In Flames

A Melodic Death Metal / Alternative Metal quintet formed in Gothenburg, Sweden, In Flames is one of the more commercially underrated heavy metal bands, yet one of the most beloved by hardcore metalheads around the globe.

To date the band has released 10 studio albums; Lunar Strain in 1994, The Jester Race in 1996, Whoracle in 1997, Colony in 1999, Clayman in 2000, Reroute to Remain in 2002, Soundtrack to Your Escape in 2004, Come Clarity in 2006, A Sense of Purpose in 2008, and most recently, Sounds of a Playground Fading in 2011. The band emerged with a very traditional Melodic Death Metal sound, combining elements of Folk Metal into their songs, and focusing largely on melodic instrumentation. The sound was described as 'Gothenburg metal', and the band's sophomore album, The Jester Race, is considered to be a classic album in the genre of melodeath, and by some to be one of the best metal albums in recent years.

Despite this, the band felt like they were playing the same style too often around halfway through their career, and changed their style starting with their 2002 release Reroute to Remain, which caused dispute between many fans. The new sound departed from much of their old sound, which involved high-pitched screams in replacement of the low death growls, the addition of melodic vocals, less raw production, and a more commercially acceptable tone among other elements. Some fans, however, liked the change in sound, citing it to be 'a step in a new direction', and some even like the old and the new sound.

To date, the band has sold over 3 million records worldwide.

Members:

Anders Friden: lead singer, growler, and screamer. He also writes the lyrics for some of the band's songs.
Bjorn Gelotte: one of two drummers and guitarists in the band.
Peter Iwers: the bassist.
Daniel Svensson: the other drummer.
Niclas Engelin: the other guitarist.

In Flames provides examples of the following tropes:

Alternative Metal: Their later albums contain this sound along with their usual melodeath.
Awesome McCoolname: The name of the band.
Badass Beard: Anders in his later years.
Badass Long Hair: Again, Anders in his later years. He had some really badass dreadlocks.
Darker and Edgier: Averted. Their older work is darker than their newer work.
Important Haircut: Anders recently cut off his dreadlocks, after growing them out for 9 years.
Lighter and Softer: The song 'Metaphor' on Reroute to Remain and the title track on Come Clarity are softer than most of their usual work. The same could be said for their whole Reroute to Remain and afterwards records, compared to their previous material.
Melodic Death Metal: Their music primarily features this style.
- Unlike many metal bands who change their sound, nobody actually knows why they did.
Mohs Scale of Rock and Metal Hardness: Older songs an 8-9, later songs a 7-8.
New Sound Album: Reroute to Remain and beyond.