In Flames
In Flames are a Melodic Death Metal band formed in 1990, Gothenburg, Sweden by Jesper Stromblad. In Flames was intended to be Jesper's side project as he was already part of a band called Ceremonial Oath. When the band formed it consisted of Jesper Stromblad, Johan Larsson and Glenn Ljungstrom.
Soon after In Flames formed, Jesper left Ceremonial Oath to concentrate on his new project. In Flames recorded a demo tape and sent it to numerous record companies in an attmept to get signed. Eventually In Flames were noticed as strong potential by Wrong Again Records. After In Flames told them they had more material to offer they were signed. Soon after In Flames began writing and recording their first album, Lunar Strain.
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Lunar Strain and Subterranean
It took In Flames 4 years since forming to release their first real album. At the time of recording their first album, In Flames didn't have a vocalist. Jesper asked Dark Tranquillity's Mikael Stanne to provide vocals for In Flames' first album together.
In 1994 Lunar Strain was released which became very popular in the Scandinavian Death Metal Scene. In the same year, In Flames also recorded and released their first EP called Subterranean. In Flames still didn't have a vocalist at the time so Henke Forss provided vocal duties for this record. Subterranean was the push for In Flames to get out of the underground scene and soon after were offered a deal from Nuclear Blast. In 1996 In Flames eventually recruited 2 new band members, Bjorn Gellotte who would play drums and Anders Friden to be their main vocalist.
The Jester Race, Whoracle and Colony
When In Flames released The Jester race it became a huge success across most of Europe. The Jester Race is considered as one of the albums that kicked off the Gothenburg sound, along with Dark Tranquillity's "The Gallery" and At The Gates' "Slaughter of the Soul".
In 1997 In Flames had their third album, Whoracle released through Nuclear Blast. Whoracle was the second album to feature Anders Friden on vocals. After the album was released, Glenn and Johan left the band mainly for personal reasons. Peter Iwers and Niklas Engelin took their place as Bass player and Guitarist. However after In Flames' European tour, Engelin left In Flames.
In 1998 Bjorn Gellotte switched to guitar and In Flames recruited Daniel Svensson, making the In Flames lineup as it stands today. With the new lineup in 1999 In Flames released Colony, which made In Flames even more popular. So much so that In Flames were selling out venues all across Europe. With each album In Flames became bigger and bigger worldwide.
Clayman to Present
With a full lineup, In Flames became one of the most popular Swedish bands around. In 2000 In Flames released Clayman, their 5th Studio album. After In Flames finished touring, in 2001 they released a live album called "The Tokyo Showdown".
Clayman was where In Flames mainly met their modern sound. Since Clayman there haven't been drastic changes like there have been in the run up to it. Reroute to Remain and Soundtrack To Your Escape has remained a similar style to In Flames sound.
The Gothenburg Sound
In Flames are 1 of 3 bands said to be responsible for the "Gothenburg Sound" which is better known today as Melodic Death Metal. It gets its name from the Iron Maiden style guitar parts with a Death Metal aggresive sound. In Flames' Melodic Death Metal ways also uses a lot of harmonised guitar parts as well.
In Flames, Dark Tranquillity and At The Gates all shared a similar interest in the style and can be heard through most of the first few albums especially. In Flames has been the most succesful out of the 3 to date and have remained a huge influence for many new Melodic Death Metal bands.
Albums and Tracklisting
Lunar Strain
1. Behind Space
2. Lunar Strain
3. Starforsaken
4. Dreamscape
5. Everlost, Part I
6. Everlost, Part II
7. Hargalaten
8. In Flames
9. Upon An Oaken Throne
10. Clad In Shadows
The Jester Race
1. Moonshield
2. The Jester's Dance
3. Artifacts Of The Black Rain
4. Graveland
5. Lord Hypnos
6. Dead Eternity
7. The Jester Race
8. December Flower
9. Wayfaerer
10. Dead God In Me
Whoracle
1. Jotun
2. Food For The Gods
3. Gyroscope
4. The Hive
5. Dialogue With The Stars
6. Jester Script Transfigured
7. Morphing Into Primal
8. Worlds Within The Margin
9. Episode 666
10. Everything Counts
11. Whoracle
Colony
1. Embody The Invisible
2. Ordinary Story
3. Scorn
4. Colony
5. Zombie Inc.
6. Pallar Anders Visa
7. Coerced Coexistence
8. Resin
9. Behind Space '99
10. Inspired 2000
11. The New Word
Clayman
1. Bullet Ride
2. Pinball Map
3. Only For The Weak
4. ... As The Future Repeats Today
5. Square Nothing
6. Clayman
7. Satellites and Astronauts
8. Brush The Dust Away
9. Swim
10. Suburban Me
11. Another Day In Quicksand
Reroute To Remain
1. Reroute To Remain
2. System
3. Drifter
4. Trigger
5. Cloud Connected
6. Transparent
7. Dawn Of A New Day
8. Egonomic
9. Minus
10. Dismiss The Cynics
11. Free Fall
12. Dark Signs
13. Metaphor
14. Black & White
Soundtrack To Your Escape
1. F®iend
2. The Quiet Place
3. Dead Alone
4. Touch Of Red
5. Like You Better Dead
6. My Sweet Shadow
7. Evil In A Closet
8. In Search For I
9. Borders And Shading
10. Superhero Of The Computer Rage
11. Dial 595-Escape
12. Bottled
Come Clarity
1. Take This Life
2. Leeches
3. Reflect The Storm
4. Dead End
5. Scream
6. Come Clarity
7. Vacuum
8. Pacing Deaths Trail
9. Crawl Through Knives
10. Versus Terminus
11. Our Infinite Struggle
12. Vanishing Light
13. Your Bedtime Story Is Scaring Everyone
A Sense Of Purpose
1. The Mirror's Truth
2. Disconnected
3. Sleepless Again
4. Alias
5. I'm The Highway
6. Delight And Angers
7. Move Through Me
8. The Chosen Pessimist
9. Sober And Irrelevant
10. Condemned
11. Drenched In Fear
12. March To The Shore
Related GMC Lessons
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See also
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