The album opens with the melodic Voices, an anthemic track that eases the listener into the experience nicely. The atmosphere slowly builds around a pulsing synth beat, with dry-sounding guitar lines soon adding to the mood. These guitar lines gradually build towards a simple, but effective, main riff that then drives the song. It is typical of the band's recent sound, but the band go for a heavier feeling from the off with Fridén's harsh vocals driving the verses. They are backed by some great old-school double bass drumming which, despite the mid-pace of the piece, adds to the heaviness. The band have always had a bit of a knack of choruses, and luckily this album has quite a few strong examples. The album's first is catchy, and sees Fridén using his clean vocals to good effect. The melodies are strong, and help the song (and album) to make an early impact. Those who enjoyed the more in-your-face Come Clarity in 2006 will recognise the overall style of the song, but with the added depth that the modern synths and atmospherics add. The title track which follows on from Voices is similar but ups the ante, laying down a strong old-school melodic death metal riff early on. This is possibly the heaviest the band has sounded for quite some time, with some equally impressive drumming from Rickard or Wayne giving the band the kick that they needed. The chorus is still quite poppy, but it fits in with the song well. The band have mixed heavier sections and more melodic sections throughout their career, and this is one of the starkest contrasts in their recent discography. Some of the riffs here really are reminiscent of their earlier work, with the soaring chorus pulling everything back down to earth to deliver a strong, memorable hook. The song is one of the album's standout pieces, and sees In Flames sounding refreshed and rejuvenated. A short guitar solo is the icing on the cake, and should put a big grin on the face of many a metalhead. Call My Name is another strong piece, and opens with an upbeat metalcore-esque riff that reminds me of classic Killswitch Engage before Fridén uses his cleaner vocals for the punky verses. While a competent clean vocalist, Fridén certainly excels more when screaming. He sounds a little strange during the verses here, as if there has been a lot of effects added to his voice, but he still carries the melody well. The punky nature of the song means that it probably would have benefited from a more aggressive vocal performance, and the choruses are not as catchy as they should be. It is not a bad track in truth, but it is let down by a vocal performance that does not quite seem to fit. I am Above gets things back on track however with another heavy performance that is certainly more aggressive than much of the band's recent work. The verses are backed by a grinding riff, with Fridén laying down a twisted vocal performance including some of the harshest growls he has unleashed for years. Despite this, there is still plenty of time for big melodies with a strong chorus pinning everything together. Again the chorus has a bit of a metalcore vibe to it, but it is one that will certainly get the crowd going when played live. I can see this becoming a new anthem for the band.
Follow Me opens with an acoustic guitar melody, but this does not last long before a a heavy, cinematic soundscape kicks in with layers of guitar chords and synths creating a dense backing. The simpler arrangement of the early moments does resurface during the bare-bones verses, with a hollow drum backing to accompany it, which helps to create a dynamic piece. Clean vocals are used throughout, with the atmosphere coming from the music. The choruses use the soundscape backing, with Fridén belting out the lyrics atop it. I do not feel the chorus is quite as strong as the band think it is, but it still works well. That being said, the final reprise of the chorus sees the band employing a 1980s-style key change, which sounds a little out of place and comes as a bit of a shock. I am not quite sure that Fridén is comfortable singing that high either, meaning his voice once again has some strange effects and processing on it - presumably to cover up some of the cracks! (This is Our) House seems to have been quite a divisive songs among the fans, and I can understand why despite mostly enjoying the piece. On the whole I find the song to be strong and anthemic, but some of the gang/choral vocal sections that crop up throughout - particularly during the intro - feel extremely cheesy and more akin to something that Black Veil Brides would come up with. It feels a little 'forced teenage rebellion' which is not a good look for In Flames, but elsewhere the song is packed full of melody. The main chorus slows the pace a little to lay down a strong hook, and the main guitar solo is a tasteful display. The more questionable moments are likely to overshadow the piece for some, but for a single I think the song works well. We Will Remember is a catchy little track with a great melodic guitar intro, and a faster overall pace that injects some energy into the album. This is another song that feels like a classic metalcore anthem, although without the requisite harsh vocal-led verse. Fridén uses his cleans again here, but in my opinion they work really well in the context of the piece. The verses have a strident, almost classic rock feel - while the choruses again go for anthemic, and mostly pull this off. The jaunty guitar riff from the intro resurfaces here, and this helps to create a melodic passage overall. It is a surprising album highlight for me. In This Life slows things down a little and goes for that 'epic mid paced' feel. I am not sure that Fridén is quite the vocalist to pull thing sort of thing off convincingly however, with his vocals during the chorus in particular sounding quite processed and stitched together. That being said, I do quite like the song's verses. There are some subtle guitar leads underneath everything that really help to add some depth to the song, and after a couple of faster songs it is nice to see the pace slowed somewhat. By this point however we have not heard Fridén unleash a proper growl for quite a few songs, and some variety is needed. Particularly when the band decide to add in another questionable key change here, which clearly includes lots of autotune!
Burn is a little heavier, and finally sees some screams! The verses are quite fast, and recall the stronger moments found earlier on on the album with tight guitar riffing and precise drumming. Gelotte is allowed to show a little more throughout this song too, with a few bursts of old-school metal lead guitar throw in at opportune moments and plenty of heavy riffs. After a lighter mid-period this song sees the band uping the ante on the heaviness again, but they have still left room for a soaring chorus that contrasts well with the tough track. Fridén is a strong clean singer at times, and this chorus is evidence of that, but his limited range means that he can be caught out sometimes too - as has been demonstrated elsewhere. Deep Inside features a synth-heavy opening, before a dirty guitar riff kicks to add some weight. The song mostly moves along at a mid pace, but this actually works in its favour. The riffs manage to create a strong groove, with the guitarists locking in perfectly with the drummer to create something heavy yet hypnotic. The vocals are equally fitting too, with some really throaty growls from Fridén fitting in with the surgical grooves caused by the guitars. The chorus does provide a moment of lightness, but this is short-lived. The melodies contribute to the overall song, but mostly this is a piece that focuses on groove and heaviness. All the Pain opens with some dense piano chords, but these soon give way to a tight little guitar melody - which in turn morphs into a more atmospheric guitar passage. This is a song that, early on, does not seem to quite know what it wants to be. It hints at being a ballad, not once but twice, but ends up being another mid-paced rocker. Lots of changes within a song can often work well, but here it just sounds a bit confused. It is as if the band were torn between two directions for the piece, and ended up going down the middle somewhere as a compromise. There are some good melodies here, particularly in the chorus, but the stitched-together nature of the song makes it a weaker effort overall. The album comes to a close with Stay With Me and, in my opinion, it is one of the album's best tracks. The acoustic opening helps to set the tone, and gives something for Fridén to croon over early on. This is a song that gradually builds up over time, and is packed full of emotions and power as a result. While not a ballad, it is the closest thing on the album to having that emotional weight. I love the way the simple acoustic melodies are later on transformed into full-on metal moments. This transition is excellent, and shows a real maturity on the band's part. I have also criticised Fridén a bit throughout this review, but here he sounds excellent. His vocal limitations actually help here, and help him in inject some really raw emotions into the piece at times. This is especially the case during the choruses, which are excellent. This song is certainly a far cry from the classic In Flames sound, but it shows that, for a band nearing their thirtieth birthday, there is still a lot of creativity left in the tank. Overall, despite a few dodgy moments, I, The Mask is a strong album from the Swedish band. It looses its way a little in the middle, but the first and last thirds are mostly excellent. I think this album contains some of the band's best work for a while, and the heavier feeling should help to entice some older fans back also.
The album was released on 1st March 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for I am Above.
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