In Flames - Foregone (2LP) - Translucent Blue Vinyl

Three decades into their run, In Flames sounded hungry again on Foregone. Released 10 February 2023 through Nuclear Blast, it arrived with the sort of energy that first put the Gothenburg stalwarts on the map, while keeping the melodic hooks they have leaned into over the past decade. The pre-release singles told the story early. State of Slow Decay came out swinging, all serrated tremolo riffs and a bark that felt like a challenge. The Great Deceiver and Meet Your Maker followed suit, heavier than many expected, but with choruses that stick after one spin.

The album opens with a brief, moody instrumental that tees up the punch of State of Slow Decay. It is a neat reminder of where this band came from. You hear those harmonised leads that defined the city’s melodic death metal, but the corners are sharpened and the rhythms snap. Anders Fridén rides that tension with a voice that flips from scalded to earnest in a bar or two. He is as readable as he has ever been, railing at decay and drift, but leaving room for a stray line that hits the personal nerve.

Foregone Pt. 1 is a standout, a quicksilver sprint that balances bite and melancholic melody in a way that feels very In Flames. Pt. 2 answers with a slower, more reflective turn, and that pairing gives the record shape rather than just pace. On Bleeding Out and Meet Your Maker, Björn Gelotte’s guitar sense rules the day. Riffs come in like hooks, and solos feel built into the song rather than bolted on. The Great Deceiver is the knuckliest thing here, all chug and snap, and it lands like a setlist staple. Then there is Pure Light of Mind, which dips into a cleaner, more anthemic lane without breaking the mood. It is the kind of song they have chased in recent years, but here it sits in conversation with the heavier material rather than at odds with it.

Production-wise, Foregone is taut and modern, yet there is air around the guitars and a pleasing crunch to the rhythm section. The kick drum cuts through the tremolo runs, which helps the faster songs feel articulate instead of blurry. Those twin-guitar harmonies pop in the mix, so when the chorus blooms you do not lose the grit under it. It is a smart balance. If you loved the clarity of their later-era albums but missed the teeth of the mid-90s run, this is very much the middle ground.

A lot of fans and critics greeted the album as a rejuvenation, and you can hear why. It is not a nostalgia set, though there are winks to The Jester Race and Clayman in the guitar work. The difference is intent. These songs sound like they were written to move a room, not just to split the internet about whether In Flames had gone soft or not. Put on Foregone Pt. 1 or The Great Deceiver at volume and you can see the pit opening in your mind. Put on Pure Light of Mind and you can picture the phone torches coming out. That live-minded writing gives the record a spine.

If you are a vinyl person, Foregone is a bit of a treat. The low end is tight, the lead guitars shimmer, and the sequencing plays beautifully across sides. It is the sort of album you want to file next to the classic In Flames albums on vinyl and actually pull out to play, not just to complete a run. We get folks wandering into our Melbourne record store asking where to start with the band on wax, and lately this has been an easy recommendation. For anyone looking to buy In Flames records online in Australia, there are plenty of options floating around, and Foregone vinyl sits comfortably alongside the earlier favourites. It also pops up often under In Flames vinyl searches, so you will not be hunting long among vinyl records Australia listings.

Foregone does not try to erase the band’s more accessible era. It threads that melody through a more feral framework and trusts the songs to carry the weight. By the time End the Transmission shuts the door, you get the sense of a group that has taken stock and trimmed the fat. No grand thesis, just a lean, muscular set that rewards repeat spins. If you drifted away years ago, this is the nudge to check back in. If you have been loyal the whole time, it will feel like a payoff. And if you are simply crate-digging for something that makes sense of the big In Flames story, Foregone vinyl is a strong place to drop the needle.