In Flames – Foregone
Release Date: 10th February 2023
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore.
FFO: Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity, At the Gates, Trivium.
Review By: Rick Farley
Not much left to be said for In Flames as far as an introduction. Helped pioneer an entire genre, check. Influenced thousands of copycat bands therein, introducing a whole other subgenre, check. Rode the waves of commercial success all the way to alienating and dividing an entire fanbase, also check. I’ll admit it, I haven’t been much of a fan for many years, their recent albums haven’t really touched my soul in the way Colony or hell even ComeClarity did, which was the last In Flames album I really loved. Nonetheless, they are a band that I will always respect. Each new release, I’ll eagerly check out, in hopes something will click again. And for the most part I can still find certain elements that I like, but ultimately there’s always been something missing.
Foregone marks the bands fourteenth studio album set for release on Nuclear Blast Records and while it’s not a complete return to form per se, (which it doesn’t really need to be) it is the best of the bands past, present and future all woven into a powerful and memorable album that will have even the most hardened In Flames fans headbanging again. At least a little. Not since 2006 has the band sounded this energized. Furious up-tempo pace, Gothenburg melodies, ripping solos, all driven by heavy bass and drums fuel most tracks while Anders screams his ass off. Primarily, this album is extremely guitar driven and riff heavy, which is what their recent albums have been missing. Catchy choruses, syrupy clean vocals, synths, and a sense of nu modern are all present, but the riffs are in your face and for the most part a complete throwback to an angrier version of the band. They do a good job of embracing their roots while staying the course of their ever evolving sound. For better or worse, the band has never been afraid of trying new things. Just this time around, they struck the right balance and reignited some of the past.
By now, if you’re a fan, you are definitely aware of the singles released and are curious to know if that’s the best of the batch. State of Decay with its potent mix of old and new with a quick pace. Foregone Part 1, blasting drums, galloping melodies and Anders signature barking harsh vocals. Foregone Part 2 with its bouncy Whoracle/Clayman vibe. Does the rest of the album hold up?
The answer is yes, for the most part. It all depends on where you’re essential In Flames sound is. In The Dark has a gloomy heaviness similar to the vibe on Soundtrack to your Escape, but also has a sappy commercial chorus, which has been a criticised part of their sound for a while now. A Dialogue in B Flat Minor is a nu-metal inspired rager, that will surely divide the fanbase. Extreme chugging heaviness mixed with an ultra-sugary sing along chorus. Bleeding Out is a mid-tempo, crunchy tune with an arena metal ready chorus and ripping solo. Perfect mix of old and new In Flames. Overall, Foregone is well written, and memorable with a re-found aggressiveness. As long as you’re not stuck solely on the first four albums, you’ll probably find quite a bit to like here. The album is chock-full of hooky guitar riffs, enrapturing harmonies, those glorious Scandinavian melodies, and anthemic choruses all wrapped up in a newly found energy. I’ll take that as a win. 
(4 / 5)
