A Swedish melodic death metal band, In Flames was formed in 1993 as a side project by Jesper Stromblad.  He was, at that time, the bassist for a death metal band called Ceremonial Oath, and In Flames was an opportunity for him to write music for a melodic band.

In Flames

I don't really know quite where we're going to go with this new record, but that's kind of the fun of it; to see where we can take things. We'll always be In Flames no matter what happens. We can change songs here and there, but we will always be melodic and we will always be aggressive.

The Early Years

A Swedish melodic death metal band, In Flames was formed in 1993 as a side project by Jesper Stromblad.  He was, at that time, the bassist for a death metal band called Ceremonial Oath, and In Flames was an opportunity for him to write music for a melodic band.  In late 1993, he left Ceremonial Oath and began recruiting for In Flames in earnest.

They sent a three-song demo to Wrong Again Records.  The record company offered the band a deal over the phone.  Their debut album, Lunar Strain, was released that year; it was written, recorded, and produced by the band.  In Flames did not have a lead singer, so Mikael Stanne of the band, Tranquility, was asked to perform on the album as a session musician.  

Building a Niche

For their second album, the band brought in Anders Friden as their permanent lead singer.  They released their second album, The Jester Race, in 1996.  They followed up their album with a tour, alongside Samael, Grip, Inc., and Kreator.  In 1997, In Flames released Whoracle; the album hit the charts in Finland and Germany, due in part due to their European tour which followed its release.

From 1997 through 2002, In Flames released three more albums, their fan base growing with each release, in countries all over the world.  In 2004, they hit the US Billboard Top 200 chart with Soundtrack to Your Escape peaking at #145. The album sold 100,000 copies in the US alone, and their subsequent world tour sold out in almost every city.  This was followed by a tour alongside Judas Priest, Motorhead, and Motley Crue.  They later performed as a featured band at Ozzfest 2005.

Here and Now

2006's Come Clarity and 2008's A Sense of Purpose peaked at #58 and #28 in the US respectively.  In 2007, they performed in the Sounds of the Underground Festival, and on the main stage at the Download Festival.  In 2007, they traveled to Dubai for the Dubai Desert Rock Festival.  They traveled with Gigantour, headlined by Megadeth in 2008, and then embarked on their own European tour.

In Flames is taking a break right now to spend time with families, but is preparing for several upcoming music festivals.  Despite various changes in the band's roster, they are strong and plan to continue to record.  They project their next release to be on the shelves by the end of 2010.

Did you know . . .

1. To secure a contract with Wrong Again Records, the band lied and told the representative that they had thirteen songs set to record.

2. In Flames has won for Grammis Awards to date. These are the Swedish equivalent to the American Grammy Awards.  

3. Soundtrack to Your Escape was recorded almost entirely in a house the band had rented in Denmark.

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