Image: Colony Album Cover
This year, there are four reasons to celebrate for In Flames, as several of their albums are having anniversaries. Among them is their successful album "Colony," which turns 25 years old. We look back on past eras and congratulate the band!
The band history of In Flames is truly impressive. Despite initial difficulties and early lineup changes, the Swedish melodic death metallers built a huge fan base and soon celebrated one success after another. Before you know it, the band has released fourteen studio albums, the latest being Foregone in 2023. But none of the older albums have been forgotten in the metal community. Today, we remember four strong albums from the remarkable In Flames discography that are celebrating anniversaries in 2024. The band also looks back, which is why all anniversary albums are getting re-releases. The Anniversary Editions are already available for pre-order! One of the absolute highlights is definitely "Colony" from 1999, which turns 25 this year. But let's start with the oldest!
30 Years “Lunar Strain”
Yes, it’s been thirty years. On April 1, 1994, Lunar Strain was released as In Flames' debut album, just four years after the band was formed in 1990. At that time, the band didn't even have a singer - Anders Fridén only joined in 1995. Therefore, Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquillity is heard on Lunar Strain. Officially, they were only three: band founder Jesper Strömblad, bassist Johan Larsson, and guitarist Glenn Ljungström. Guest musicians from friend bands frequently helped out in the studio and at performances. The album features the track “In Flames” as well as the opener “Behind Space,” which would appear again on their later album Colony, followed by the album's namesake, “Lunar Strain.” At that moment, a breakthrough was still uncertain, as despite having secured a record deal, the album did not yet chart. This would change just a few years later.
25 Years “Colony”
Colony is not only familiar to every In Flames fan but also to a much larger part of the metal world. After their first chart success in Germany with Whoracle in 1997 and initial recognition from the melodic death metal scene, the follow-up album Colony essentially had to seal the band's career path. And it did; it was the breakthrough the band needed. In Sweden, they reached #34 on the album charts, and all subsequent albums reached higher positions, with numerous number 1 albums starting with"Come Clarity. If Colony had been less successful, In Flames' career might have looked very different. But by then, the band finally had a full lineup, and with Anders Fridén, who had joined before Whoracle, they had a stable singer. The focus could be fully on the music, which is reflected in the quality of the songs, and this provided them with European tour dates and international appearances in Japan and the USA. Tracks like “Ordinary Story” and “Embody the Invisible” showcase the band’s range, with melodic, calm passages as well as hard vocal sections and catchy guitar riffs. "Colony" is considered one of the most influential albums of melodic death metal, and it has been for a quarter of a century.
20 Years “Soundtrack To Your Escape”
Moving closer to the present, Soundtrack To Your Escape is now 20 years old. The 2004 album was largely recorded in Denmark. There, they retreated to a house outside the cities and used the tranquility to work out their next record. The process was rewarded - in their home country, they reached their strongest chart position to date at #3. In Germany, it reached only #28, somewhat weaker than its predecessor Reroute To Remain. It was primarily an experimental time for the musicians, which is why the album is one of the more controversial among their fan base. Atmospheric tracks like “The Quiet Place” and “My Sweet Shadow” are nevertheless among their most successful songs ever and allowed the band to evolve instead of stagnating in their musical work.
10 Years “Siren Charms”
Siren Charms from 2014 is relatively young compared to the aforementioned releases, but its 10-year anniversary is just as deserving as all the previous ones. As one of the #1 albums on the Swedish album charts, with international success and a gold record to boot, this record has long since proven itself and stands strong in a long line of albums. “Through Oblivion” stands out as a track here, as does the first single “Rusted Nail.” Once again, the band chose a studio abroad, so Siren Charms was created in Berlin. For their long-time drummer Daniel Svensson, it was the last In Flames album before he left the band the following year. From then on, Joe Rickard and then Tanner Wayne took over the position. But one thing was always certain: the next album would come.
The band clearly can't escape all these anniversaries, but fortunately, In Flames is still not done with music. You can see the band live this year along with Arch Enemy! The dates are revealed in our article "Arch Enemy And In Flames Are Coming On Tour Together In 2024!" .
