Review by Saxy S for In Flames - Foregone (2023)

It is nice to hear In Flames returning back to a sound that is closer to melodic death metal such as Come Clarity. But that is not the complete story. Foregone still relies a lot on pretty standard instrumental riffage that, while certainly pleasant, does not do very much to distinguish each track from the next, whether that be through the same prominent key center on almost every track, or lack of tempo variety. This record still has its fair share of clean vocal choruses, but due to the lack of instrumental variety, this also seeps in to the vocal variety as well.

I wish there was more to say about Foregone. It has the pieces of a modern day Trivium album, but without any of the variety that band provides.

Best Songs: Meet Your Maker, Foregone Pt. 1, Pure Light of Mind

P.S. I've given this a few more listens since I initially reviewed it and I found that the return to melo-death is not as triumphant as I originally envisioned. While I am certainly no elitist who thinks clean vocals do not belong in death metal, when there is an instrumental lead, it is not able to compliment the vocals well, clean or harsh. It just makes those vocals feel superficial. In Flames can make an excellent melo-death album, but their years of The Court Jester and Whoracle are well behind them.