In Flames – Siren Charms

Swedish metallers In Flames are back with 11 cracking new songs on their 11th studio album ‘Siren Charms’, which is out now on Sony Music.

After a brief electronic intro, album opener ‘In Plain View’ kicks the record to life with a nice little tapped riff. As always the twin lead guitars of Björn Gelotte and Niclas Engelin are outstanding, with not only the soloing but also the main track riffs are catchy and memorable throughout.

Anyone who has listened to In Flames before knows that Anders Fridén’s vocals are quite distinct, and he is able flit from death growls to sweeping chorus’ in the blink of an eye. ‘Monsters In the Ballroom’ & ‘Everything’s Gone’ are great examples of the flexiblitiy in Fridén’s vocals with the latter also being the heaviest track on offer here. Throughout the album there seems far less screaming and growling but more of an emphasis has been put on singing melodies and the songwriting.

‘Rusted Nail’ is the strongest song on the album and it’s no surprise that this is the track chosen to be the first single. All 4minutes and 57 seconds just seem to encapsulate all that is wholesome about In Flames.

http://youtu.be/R9lCXVFCs20

Although being haled as inspiration for numerous ‘metalcore’ bands over the years, this band never really seemed to fit that particular label. But instead lacked the obligatory breakdowns and are an altogether more melodic outfit, and melodies are something this album has in bucketloads.

I had high expectations upon getting this album. In Flames had set the bar high on their previous releases like ‘Soundtrack to Your Escape‘ and ‘Sense Of Purpose‘, but maybe my expectations were a little too high. Don’t get me wrong everything on the album is good, in fact more than good, exceptional in places, but to my ears there just doesn’t seem to be anything that makes you sit up and really take note. Maybe that’s just me being picky or maybe a symptom of the high standard the band has previously set. Whatever the reason, ‘Siren Charms‘ is still a record well worth a listen, and more than a few of these songs will be going in my future playlists.

Track Listing:
1. In Plain View
2. Everything’s Gone
3. Paralyzed
4. Through Oblivion
5. With Eyes Wide Open
6. Siren Charms
7. When The World Explodes
8. Rusted Nail
9. Dead Eyes
10. Monsters In the Ballroom
11. Filtered Truth

Band Lineup:
Anders Fridén – Vocals
Björn Gelotte – Guitar
Daniel Svensson – Drums
Peter Iwers – Bass Guitar
Niclas Engelin– Guitar

Band Links:
http://www.inflames.com/
https://www.facebook.com/inflames
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