I don't care what anyone says about newer In Flames minus Jesper Strömblad... I like 'I, the Mask'. The rhythms, the vibe, the vocals, the leads and the overall essence of In Flames now. I think their new guitarists have some shoes to fill with Jesper out of the lineup. But they did a great job on this album! The rhythms were phenomenal. I liked this album so much I ordered a CD of it on Amazon. Yes, the In Flames of the old is gone people, that's never going to change. If those think that they should've changed their name changing their style, so be it. But they didn't. So just accept that they're playing more melodic/metalcore.

Not every song is the same, you get different tempos, some aggression but they're just being passionate here. I slander those who've given up on the band. So they changed their style, but what about the good that they've done with their guitar playing and vocal efforts. They're never going back to their solid melodic death metal roots. That era is gone. I did like a lot of their releases and 'Siren Charms' (2014) as well. So they have a lifetime fan of mine. They just play around with styles and melodies. Everything on here is simply awesome. Don't listen to the naysayers, they're wrong. Form your own opinion about the band now!

The clean vocals I like, I tend to get weary of chronic screaming on vocals. I do like the fact that they sing more rather than just scream. The guitars are brilliant. They've put together some seriously awesome rhythms! The leads are flawless. They're quite technical as well. The band changes the songs around a lot on here. It's mostly a slow tempo of distorted riffs mixed with clean guitar. It's like they're singing as if they're in a symphony. Remember, this is the same band that you loved when they put out 'The Jester Race' (1996), 'Whoracle' (1997), 'Colony (1999)', and so on. They chose a different path now. Just accept it!

I would suggest that you listen to this on Spotify or YouTube first to see if it's something experimental and new. I found the the first few listens to I liked the album right away. So yes, I went ahead and got the CD. It's showing the band support for what they're doing now. It's nothing to discard from your In Flames discography that you may have. Just be patient. The vibe will return and yes it's a little "happier" than previous releases. However, if you liked 'Siren Charms' then you'll probably like this. Test it out to see. People who defy the fact that In Flames's music went viral with the new sound. Own this, it's worth it. At least give it a shot.

Rating: 8½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Death8699
08/02/2019 18:52