Written by X-Ray Rod on 08.06.2011 at 02:21

Written by Guest on 08.06.2011 at 00:23

Third listen and it's not a bad album at all with a lot of growing potential. Well done In Flames. You aren't total failures.

So I take it it's better than the previous two at least?

To be honest I don't think I ever listened to the last one as I heard too much crap about it. As for Come Clarity... I don't really remember. I recall thinking I didn't like it very much. Let's just say "yes" it's better =P

I prefer the "A Sense of Purpose" among all their albums since Clayman... not being a great one, it's better than this for me.

After all, Deliver Us was the best song... The title track had some grooves going in it, and there were a lot of promising moments, but I agree with JOOE, Anders has a talent for destroying songs with his wonderful vocals.

But what the hell is up with the last songs? In Flames gone boyband?

Its really good, better than ASOP, love the melodies, and the clean vocals of Anders. A solid Modern Metal album.

The vocals in All for Me already ruined this album for me. I guess I will have to give the whole thing a listen before I make up my mind.

This album is better than the last two, i kindda dislike the vocals. Anyway this is no longer melodic death, but its enjoyable.

I really want to like this band again. But, I just... can't. Anders is nearly 40 yrs old. His lyrics sound so cliche, whiney & childish, nobody told him his 'clean' vocals are terrible, all the solos are too short and tacked on, the choruses are boring, on & on & on... I feel like an idiot being strung along for even giving this a chance. JMO

This was surprisingly good, better than the last two albums anyway. I'll be giving this a couple of more listens before deciding on a rating. It sounds like something between 7-8/10, it definitely has the same vibe as Reroute to Remain.

All in all this album is really quite good... well surpassed my expectations. Didn't really care for The Puzzle, The Attic, or Liberation, but apart from those songs the album is really quite enjoyable. Vocals sound a bit like Passenger at times which is a little annoying, but the album is still better than I expected.

In flames keep changing all the time..Don't expect another Clayman or any of the oldies.Just take it or leave it.I liked this album and all those after clayman.And i loved liberation!

A New Dawn, and Fear Is The Weakness are fucking amazing! the other songs are not bad.
Absolutely better than the last two albums.

Written by FreddeSwede on 24.05.2011 at 09:39

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTO20AuK14U

A New Dawn, in good quality.

Its blocked now!!! :X

From what I have heard so far, this seems like a turn in the right direction. More melodic than the last album!

Man, I love this album. Why? Because, compared to this, ASoP and "Soundtrack to Your Escape" sound great. Now I can really enjoy in those albums, which I though were lame.
"Sounds of a Playground..." just sounds bland and unoriginal, like I've heard these songs a thousand times before. Songs on ASoP at least had an ocassional good moments here and there - songs on this album, however, are just pure crap and random nu-guitar noise from beggining till the end (except "Deliver Us" and "New Dawn", those are pretty cool).
Jesper apparently means MUCH, MUCH more to the band's sound than I previously thought.

Written by malaikat on 13.06.2011 at 15:25

Man, I love this album. Why? Because, compared to this, ASoP and "Soundtrack to Your Escape" sound great. Now I can really enjoy in those albums, which I though were lame.
"Sounds of a Playground..." just sounds bland and unoriginal, like I've heard these songs a thousand times before. Songs on ASoP at least had an ocassional good moments here and there - songs on this album, however, are just pure crap and random nu-guitar noise from beggining till the end (except "Deliver Us" and "New Dawn", those are pretty cool).
Jesper apparently means MUCH, MUCH more to the band's sound than I previously thought.

May I remind you that Björn and Anders has written most of the music in the past 10 years?

This album is kinda of the same value with ASoP, but if I take Alias which is one of my all time favorite tracks by In Flames I would say I prefer ASoP to SoaPF. Still SoaPF is ok.

Written by FreddeSwede on 15.06.2011 at 03:27

Written by malaikat on 13.06.2011 at 15:25

Man, I love this album. Why? Because, compared to this, ASoP and "Soundtrack to Your Escape" sound great. Now I can really enjoy in those albums, which I though were lame.
"Sounds of a Playground..." just sounds bland and unoriginal, like I've heard these songs a thousand times before. Songs on ASoP at least had an ocassional good moments here and there - songs on this album, however, are just pure crap and random nu-guitar noise from beggining till the end (except "Deliver Us" and "New Dawn", those are pretty cool).
Jesper apparently means MUCH, MUCH more to the band's sound than I previously thought.

May I remind you that Björn and Anders has written most of the music in the past 10 years?

Really? I don't know, man, this really sounds uninspired and generic to me.
Maybe I just want to believe it's because of Jasper's departure, and not just because they... well, suck.

Worst album of this band. No Stromblad=no inspired riffs

I listened to it once so far. First impression is that it is less awesomeness than I expected. However, I feel that this is a real grower. Meaning I'll have to listen to it at least a dozen times more to discover the deep recesses of this record. You simply don't listen to an In Flames CD just once and then form an opinion about it. Doing that doesn't do justice to the band. In my experience, most of their songs get better with every consecutive listening. I had that with their single as well.

What a pile of shit...sorry, it is.

This album truly delt the final blow to killing in flames, A sence of purpose was still ok IMO but this just finished off in flames for good

So far, the only track that stands out for me is "Ropes"... which is still far from any "Reroute To Remain"-comparisons.
Though, I got the feeling this far less bad than ASOP.

Written by Therapy? on 15.06.2011 at 22:48

I listened to it once so far. First impression is that it is less awesomeness than I expected. However, I feel that this is a real grower. Meaning I'll have to listen to it at least a dozen times more to discover the deep recesses of this record. You simply don't listen to an In Flames CD just once and then form an opinion about it. Doing that doesn't do justice to the band. In my experience, most of their songs get better with every consecutive listening. I had that with their single as well.

Ok now that I've listened to this non stop since the quote above, I must say I was correct. This album is really quality if you get into it. Even after listening it so many times I still haven't grasped every song to the fullest yet. Somehow they don't stick in my head like I had with other songs but that is not a bad thing at all.

Highlights are definitely "A New Dawn" like many will agree with me, but also "Enter Tragedy". I haven't heard anyone about this song but I can really feel the emotional vibe in this song. It's hard to describe but I'm really into music for the certain feeling or vibe it gives me.

"Deliver Us" took me alot of getting used to since it was the first song I heard and it was kind of different from earlier work. But is a great song in the end.

"The Jester's Door" is musically useless but somehow I think the band wanted this to be on there to show their gratitude to either the fans and/or to Jesper for his input into the band (or both). It feels like that anyway telling from the lyrics.

"Liberation" is surprising and kind of poppy but by no means a bad song. It's actually funny because sometimes when I'm teaching sports, I put up music. I can now probably set up an In Flames song without people shouting at me "to turn down that awful metal noise". This doesn't seem like a good thing to alot of metalfans out there but I think it's ok. In any way it's a nice experiment.

I'm too uninspired to write a comment about every single song, so I'll leave it at this. But all with all, having given this album the time it needs to settle I can give it a solid 8

I really hate Friden's way of singing, embarrassing most of time

Written by Stormized on 19.06.2011 at 14:23

I really hate Friden's way of singing, embarrassing most of time

That's funny because I absolutely love it. It's also unique because so far I have not found a vocalist who can match his style.

Written by Therapy? on 19.06.2011 at 15:34

Written by Stormized on 19.06.2011 at 14:23

I really hate Friden's way of singing, embarrassing most of time

That's funny because I absolutely love it. It's also unique because so far I have not found a vocalist who can match his style.

That's probably because no vocalist wants to match his style.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 19.06.2011 at 16:18

Written by Therapy? on 19.06.2011 at 15:34

Written by Stormized on 19.06.2011 at 14:23

I really hate Friden's way of singing, embarrassing most of time

That's funny because I absolutely love it. It's also unique because so far I have not found a vocalist who can match his style.

That's probably because no vocalist wants to match his style.

Oooh, snap!

But seriously, though, the guy sounds as if he came from some emo-meets-metalcore band. Then again, it does kinda suit the new In Flames.

This album is amazing as is the rest of their work.

^HAHAHA not even going to listen to it, just dont even care anymore.

Written by Boxcar Willy on 23.06.2011 at 23:18

^HAHAHA not even going to listen to it, just dont even care anymore.

Same here