In Flames
Sounds Of A Playground Fading

I've had enough already!

To err is human, but to persist is devilish, and for metalheads, it may be a stellar boast, but for me, it's an immeasurable pain in the ass. Our friends in Flames can't produce anything but the same records over and over. Out of boredom, banality, lack of originality, and snobbery. They tried in every way to claim they were breaking away from the "hard-rock" formula (wouldn't it have been better to say metal?), that evolution was just around the corner. At some point, they discovered Korn, Slipknot, and maybe even Radiohead (yeah, right...), and they started stepping out of the genre's copycat mold of At The Gates, synth inserts that drown out the guitars, clean numetal-like vocals, grooves that take away space from the melodic death metal's quintessential "tupatupa" that generated them. But then it seems they realized it didn't pay off.

So let's go back! And it's been three records of doing this stuff. And this album is clear evidence that nothing will change. The opening and title track of the album makes me laugh personally, with this Metallica-esque arpeggio that flows into the usual ripping guitar with harmonization meant to tear your heart out, and then the metalcore kicks off, but not even the good kind, just the usual stuff, with senseless screams and big choruses for the teenage girls. "Deliver Us", destined to accompany a ridiculous video, is even the most "entertaining" track of the bunch, but it feels like listening to the latest Slipknot style, though at least the chorus is well-structured, and the voice is good overall, but we're far from that "Trigger" that had me really into it.

Haven't had enough of Slipknot? Want another nonsense return? Then "The Puzzle" is the track for you. At The Gates are back, "tupatupa" full blast, accompanied by Slipknot-like tunings and ear-bashing vocals. Only when you get to "The Attic" does it seem like there's a change coming, there's some...blues...maybe a bit inappropriate, but the guitar riff suggests it, the spoken voice has been broken enough already. And then we go through Ironmaden-style harmonizations and Slipknot scraps for the rest of the album. 

Isn't it time to stop here, dear Anders? Maybe resurrect the "Passengers" who were at least more fun. And stop producing Caliban.