It really feels like a big deal, this album, for a lot of reasons. On the surface it’s the fourteenth (A mightily impressive number for any group) from a band who’s legacy can be felt in pretty much every modern metal act. Going deeper, it’s probably make or break for In Flames at this point, as the band are looking to undo a streak of critically and commercially disliked records that fall well below their incredibly high standards.
The followup to 2019’s middling I, The Mask, Foregone has a lot of work to do to convince people that In Flames can still keep up with their peers as they enter their thirty third year as a band. Fellow Melodeath stalwarts Dark Tranquillity and At The Gates have both released high quality work in the last few years, and many fans have wondered if losing their founding guitarist Jesper Stromblad over a decade ago began their creative dip.
Opening with a slow, acoustic track, it builds up nicely before kicking off proper with ‘State of Slow Decay’, and when the vocals kick in, you’re reminded just how powerful the band can be. Anders Friden sounds better than he has in years and the riffs are back on form. Speaking of guitars, ‘Meet Your Maker’ changes tempo slightly with some hellacious grooves and pounding drums.
Production wise, this record sounds pretty damn good. It sounds heavy without being too dense, and it allows individual elements space to shine. Definitely a step up from recent efforts. Ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick joined the band as a touring member back in 2019, and it’s on this album we get his first contributions. It’s the song ‘Bleeding Out’ where he first makes his mark, providing a blistering solo alongside some curious electronic elements. His influence shows up across the record and seems to have rejuvenated his fellow band members with his x-factor, for the opening tracks at least.
“It's probably make or break for In Flames at this point”
On the title track (The first of them at least) ‘Foregone PT.1′, the band present an absolute world beating, waltzing chorus and some epic instrumentation, which bleeds into'”Foregone Pt 2’. The tracks work incredibly well as a two-piece-movement, sharing motifs and when the chorus comes back in on part two it’s an incredibly satisfying moment.
We then move onto ‘Pure Light Of Mind’, the first time on the record you’re reminded of tracks from their last few records. It sounds like an attempt at a radio friendly single, with some of the vocals verging on Imagine Dragons territory, believe it or not. Though, this isn’t meant to be said as an entirely bad thing as it’s good the band are trying to mix up their formula, but it will no doubt make long time fans turn their noses up.
The closing run of the record, while solid and filled with great moments, doesn’t fill the listener with the same level of excitement as the first half. Yet, there’s moments in ‘A Dialogue in B flat Minor’ and ‘Cynosure’ that elevate them above anything from the last few releases. After the last few releases, fans can rejoice as it finally sounds like the band who made Soundtrack To Your Escape and Come Clarity are still in there. Anders hasn’t sounded as alive for what feels like a decade, Chris Broderick is playing like a man possessed and if the band can keep this lineup, the future certainly isn’t a foregone conclusion for these Swedish legends.