Q&A: In Flames Find the Charm in Changing
For close to 25 years, Swedish metal powerhouse In Flames has been a continual work-in-progress with various membership 
shifts and the ability to shift their sound without concern for external backlash.
Earlier this month, the band – Anders Fridén (vocals), Björn Gelotte (guitar), Daniel Svensson (drums), Peter Iwers (bass), and Niclas Engelin (guitar) –
returned with their excellent eleventh album, Siren Charms, an offering that showcasing the quintet’s growing appreciation for melodic metal, in-depth riffs, and pounding rhythm.
Riffyou.com recently got Svensson on the line to talk about the new album, creative fearlessness and what he expects the In Flames future to look like.
RY: I read that it only took the band six weeks to record this album. Did that shortened timeframe lead to any challenges? Or were just excited to let things happen quickly?
Daniel: “It was a tough process, especially when you compare it to the previous two albums that were recorded in our old studio back home in Gothenburg. We spent about three months on the last record. Sometimes it’s good to have a deadline…some think we need the whip. We stayed really focused on this album and concentrated on nothing else.”
RY: Is that part of the reason why you guys chose to record in Berlin at Hansa Tonstudio – to avoid the distractions of home life?
Daniel: “That wasn’t the main reason, but it was one of them. We always try out different stuff and we hadn’t yet recorded outside of Scandinavia. For Anders, it meant a great deal for him to record in this studio…with it having been home to bands like Depeche Mode.”
RY: In Flames has been around a while now, so going into recording sessions isn’t anything new to you. With that said, how did you attempt to change things up?
Daniel: “It was the first time in a while that we hadn’t done the proper pre-production for an album. I just heard a few demos and a few songs were created as I recorded the first batch. So, it was hard to be really prepared. I had to put a lot of effort into this recording. Which is good…means you have to be on your toes.”
RY: Does it help the creative process to not be comfortable and have that added stress happening?
Daniel: “I think so. It’s dangerous to be comfortable. You need to challenge yourself. Even though we’ve done this for so long, you have to challenge yourself every day. It’s just like when we play live. The day you get too comfortable, I don’t think you perform as well as you can. You have to be a little bit on the edge sometimes.”
RY: Have ever felt as if the band’s gotten too comfortable to the point where the performance has suffered?
Daniel: “I don’t think so. We try to be as professional as possible. We are a live band. We record albums just so that we can go on the road again. The live part is a big, big deal for us. All of us, even if we have a bad day, that doesn’t come through in the show. We always put 110% into it.”
RY: I’m sure getting out of that comfort zone and trying something different can lead to some fans scratching their heads.
Daniel: “There have been some reactions on the new album…as there has been the last 12 years with people thinking that we’ve changed too much. But, I think if you listen to all of the albums in chronological order, you’ll see the [evolution]. However, if you listen to the new one and compare it to The Jester Race (1996), you’ll hear a big change. We’ve been developing this sound for several years, small steps at a time.”
RY: Why is it necessary for In Flames to continually make those shifts?
Daniel: “It’s for our own sake. We don’t want to play the same kind of songs all of the time. At the end of the day, it’s the five of us who have to live with those songs and play them night after night. In order to make it interesting for ourselves, we want to change. We want to develop as musicians. Life is too short to stay the same.”
RY: Unfortunately there is that argument out there that it’s smart to keep a similar sound album to album so that fans aren’t lost. What are your thoughts about that concept?
Daniel: “Of course we could write an album that we think people would like, but that’s not fair to anyone. We have a very loyal fan base and have survived generational changes. We still have a lot of young people come to our shows – they were small children when we started…and we still have the old farts, like us. You can’t please everyone.”
RY: Speaking of being older, do you think about your band differently the older you guys get? And how long you want to keep In Flames around for?
Daniel: “Not really, but we all know that we’re older. We don’t think a lot about the future…we take it one album at a time. We know that when we release a new album, it’s going to require two to three years of touring and a lot of things can happen, so there’s no point in thinking beyond that. We’ll see where we’re at in three years time. Hopefully we’ll record another album and continue for a long time.”
RY: A few months ago we spoke with Cannibal Corpse and they had a hard time picturing themselves as 60-year-old headbangers. Do you think you’d still have the ability to do what you’re doing right now in 20 years?
Daniel: “Yeah, I’ll be thinking about that. I don’t want to become a parody of myself. You can’t be too old and perform this kind of music, otherwise it looks silly (laughs). But, I think we still have a few years until we’re too old. I think it would be impossible for Cannibal Corpse, because they headbang all of the time (laughs). They’ll need to find other moves.”
-Adam Grant
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