In Flames Soundtrack To Your Escape
Released: April 6, 2004 Origination Year: 2004 Time: 47:23 Tracks: 12 Produced by: Daniel Bergstrand and Orjan Ornkloo Style: Studio Format: CD Enhancement: None Website: www.inflames.com

In Flames’ star is rising. Anyone who has at least some insight as to the goings on in the world of underground metal knows this. Even if you’re not too up on your metaaaaaal, you might have heard about them. Their newest, Soundtrack To Your Escape, has charted multiple weeks on the Billboard and their debut single, “The Quiet Place” has been getting some pretty decent rotation.Some, like myself, say good for them, they’re a talented band and it’s better they get more exposure than any of a number of lesser bands already scorching the charts. Other folks, however, are not as supportive.

When these native Swedes released their eagerly anticipated Reroute to Remain in 2002, the established fan base split in twain. While some took the rather slight nu-metal dashes, the cleaner vocals, and the increase in synths in stride, even welcomed it with open arms, others cried for blood and the head of Jonathan Davis, I mean lead singer Anders Friden. Yes, folks, the “sellout!” banner had been raised.

In reality, however, Reroute to Remain was brilliant. Whereas much of this melodic death’s past work relied perhaps a little too much on the harmonized dual guitar attack the band had laid the groundwork for, “the Gothenburg sound”, named so for their home city, Reroute to Remain sought to take that well respected sound and expand upon it as well as traverse brave new worlds in the process. A band called In Flames doing an all-acoustic number, complete with nothing but clean vocals? It happened, folks, and is one of the many reasons Reroute to Remain was one of my top picks for 2002.

So, could the boys do it again? Would they continue in the direction they seemed to be headed in or would they try to get back those fans that had so unceremoniously deserted them? And would Soundtrack To Your Escape really live up to its name?

In a number of ways, it does. To be honest, Reroute to Remain’s allure was that the band tried a number of new things instead of sticking to the same old formula. The aforementioned acoustic song, the thicker bottom end, the added groove, these were refreshing additions, a definite reroute that allowed the band to remain in the minds of the extreme music loving community at large.

But, Soundtrack To Your Escape for the most part does not set out to cause as many ripples in the sea. Sure, their first single, “The Quiet Place” feels like a natural progression from Reroute, with its blippety bloop grooves and quite obviously Korn-inspired vocals, but much of the album is in fact a bit heavier this time around. Tracks like opener “F(r)iend” sound like they were more than likely created in response to some of those “sellout” cries. It’s mean, fast, and heavy as hell. Maybe not the most original thing the band’s ever done but still a pretty darn good way to kick off the album. Likewise, “My Sweet Shadow” has a deliciously catchy and epic vibe that will leave you hitting the repeat button. While no longer relying solely on that “Gothenburg Sound”, axemen Jesper Stromblad and Bjorn Gelotte still manage to play some of the most competently written metal coming out today. It’s fast and furious while maintaining a level of maturity others can only attempt to emulate.

The band also tries their hand at some new feats. “Evil In A Closest” manages to effectively pull off metal and ballad at the same time as Friden shows us his sensitive side and quicksilver drummer Daniel Svensson shows off his brand new wood block-sounding symbol quite a lot, if perhaps a little too much.

Unfortunately, if an album winds up getting 3.5 stars instead of five, there has to be some reason. I’m not sure if it would be fair to call it a “fault” but an aspect to this album, like I said before is that it just doesn’t seem to take as many risks as Reroute to Remain did. Sure, “The Quiet Place” for sure has some serious commercial sensibilities to it and a great many of the tunes offered here kick some serious tush but a lot of it’s, well, safe. In hopes of getting back some of the defectors as well as continue to build upon the fan base In Flames, instead of rerouting, chose to recover.

But it’s still a damn fine album and a worthy addition to your metal collection. Will you find a lot to love? Will you continue to find new and interesting aspects of it many listens down the line? Yes and yes. You’re probably not going to be doing any double-takes or saying, “Holy crap! Did In Flames just do that??” while listening to it like you might have for Reroute to Remain, but you will definitely find most of this soundtrack to be a worthwhile escape.

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