Album Review: In Flames-Sounds Of A Playground Fading

There are really no words for how low my expectations were for the new In Flames record. Their last record, A Sense Of Purpose was pretty awful and when I heard their vocalist Andres Friden say the record "was darker and would have less screaming" a red flag went off in my head. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I find out the album is called Sounds Of A Playground Fading. With a title like that, you would think this is a HIM record. Against all odds, the new In Flames record is actually pretty decent.

Sounds Of A Playground Fading is pretty much nothing like other In Flames records. It has a lot more clean vocals, but it still maintains the heaviness that In Flames is known for. Even with the enchanced focus on clean vocals, you still tell this is an In Flames record, which is the big reason this blows the doors off of A Sense Of Purpose. "A New Dawn" is the best track In Flames has made since at least Reroute To Remain, maybe even Clayman. It opens with a catchy, vintage In Flames riff and it throws twists and turns (including a symphonic mid-section) in it's near six-minute duration. Unforunately, the rest of the tracks aren't even close to as good as "A New Dawn", but there are a few other gems here. "The Puzzle" and "Fear Is The Weakness" are the two other tracks that remind of vintage In Flames and are easily among the standout tracks on this record.

Sounds Of A Playground Fading is not exactly a full return to glory for In Flames, but it's a decent enough record. It has a few missteps ("Liberation" being the biggest), but it's such a huge improvement over their last record that I can forgive them for the flaws on this record. If you're looking for the next Clayman or Whoracle, you're out of luck. But if you are an old fan and want to hear the new version of In Flames, check out Sounds Of A Playground Fading and you might be pleasantly surprised like I was.

3/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.A New Dawn
2.The Puzzle
3.Fear Is The Weakness