RSS Feed


IN FLAMES
Siren Charms

Epic (2014)
Rating: 9/10

In Flames are widely acclaimed for being at the forefront of the 90s metal movement. They are counted among the innovators of the “Gothenburg sound”. They have survived a stylistic change that began with 2002’s Reroute To Remain, and that would have been suicide for a lesser band.

The Swedish band have lost members, opened a restaurant, and stayed together for two and a half decades. Despite, and perhaps because of, all of that, In Flames have sold over two million records worldwide. Siren Charms is their 11th full-length studio album and, in my opinion, their most fully realised album in many years.

Siren Charms builds slowly with ‘In Plain View’; a dire sounding anthem that leads into the chorus with a questioning, melancholic lyrical exploration of what life is. The chorus brings the despair to light in an explosive way, offering a perfected version of the sound the band has been developing since A Sense Of Purpose (2008). ‘Everything’s Gone’ and ‘Filtered Truth’ are slightly heavier overall, but have that same ferociously thick sound that has become synonymous with In Flames.

‘When The World Explodes’ takes the beast up a notch, hearkening back to their mid-career work. It feels like a cross between the driving Reroute To Remain (2002) and the hardcore influence of Come Clarity (2006) during the verses, although the band break it up with an operatic female vocal piece that is interesting but disruptive.

Everything here is heavy, thick, combustible, and emotional. Although there are plenty of tunes in the same vein as the last few albums, there are also some new surprises. ‘With Eyes Wide Open’ is a very bright, very commercial tune. The rhythm section drives the song along as the guitars switch back and forth between ballad-ish leads and groove-oriented heavy. Anders Fridén’s soaring vocals are the icing on the cake. The title track becomes its companion, pulling back the brightness a bit and letting the vocals become the driving force, reserving the heavy parts until about three quarters of the way through the song. It’s a new approach for In Flames and I dig it. I dig it a lot.

Although this should go without saying by now, if you haven’t enjoyed an In Flames album since Clayman (2000) then this isn’t for you. In Flames are a different beast altogether at this point and Siren Charms could very well be the magnum opus from this era of their career. Siren Charms is much more dynamic than the band’s last two albums and it feels very much like a fluid album as opposed to an album built around a few potential singles. This is the In Flames album I have been waiting for!

Mark Fisher

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share