Review of the Album "a Sense of Purpose" by Swedish Melodic Death Metal Band in Flames

A Sense of Purpose is more than just the 2008 album by Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames. It is a statement by the band that they are ready to really address the most common issues that really pose challenges to the existence of humans. This album is also the last one to have guitarist Jesper Stromblad as a member because he would leave the band in order to treat his alcoholism problem. I just knew that I had to review this album because every time something is bothering me, bands such as In Flames can save my life and make me feel better.

The Mirror’s Truth is a song that points out that when humans don’t listen to the truth and the signs, they lead themselves towards a path of destruction. The problem is that many people think that they can solve things by themselves when this is not the case. Life is not only about working harder, it is about working in a smarter way to get things done. We cannot get disconnected from the reality that working hard is only one part of the equation.

"Disconnected" and "Sleepless Again"

The song Disconnected addresses this concept briefly that we receive whatever we give out to the Universe. So if we give or send out hopelessness, negativity, fear, or anger that is what we will get back from the Universe. So we must act like we are alive and send out the frequency that will help us manifest what we desire. The very melodic song called Sleepless Again is a song about someone that thrives on having chaos in their life. He also knows that he has to ease his pain somehow because he cannot win in this situation, much like I cannot win if I am bothered by whatever is bothering me. This album is more than just about musical greatness. It is a cathartic way to express ourselves and realize that there are people out there trying to help us lead better lives.

Speaking of living better lives, the song I’m the Highway addresses the concept of creating your own better life and believing that there was no promised land. Previously, there had been misery and sorrow that this person had been able to break out of. However, the strongest song in this album is the one called Delight and Angers.

The song Delight and Angers motivates people like me to continue to write, knowing that strength is what is required in the toughest of situations.

Move Through Me is another motivational song that encourages people to repress negative influences and reclaim their future. The Chosen Pessimist is a song that sounds very atmospheric, yet there is a calming, soothing feel to it. The song is about someone who wonders what side they are on in this life when they feel like they are constantly failing. They are stuck between choosing love or hate. This song is far different than what we have seen from this band but as usual, they make it work out well enough. Life is often seen as some sort of rat race where we struggle to keep the balance between work life and home life. Next comes the song Sober and Irrelevant. The song is about someone that is just looking for a way to pick up the pieces and reestablish themselves because they feel like they have lost their way in life. It is true to say that the strong survive and if we can pick up the pieces when we have lost our way, this is the ultimate test to our strength.

A Sense of Purpose can be seen as an album that encourages music fans to make themselves stronger when life throws challenges at them. When hearing these songs, some fans may think that this band uses the same, generic melodies and that the music gets old after a while. The true fan of the genre will notice that these guys always make their melodies creative and catchy.

Another misconception is that somehow In Flames has an alternative influence to their music. This is simply not the case. What they do use is a more modern style of melodic or melo-death for short and this is a winning formula even in the song called Condemned. The song called Drenched in Fear is a song about how to deal with people that try to spread fear and hate. The song’s message is that we should not let these people steal our joy.

Sweden’s In Flames still show that in their mid to late 30’s they can create songs that have meaning, creativity, interesting sounds, and the melody to match. It is not 1996 anymore but even in 2008 they showed that they are one of the best things to come out of Sweden! A Sense of Purpose may be just as good as Clayman.