of thrashing aggression. Great riff exchanges in this one, and Anders Fridén's vocals are nice and angry. "The Quiet Place" (also the CD's first single) is a little slow for my liking, but still has that hard edge to it. "Touch Of Red" has a great head-banging intro and ends slowly before picking up the pace again in "Like You Better Dead". Great ending to this one! One of my favorite tracks on the album, "My Sweet Shadow", starts off really fast, then slows right down into a melodic stint and then immediately returns to the heaviness. I really like the "atmospheric" and keyboard-filled ending of this song.
Of course, it would not be an IN FLAMES CD without something faster. Songs like "Dead Alone", "In Search For I" and "Dial 595-Escape" are the definite heavy-hitters on this album. Despite the occasional keyboard fill-ins here and there, these tracks are all good examples of vintage IN FLAMES. "Evil In A Closet" is a powerful melodic ballad with a lot of nice guitar work. My least favorite song on the album is probably "Borders And Shading". It's not bad, but I didn't really care for some of the vocals in it.
"Soundtrack To Your Escape" is no "Clayman" or "Colony" re-visited, but it still is another strong release for IN FLAMES. The album contains a lot of very well-written songs that are quite appealing to the ear and it's nice to see the band diversifying themselves and taking their music to different levels. Production wise, the entire album was very well put together and the sound quality is outstanding. The axework of Jesper Strömblad and Björn Gelotte is nothing short of amazing. Peter Iwers' bass playing and Daniel Svensson's drumming are tight, and Anders Fridén adds in some different vocal-styles but doesn't let up on those signature screams.
All in all, I think "Soundtrack To Your Escape" is a very good album. I have listened to it about 5 or 6 times now, and it definately gets my seal of approval. Already some other people I have talked to are saying a lot of positive things about it as well, and for anyone who still thinks that IN FLAMES have gone nu-metal, give this album a good listen and then see if your opinion has changed. It's worth it!
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