IN FLAMES Singer ANDERS FRIDÉN: 'We Have Something That's Unique To Us'

Greg Prato of Songfacts recently conducted an interview vocalist Anders Fridén of Swedish metallers IN FLAMES. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Songfacts: What would you say is the best IN FLAMES album from a songwriting perspective?

Anders: [Laughs] I don't know. The latest ["Siren Charms"], I guess. I think we've become better songwriters. We understand how the song will transcend from an album to the live environment and that is something that we didn't know early on or didn't really think about. We just got to the studio and you could record 20 layers of guitar and you'd be like, "Wow, this is fab. This is awesome." And then you go to the stage and you only have two guitar players and it's like, "Hmmm, something missing in here." And that is something that we learned, obviously. Anyway, we aren't doing rocket science. We aren't trying to write the most difficult song ever. We want to get to the point pretty quick. And what we've done through all these years, we want to create really good melodies. In the beginning we could do it on guitar mainly, and now we can do them on vocals, keyboards, and guitar. So that changed the spectrum of our sound and the possibilities that we have. But the mentality of the band, it's pretty much the same.

Songfacts: Would you say that the best promotion for heavy metal bands is still doing videos for songs at this point?

Anders: Depends on who you're talking to and what band you are, because there are a lot of videos out there that no one sees. It's a combination between having people with knowledge around you, a hardworking crew and record company, or independent people that put you out there. Today it's easier than ever to get your album or your music out, but it's very tough to be heard. So I wouldn't really agree that the video is the most important thing. We don't have that many channels anymore. Our band talked to a record company through the years, like, "Is it really necessary to make a video?" Dump a lot of money into something like that. Also, I don't think it's that fun to make a video. I'm a musician, not an actor. But it's still important on YouTube and Vimeo and all these channels — they get a lot of spins, depending on what band you are and what genre you're in.

Songfacts: The last question I have is a description that I've seen linked a lot to IN FLAMES over the years: "melodic death metal." Would you say that you agree with that description?

Anders: No, I wouldn't agree with that anymore. We came from that era and that scene, and I loved it. But I don't think we are that anymore. We don't try to stay away, it's just we sound different. We are a melodic metal band and metal has always been our closest passion. We looked into other genres, as well, and tried to incorporate that in some ways. What I feel with IN FLAMES is that we have a unique sound. It sounds like IN FLAMES. People know when there's an IN FLAMES song. That is something I'm really proud of, that we have a unique sound. Not to say that we're better than anyone else, it's just that we have something that's unique to us.

Read the entire interview at Songfacts.