For a genre of music that prides itself on being inclusive of all walks of life, metal has and metal fans have a nasty habit of turning quite malicious when bands attempt to alter their sound. Be it a subtle inversion or addition or a major overhaul, it can be quite palpable observing the dilated pupils and foaming-at-the-mouth bile and hatred expended by some. Metallica has endured it over the years, whilst Opeth are presently riding the wave of vitriol and vomit for deigning to drop death growls and embrace their penchant for 70s prog. Even the likes of Machine Head and Trivium have “enjoyed” a little taste of the salty tears cascading forth from the offended eyes and ears of fans. But there’s just something about the reaction to In Flames that takes the biscuit. The Swedes are one of metal’s longest-serving chieftains, and were one of the pioneers of the Gothenburg-sound – with death metal being intertwined with a healthy dose of melodicism.
Metal Wani’s Editor In Chief Owais ‘Vitek’ Nabi had a chat with IN FLAMES axeman Bjorn Gelotte. He discusses the upcoming new album “Battles” (Click Here To Read Our Review), fan response to new singles, finding a balance between modern metal and rock sound with Siren’s Charm and Battles, fan backlash since the last album and why it’s important for In Flames to not look back and move ahead with the new sound.
He also talks about why the fan backlash doesn’t matter to the band, writing songs with hooks, sing a long choruses, recording with a new producer in LA instead of Sweden. He throws light on introducing growls and gang vocals on the album, how band has been gaining new fans since the last album, new drummer and how he is prepared for the upcoming tour & more.
Stream The Entire Interview Below: