In Flames sets fire to Detroit metal scene

The last In Flames album was called "Colony." If the band has it its way this Saturday, Detroit's metal scene will become part of its colony as the band invades the Motor City with its melodic, headbanging metal sound.

Founded in 1993 and originally calling themselves Ceremonial Oath, In Flames has undergone numerous line-up and stylistic changes. Since its last couple of albums, however, the band has managed to come into its own and has been recognized as one of Sweden 's top melodic metal acts. Melodic is definitely the keyword here, as displayed on "Colony." The band has a strong sense of how to make memorable music progressions via its loud thrashing guitars, bass and drums. Lead singer Anders Friden guides the liste ner through the proceedings.

Friden confided that fans of metal are never sure of how to describe the group's music. Its not a subject that Friden will be losing any sleep over, however. "We are a Heavy Metal band," he said. "I don't really give a shit. We just do what we do an

Courtesy of Nuclear Blast In Flames will bring metal to I-Rock in Detroit on Saturday night.

d if people never heard the music then you tell them what we sound like or whatever but we don't think about it."

"We listen to a lot of stuff you probably wouldn't believe. Our bass player is a big Tom Jones fan and I like Portishead and stuff like that. And of course extreme metal as well," said Friden. He continued, "Early influences of course are Iron Maiden and Judas Priest and German bands like Hellion and Guardian."

These influences have only served as a reference to the group however. Anders said, "Of course, when you are a kid you want to be like your heroes, but now I think we have found the In Flames sound."

The bands name may seem obvious to metal fans. It must be a reference to hell or Satan or something like that, right? Anders, on the other hand, explained that the name was actually stumbled upon and was not a matter that was given too much thought. "I ne ver really thought about it, someone just said In Flames and we thought it was cool so we stuck to it," he said. "It was actually a former guitarist that came up with the name and I don't know why we kept it, but I think it's memorable."

While the heavy music scene in the United States is quickly being saturated with rap/metal bands trying to become the next Korn or Limp Bizkit, Friden said the scene in Europe is greatly different. "I don't know about America but we have had this Heavy Me tal boom here in Europe. '80s-styled music is coming back," Friden said.

Whether this resurgence occurring in Europe will find its way stateside remains to be seen. In the meantime, metal fans looking for a night of entertainment worthy of pumping fists shaped in the sign of the devil should look no further than In Flames' Sat urday evening engagement at I-Rock.

11-11-99