IN FLAMES Frontman ANDERS FRIDÉN: 'I Don't Wanna Do The Same Thing Again And Again And Again'

The Metal Hobbit Speaks Blog recently conducted an interview with vocalist Anders Fridén and guitarist Björn Gelotte of Swedish metallers IN FLAMES. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about IN FLAMES' musical evolution over the years, Anders said: "I don't wear the same clothes as I did 20 years ago. I change. My music, it changes. And that's how I want it to be. Music, it's free; you can do whatever, go wherever. You shouldn't stand still. And I don't wanna do the same thing again and again and again. I don't wanna compare to what I've done before because then that experience will not be as good. I don't completely change — I want people to recognize my music — but I think whatever we do, people will say, 'OK, that's IN FLAMES.' Because we have a unique expression, we have something that nobody else has. And I don't mean it's better or worse, or anything, because that's something completely different, it's just, like, we made something that people say, 'OK, that's IN FLAMES.' We create our own path, and wherever that takes us, I have no idea. There won't be a reggae album, there won't be a country album. I mean, metal is the closest to our hearts, but we try to bend and twist and turn as much as possible."

IN FLAMES' eleventh album, "Siren Charms", is due in the U.S. on September 9 via Sony/RED. The CD was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios (DAVID BOWIE, DEPECHE MODE, U2) in Berlin, Germany. The cover artwork was created by Blake Armstrong of Space Boy Comics.

In a recent interview with ARTISTdirect, Gelotte said about the making of "Siren Charms": "We changed the scenery from how we normally do records. We've done quite a few in Gothenburg. We've done a few experiments. We went to Uppsala once. We did one record in Denmark. We rented a huge house, built two studios in there, and just winged it. It turned out great. It was an awesome experience. This time around, Anders fell in love with the Hansa studios in Germany. It's a classic studio in Berlin. So many classic albums have come from there, and so many artists have been there. He felt that maybe he could get inspired from that or something might rub off in the studio. I was like, 'Fuck it. For me, it doesn't really matter. I can record anywhere.' He was absolutely certain it was important for us to do that. I went down there and fell in love with it too. Anders explained the history of the place. David Bowie, U2 and DEPECHE MODE have all recorded there. All of these huge records have come from there. I was pretty sure it wasn't going to change anything. Listening back to it now, it did. Something came in there. There's a certain melancholic vibe to the album that I'm not sure would've happened anywhere else."