A Sense Of Purpose is the ninth studio album from melodic death metallers
In Flames. One of the most eagerly awaited new releases of 2008, this is an album that has already caused controversy with people debating their choice of artwork. But can you really judge an album by its cover?
1. The Mirror's Truth is the first single off the album. It's not a very long track, just over 3 minutes, in length. It's not a bad track, just didn't really draw me in like I was hoping. Along the same lines as many a track from
Come Clarity, this is a very melodic track that lacks bite.
2. Disconnected sound a little better than the first track. It's still very melodic sounding though. And with some lyrics which would suit
Slipknot a bit better, "I feel like sh*t, but at least I feel something". Ouch! Again, I feel this track lacks bite. It doesn't really go anywhere, there's nothing to hook you into it. It's not bad, but it's not up to
In Flames standards.
3. Sleepless Again got me worried at first, with a nice little acoustic guitar opening, fortunately the pace did pick up. This is a better sounding track than the first two! Still, this is another very melodic track. It sounds more like the melodic stuff from
Reroute To Remain, but no heavier than that.
I'm only on track three, and I'm worried that this album won't produce a nice gritty, more brutal sounding
In Flames, but more of a lack luster, softer sister of
Come Clarity.
4. Alias I can see being the next single. It's catchy, it's a track I can see people singing back at the band. It's got a bit more growly vocals in it, though still loads of melody, more acoustic guitars in the middle (with nice riffage), this is my favourite track so far. Still, I'm not 100% sure on the lyrics. Maybe I need to read them as a whole to appreciate them... This is more of the
In Flames I know though.
5. I'm the Highway is another track which sounds a bit more In Flames like. Hoorah! But if you were wanting it to sound like anything pre-
Reroute To Remain, you'll be disappointed. It is however a faster track which would sit happily on
Reroute. There seems to be a lot of use of doubling up the vocals to create really nice harmonies on this album, and this track is no exception. Still, we seem to be on the up now from a disappointing start.
6. Delight And Angers sounds too similar to what I've already heard. I am starting to lose my concentration on reviewing the album now. Another track with loads of melody, bits of brutality, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Not a particularly long track either. I'm still waiting for the track that makes me go "now THIS is what I was waiting for". I didn't find that in this song.
7. Move Through Me starts off a lot better than the last. Perhaps this is the track I was waiting for. Yup this is certainly more my kinda track. Still loads of vocal harmonies going on, but this sounds on the same level as
Trigger. Yes this is more of what I was hoping I'd hear on the album. It has the right balance, and sounds less like a metalcore band that wish they were
In Flames, and more like the geniune article!
8. The Chosen Pessimist appears to be the slow track on this album. Now I do like a mellow track, I usually like it at the end of the album. And one of my favourite tracks from
Come Clarity was the track of the same name. But this track seems to go on a bit, and a hefty length of a track it is too at around 8 minutes. It shows
Anders weaker side, he's far better with his growling vocals than his singing vocals (sorry mate, you're no
Bjorn 'Speed' Strid). Cut off the first 4 minutes and it might be a better track, it doesn't actually kick in until around 6 and a half minutes. By this time, I'm sure a lot of people will have skipped on to see what else was on the album.
9. Sober And Irrelevant starts off sounding a bit more like what I was hoping for too! Yes, fear not, In Flames haven't gone completely wussy on us! If I'd heard this track first, I would have told you to go out and preorder your copy now! Now why they didn't do an album with more of a mixture of these heavier sounding tracks, I will never know, but there are still a few left! Fingers crossed that the beginning of the album was just a blip!
10. Condemned is another heavier starting track than what we saw in the first half. I'm starting to come around now. Feeling a little less disappointed than I was in the beginning. It's got everything you would want. It's heavy, it's got melodic bits, it's got a nice solo, it's dark sounding, it keeps your attention. But again, these tracks are all a bit short. It's only 3 and a half minutes long!
11. Drenched In Fear I'm hoping is going to continue on this upward trend! It's a good start... And yeah, another decent sounding track. Why didn't it start like this? It's not going to be an anthem, it's an album track rather than a single, but still, I'd rather have this as a filler than some of the earlier tracks.
12. March To The Shore is another good starting heavy track. Nice melodies in the chorus, nice guitar work. Did they get someone else to write the earlier tracks? Really good contrasting sounding solo section. But again, this is a really short track. I'm feeling a bit cheated.
It's like two different bands on this album. The
In Flames I'd grown accustomed to since I first heard
Reroute To Remain, and the
In Flames everyone was worried they were going to become if they continued on the more melodic melodic path after their last release
Come Clarity. I'm all for progression in a band, and trying out new styles and experimentation. Perhaps if the tracks were moved around a bit, so there was a heavier track, then a lighter track, rather than having a really weak start and the second part totally out classing it, it would have worked better as a whole.
If you were hoping
In Flames were going to go back to their roots, you will be disappointed. They've moved on from there now, and they're still heading forwards rather than looking back.
I feel I need to give
A Sense of Purpose a few more listens before I'm entirely convinced by it. Still, even with the initial disappointed, they did manage to save themselves from what could have been a disaterous album.
I would recommend you do check this album out when it's released through
Nuclear Blast on the 7th of April (that's the UK release date anyway), but do so with caution. It won't be to all
In Flames fans tastes! And I'd certainly recommend listening to it a couple of times through before you fully decide. I feel I may need a couple more listens before I can fully appreciate it.
I'm now looking forward to see if any of the other guys here on
Metaholic have similar reviews and views or if we all have a completely different view on this album...
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