EXCLUSIVE Track-by-track !

MYSWEETFORUM.FR is proud to offer you this worldwide exclusive track-by-track of Siren Charms, two months before it is released.

First, let’s give you some intel about this new album before you read the track-by-track review.

Siren Charms is different from anything IN FLAMES had ever done. We mean you will be shocked on your first listen. Unlike the previous albums – and the change Reroute To Remain was – there are very few familiar elements.

Siren Charms is more of an (Indie) Rock record with some heavier parts although really calm and somewhat spacey on a whole. Production-wise it’s excellent, cristal clear and all the lines have room in the mix and the album is homogeneous. Anders uses clean vocals for the most part. There are overdubs and some other effects when it’s chorus time to have this denser effect you sure know of. As for audio mixing, rythmic tracks are generally upfront which creates a tougher and at times rigid sound, as was Sounds Of A Playground Fading. All the tracks are mid/low-tempo tracks.

1. In Plain View [4:07] : Starts with dark electro synths and a buzzing riff. Then comes a catchy harmonized lead plus a snoring bass guitar. The track is going well until the suprise: verses are in a clean and lascivious voice, and choruses are sung with clean harsh vocals. Ends with a rhythmic bridge and some riff from « Take This Life ». That’s the kind of song members of Passenger and Engel could have written…
    
2. Everything’s Gone [3:26] : This one is really Neo/Metalcore with all the pounding rhythmic and double bass drumming. Singing on verses is spoken and a bit nasal à la Korn, pre-choruses are screamed but muffled, and choruses are plain clean. There’s a breakdown after the chorus. Constant tempo and simple riffs (« The Puzzle », « Darker Times »). When the track ends, it’s like it hasn’t got to really build up.
    
3. Paralyzed [4:17] : A lighter and 70s’-Rock-oriented track. Catchy rhythm section. Clean verses rotating between bass guitar/synths sections and modern riffs. Choruses are clean and spacey. The songwriting is a bit repetitive although the chorus builds up and is more powerful and moving each time. Rhythm bridge with a quite rigid solo (Wah-wah predal) from Björn.
    
4. Through Oblivion [3:40] : You already know this one. It’s a ballad starting with riffs reminiscent of « The Mirror’s Truth » and having full of synths melodic and aerial choruses à la « Come Clarity ». Extremely Pop and surprising, like a quieter mix between « Ropes » and « Liberation ». Anders seems uninhibited when singing here.
    
5. With Eyes Wide Open [4:00] : It starts with some 80’s-Hard-Rock/soft-Rock clean guitar with string bendings. Calm verses with harmonized acoustic notes à la « The Jester’s Dance »/ »Bullet Ride ». Chorus is clean and higher-pitched with all the instruments playing. There’s a peaceful feeling on this track, only getting uptight at times. Some random acoustic break toward the end.
    
6. Siren Charms [3:07] : Another calm track. It might be the one where Anders’ clean voice sounds the more natural. It sounds like a ballad too with calm/acoustic verses and choruses going loud with some synths. Rhythmic bridge with Björn soloing and using Wah-wah pedal again. It feels a bit random for a title track.
    
7. When The World Explodes [4:41] : Starting heavy and agressive. Anders uses his rasping harsh vocals, somehow sounding like Nathan J. Biggs of Sonic Syndicate. There are massive and Metalcore-oriented verses until the chorus kicks in. There’s a lady (no name for now) singing, but nothing like « Dead End ». It’s more aerial and sensual with lyrical feminine vocals upfront and Anders (or is it Martin Rubashov?) doing some light backing. Synths and tapping are backing the whole chorus. It’s something you’ve never heard before. Then it comes back to heavy verse, chorus again, and a pretty long outro on synths (sounding like the one of « My Sweet Shadow ») and lyrical voice. This is the most surprising track on the album.
    
8. Rusted Nail [4:56] : You all know this lead single too. It sounds like different songs crammed altogether. Too many different voices appearing, a loose rhythm and a riff coming straight from « Superhero Of The Computer Rage ». The chorus is catchier and is the more familiar one sounding like it could have been on Sounds Of A Playground Fading. Björn again uses its Wah-wah pedal when soloing, resulting in some very mechanical execution.
    
9. Dead Eyes [5:25] : That’s another track going slow like a ballad lead by synths/drums with bass/guitar breaks. Riffs are very familiar. Singing is mostly spoken with acoustic guitar and the chorus sounds like it’s from a boys band « This is my world nooooow / I can’t let you bring me doooown ». The track is building up slowly on a wistful atmosphere. There’s a lot of synths and acoustic, and it is really slow. The bridge is more diverse than the previous ones but ends with some random tapping that feels out of place.
    
10. Monsters In The Ballroom [3:55] : The heaviest track on the album. Rhythm section is all crushing and buzzing. The riffs are thick while Anders is speaking/singing over. The chorus is really soft and spacey, and heavy on synths. Kind of cheesy. Then Anders is screaming in a way reminding « A New Dawn ». Another heavy crushing break, followed by a Wah-wah solo from Björn.
     
11. Filtered Truth [3:33] : It sounds like Punk Rock in the beginning with clean arrhythmic riffs. Verses are heavier and the pre-chorus is like the one in « Disconnected ». Then the chorus is totally exploding with harsh vocals and catchy melodic lead. Verses are more common. This time the bridge has got a more complex solo (still with Wah-wah) ending in a dual harmonized lead. When it’s time for the chorus to kick again, it is harsher and more powerful. That is the more dynamic and uptempo track on the album. You should keep that in mind for when the single is out.
     
     
    It’s not over! There are two more bonus tracks. We don’t know yet on which edition they will appear though « The Chase » is on iTunes.
     
12. The Chase [5:01] : This track has got a more dynamic range with a great modern Melodeath lead and harsh vocals from the start. Singing then goes more Hard Rock and the choruses are quite soft. Rhythm section is uptight. Then comes a solo which is longer, more melodic and better played than all the previous ones. There’s a one-minute outro on synths and piano.
     
13. Become The Sky [4:01] : The grooviest track on the album. It’s much closer to what we might expect from a modern In Flames. Strong rhythm section, powerful riffing and a great dynamic overall. Verses are often drum-driven which gives kind of an explosive tone. As for the vocals it goes from 30 Seconds To Mars-like clean chroruses to the usual scream. The solo is more common but still is smoothier and better written.

Obviously each and everyone will feel this new record and its musical shift differently. We were really disturbed on the first listenings because we couldn’t find any familiar elements from In Flames. Yet we’ve come to appreciate this album in its own style, even though we don’t understand why the bonus tracks are mere…bonus tracks.
Still we think this album should have been released as a side-project.

Thanks for reading, Siren Charms will hit the stores on September 5th, on Epic Records.

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