It hurts to say this, but In Flames became a sinking ship. It is a ship with broken sails; a ship without captain. Ever since Jesper Stromblad departed the band, the course of its career has been caught in a sea storm. A big, great album did not appear on the horizon in the past ten years. Even In Flames’ music competence is in question, as once marvelous live act is only its shadow now.
Tragically comic tour with Slipknot had an impinging effect on In Flames, since they succumbed to the audience’s reaction in United States. Instead of continuing with their unique thing, they have decided to create something that everyone would like. In the end, no one liked it. They have tried to implement durilo nu-metal in their sound and their biggest fans did not receive this innovation well. Practically, they have become a band without their original fanbase.
Sounds Grom The Heart of Gothenburg is a live album, recorded in 2014 in Scandinavian Arena in Gothenburg in front of 10000 people. It is supposed to build the hype before the release of their upcoming studio album titled Battles. The biggest advantage of this release is that newer songs sound more energetic than in original versions.
Their first five albums are completely neutralized, with only one song from Colony and Clayman. Focusing on their worst, more contemporary albums did not serve them justice. There are seven songs from Siren Charms, four from Sounds of a Playground and three from A Sense Of Purpose. Meaning, most of the songs come from their weakest efforts, which hardly left any space for the songs that made them respected. Overall, this is far from the powerful In Flames majority of us remember.
The sound, the image, the direction, the lightning – everything is spot on. Still, professionalism took the essence and fireworks of the band, turning them into a polished predicaments. Sorry about it. My favorite moment from the live record is When The World Explodes, a song featuring opera diva Emilia Feldt. Dramatic passion spurred the hope that the band might still return to the right course.
So, this DVD is supposed to be a warm-up for the new album. It serves as a celebration of the band’s return. My fear is that there might be nothing left worth returning. Still, I owe them a benefit of a doubt. Let’s wait and see If they surprise me.
