Sounds of a Playground Fading

Sounds of a Playground Fading is a great transitional work on which In Flames, while firmly keeping the guitar phrases derived from melodic death metal, steps into a more straight, modern sound. It is the first album made after the departure of the founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad. Heavy, powerful riffs, electronic texture and Anders Fridén’s emotional, expressive singing powerfully form tense songs. A record inscribing a new step for the band. From the power of the opening title track “Sounds of a Playground Fading” and the aggression of “Deliver Us” to a cut like “Where the Dead Ships Dwell,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Fear Is the Weakness” and “All for Me” convey the work’s fullness. Its great distinction is strengthening the immediacy as heavy rock, rather than merely repeating past styles as is. A record on which, even in the great turning point of a founding member’s departure, the band powerfully advanced its steps. A sure unity in the new lineup centered on Björn Gelotte can be felt. An engaging, fulfilling work that vividly captured a new face of In Flames in the midst of change — a record where the band’s new resolve shines.