IN FLAMES Frontman: 'We Try Not To Do The Most Typical Things'

David E. Gehlke of Blistering.com recently conducted an interview with vocalist Anders Fridn of Swedish metallers IN FLAMES. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

Blistering.com: What was it like doing an album without [former IN FLAMES guitarist] Jesper [Strmblad]? Was it weird to not have him in the studio with you?

Anders: No, not at all. It didn't go from one thing to another. We had touring, where he wasn't with us for a lot of "A Sense Of Purpose" and we had a year off, so to speak, so it would be strange if he would leave us in the middle of the recording. Me and Bjrn [Gellote, guitar] have been in the band since '95 and Peter [Iwers, bass] and Daniel [Svensson, drums] since '97, so it's not like he was the main guy and we were standing around, waiting for his moves. He's still a good friend, but his alcohol addiction got in the way of the group. We're unique individuals and the unit just wasn't working. One day he was super-happy, the other he would be the total opposite, and it's really hard to work like that. I miss the guy. I sat down with him two weeks ago. It's hard for him, but we still had a good chat for a couple of hours, which felt good.

Blistering.com: There is already some degree of familiarity with Niclas [Engelin] being that this is his second stint with the band. How is he fitting in this time out?

Anders: We've known him for the early days of the Gothenburg scene, even when I was in DARK TRANQUILLITY and he was in other bands. He's a very good friend. We spend more time off the stage than on the stage, so it's important we have someone that's on your level whatever that might be. He fits in. I don't know what we would have done he had said no. [laughs] The transition from him to Jesper would have been so much harder. We were going on a tour around 2009, but a few days before we were flying away, Niclas had to step in and he learned the songs, spent many hours playing the songs. He's really been a savior. We decided to do the album without him he didn't record anything.

Blistering.com: Let's talk about Bjrn and how he shouldered the songwriting load this time out. How do you think he did?

Anders: I know he was a bit fucking desperate when Jesper decided to leave because they've been partners for a really long time. It's usually me, Bjrn, and Jesper writing, and I'm usually there talking about music, the big picture, but they've been the ones writing the actual guitars I've been doing the melodies. To be honest, he's the more talented of the two of them. Don't get me wrong Jesper is a great guitarist, but he's more of a melody-maker, so to speak, and Bjrn is more skilled at the guitar. I would say he really stepped up and I encouraged him like, "Come on, we can do this!" I'm not the biggest fan of guitar solos just for the sake of it [makes guitar solo sound] and I think every note, every guitar solo is awesome [here]. I don't think he could have done any better.

Blistering.com: You know, it is the 15-year anniversary of "The Jester Race" and the big trend is for bands to perform one of their classic albums in its entirety. Has any thought been given to that, even though you have a new album coming out?

Anders: It's not likely, and if you know IN FLAMES, we try not to do the most typical things. I see a lot of bands doing a whole album from their career where people said they were at their best I can't see us doing that. It would be impossible to make those albums again. I keep on saying that [QUEENSRCHE's] "Operation: Mindcrime" is one of the best metal albums I've ever heard.

Blistering.com: Then they did "Mindcrime II".

Anders: And I'm like, "No, not really!"

Blistering.com: Ever since "Colony" and "Clayman", your popularity has increased dramatically, which means expectations for each album are extremely high. How do you deal with that? Do you pay attention to it?

Anders: I read reviews, I read what fans say, and I have interest in what people think of us. It doesn't bother me when someone says, "You suck." I sleep well anyway. [laughs] If people like a song or a whole album... we haven't gone from a sudden hit to world-famous. It's been very slow to get where we are today and I think the whole band has their feet on the ground. We try to be as normal and have a relaxed attitude, even though we take our music seriously. We are here on our own terms which we made. Not because of the record company or fans, or anyone else. It's always been the five of us and if we haven't agreed on something, we tried to agree on it. I'm so humbled and thankful to all the people that listen to us, to be here and do what we love.

Read the entire interview at Blistering.com.