Anders Fridén of In Flames was recently interviewed by Alternative Press where he discussed their continuously evolving sound and how it tends to displease their fans. In just about any post involving In Flames you are very likely to find at least one person wishing for the band to return to their roots instead of the progressively accessible trajectory on which they are on.
Here’s what Anders had to say on why they continue to change with each record:
“I wanna challenge our listeners a little bit. They shouldn’t know exactly what they’re gonna get. They’re definitely gonna get In Flames in some sort of way, but I don’t wanna do Whoracle or Jester Race part 2. We’re not a big planning type of band. It’s metal, it’s rock ’n’ roll; let’s do whatever.
When I got into the metal scene and first heard of punk rock and metal, for me it was like, “Whoa! There are no rules! You can do whatever you want.” Then, when I started playing in bands, all of these rules were told to me. What? Can I not do what I want? I have to be this person to be part of this scene. I cannot look this way? To me, you can do whatever you want. I can promise you one thing: We will never do a country album.”
In Flames latest effort, Siren Charms, will be out on September 9th through Sony.