Metal is an undeniable part
of today’s music scene. You
can hear everything from the
sounds of Metallica’s “Black
Album” to the strains of
Killswitch Engage’s cover of
“Holy Diver.”
Metal is an important genre
of music and In Flames new
album “A Sense of Purpose”
is no exception. With its harddriving
guitar riffs and explosive
drums, it’s an album any
metal head should have.
The album was released
April 1, and the special edition
of the album flew off the
shelves the first day.
On top of the regular edition
of the album, only 1,500
limited edition copies were
made, which contained a 160-
minute DVD showing the
making of the album and
scenes of the band members’
personal lives.
The album artwork was
done by Alex Pardee, whose
work may be familiar to fans
of the Used as he also did the
artwork for their albums.
Lead singer Anders
Friden’s dreadlocked performance
on this album is no
different than previous
albums, using his unique
vocal stylings to capture the
attention of the listener. His
high-pitched, almost
“scream-o,” vocal style makes
you hold on to every word.
However, it should be noted
that the entire album is not
just him screaming, and he
does use softer tones in the
band’s longest song “The
Chosen Pessimist,” which is
actually a metal ballad of
sorts.
The noticeable difference,
however, is the use of different
reverbs and sound effects
on the guitars to create an
eerie sense of amusement and
a strange sense of being lost.
One of the most noticeably
different tracks on the album
is “Alias,” which has a
unique sound to it in that the
opening riff sounds distinctly
like an orchestra.
The rest of the album uses
the guitars to their fullest
extent whether it’s the hard
driving sound of “The
Mirror’s Truth” to the soft
ballad sounds of “The Chosen
Pessimist.”
On top of this new album
and having the single “The
Mirror’s Truth” playing on
the radio, as well as having
the video on Headbangers
Ball on MTV2, In Flames is
also on Gigatour, an alternative
tour to Ozzfest.
They are currently headlining
with metal great
Megadeth, along with fellow
Scandinavian band Children
of Bodom, who also released
a new album, “Blooddrunk”
on April 7.
Both In Flames and
Children of Bodom are coming
to the Electric Factory on
April 24.
While infinitely different
than previous albums, “A
Sense of Purpose” should be
added to any Scandinavian
metal fan’s collection.
Its sound and style should
make any true metal fan want
to headbang.