r/melodicdeathmetal

Last week I listened to Lunar Strain for the very first time and I got mixed signals from it. Today, while trying to find something to listen to, I remembered In Flames and decided to listen to their 1995 EP Subterranean. It still feels inconsistent to me, but it's way better than their debut.

**TL;DR:** The EP still sounds messy and inconsistent to me, but it's a huge improvement on Lunar Strain. I liked the acoustic sessions and the melodic riffs. While Stand Ablaze is the best song, the others mix good parts with some bad ones that make them not sound as good as the first song for me. Lastly, In Flames feels more power metal*ish* than At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, which makes me prefer the last two bands, but that doesn't mean I dislike the band.

Given that Subterranean was released in the same year as The Gallery and Slaughter of the Soul, it's hard not to make comparisons, and they naturally go against Subterranean. The EP, while still messy and inconsistent like Lunar Strain, feels like a huge improvement in terms of composition and coherence, but some parts still need work. It's the In Flames equivalent to Skydancer, in some ways, which gives me hope that The Jester Race will be their great addition to the unholy trinity of mid 90s Swedish melodic death metal.

The piano at the start of Stand Ablaze creates a really nice and mysterious mood, which is followed by a power metal*ish* riff that, at first, sounded weird to me. As the song progressed, though, I came to appreciate this approach to the melodic parts. Henke Forss' vocals, for the most part, are good, but don't compare to Stanne's or Lindberg's.

The rest of the EP doesn't sound that good to me. Ever Dying's first riff doesn't match the drums, creating a weird sound, and the first riff for Subterranean is just bad, though the rest of the song is good. Biosphere was the song I liked the least on the EP, because it felt like different ideas glued together (my same criticism of Lunar Strain). The EP has some acoustic parts, and they all sound great. I hope In Flames has some interludes like Timeless on their next albums, because I loved it.

In general, it sounds like a huge improvement on Lunar Strain, which is a good thing. Of the three Gothenburg melodeath bands, In Flames seems to be the one that leans more into a power metal territory, which isn't a bad thing, since I like albums like Arch Enemy's Will to Power. However, I already know that, if they continue this trend after Subterranean, In Flames will not be able to compete with At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity to me, which is fine, honestly. As long as the sound is good, I'm happy, so I expect to be happy with the next 90s In Flames albums.

I hadn’t listened to Scar Symmetry in years and just realized Singularity (Phase II) came out, so I threw it on without really knowing what to expect.

What stood out right away is how strong the technical composition is. The riffs and structure feel really tight and intentional, and they balance complexity with melody in a way that really works for me.

The vocals are a huge part of it too. The mix of harsh and clean is done really well and adds a lot of depth to the songs instead of just being a contrast for the sake of it.

It’s also just straight up brutal in the best way. The guitars and drums hit hard, but everything stays precise and controlled.

And I really like how they build out that dark AI future concept. The whole post-human theme comes through in the sound and atmosphere, not just the lyrics.

Glad I randomly came back to this.

Also what are your expectations about it?

I want to cry, all of this was $50 aud and so many grails that would’ve been stupid expensive to have posted. I’ve had a few wins here and there over the years but never something like this oh my god

Fires in the Distance has a new track out, that they released this past Tuesday (how old school I love it😎). Anybody listen yet? Thoughts? The cleans in the track remind me alot of Countless Skies.

I added them to the cover of the "North American Melodeath" playlist as well. Which you can follow here. I'm always looking to add more bands to the list and help everyone connect with these artists. So if you have any suggestions that aren't in there let me know!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/31sLOM4xGAE86uP78LCU3H?si=hrB9G0\_ASXC-woDq6mFiyQ

Like the title says. I truly feel that this album is one of kind and I've been on a quest to find something with a similair vibe ever since I first heard it.

I already know about Enshine and Atoma and I love them both dearly, but nothing compares to this album imo. Such a shame that this is their only full length release.

Fires In the Distance is another band that comes close. Air Not Meant For Us has been one of my most streamed albums since I first heard it.

I would love to hear any recommendations you have. Keep in mind though that I'm not necessarily looking for other doom metal bands, as I think the doom metal aspect of the music is the least important factor. Basically I just want to know if anyone knows any other albums that are equally as atmospheric, harmoniously rich and varied as this one :)

Pack your bags everyone, we’re going to Sweden.

In all seriousness though, I need to find a way to get there from Germany. What the hell is this line up. Pure madness

The Wake of the Fall was pretty much a perfect album for me, Drowning in Atrophy seemed really promising, but that was three years ago! Anyone know anything? if you havent heard them song attached,
https://youtu.be/GXZbEgM5Bww?si=6c-E1xvNgw3GRcDW