The latest in the interview series with correspondent Sophie K of On Wednesdays We Wear Black welcomes veteran frontman Anders Fridén of Swedish metal goliath In Flames just ahead of their memorable showing for the first-ever Knotfest Germany.
With a healthy contingent of the fans on the festival grounds eager to see the band, Fridén shared his enthusiasm in getting back to the business of In Flames as the band is celebrating the recent release of new music in "State of Slow Decay". (The band also recently unveiled a second scorching single in The Great Deceiver as well.)
Though Fridén confirmed that a new album is imminent, the details were kept quiet in terms of timeline and concept. While he explained that thew single was a solid introduction to the new era of the band, the vocalist also shared that the time away due to the pandemic allowed for the band to focus in a way that was unique, adding they had never had that long of a break in their career.
As for the fans reception of the new music, Anders explains that the new material will likely resonate with old schools fans but doesn't seem too considered with adhering to any expectations. He went onto share that he tries to steer clear of getting lost in the comments section and opts out of the battleground of opinion that exists online. Simply put, Anders and In Flames aim to explore their evolution as artists and while they hope fans come along for the ride, trying to justify their creative license to everyone is both exhausting and impossible.
Speaking to the diversity within the Knotfest Germany line-up, Anders elaborated on his appreciation for how heavy music is evolving and becoming more dynamic. He went onto explain that In Flames has a show set with Lorna Shore, Orbit Culture and TesseracT and how he loves that kind of variety on the same bill.
The vocalist took it back to the very beginning of his own personal heavy music journey and confided that Scorpions was the band that started it all. He recalled an important concert that took place in Dortmund when he was all of 10 years old that included Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Krokus, MSG, Scorpions, Def Leppard, and Quiet Riot. It was a pivotal moment for young Anders and one that he is now able to pinpoint as a formative event in steering his inevitable career path.
Reiterating his own versatility and likely why he appreciates the direction heavy music is now headed in being so much more inclusive, Anders also revealed that while the icons of metal were so formative, he was also introduced to Depeche Mode around the same time - effecting another lasting impact on the artist in the making.
Stream the complete interview with Anders Fridén of In Flames below.
In Flames begins their North American Tour next month with Fit For An Autopsy, Orbit Culture and Vended. A full list of dates, cities and tickets can be found - HERE
