IN FLAMES Frontman: I Would Rather Be On OZZFEST's Second Stage

Crawfordsville, IN's The Journal Review recently conducted an interview with IN FLAMES frontman Anders Fridén. Several excerpts from the chat follow:

On the band's evolution:

"We never really set out to be anything, you know. Obviously when we first started out, we had all the influences from other bands and we were like, 'We want this type of sound.' But these days, we just write whatever comes to mind. I feel that we (still) have the essence that is IN FLAMES; the speed, the aggression and the melody."

On how his voice has developed:

"I just don't want to repeat myself. I want to take my instrument, which is my vocals, to a higher level. I love to scream; it's great to get that energy out. I would never stop screaming, though. I don't think IN FLAMES is ever going to release an album with all clean singing. There will always be the elements that we have today, otherwise we lose the identity. That wouldn't be fair to the fans."

On playing the main stage at this year's Ozzfest:

"I don’t know if they're waiting for the bigger bands, or if that's just how they act. I’ve watched the other bands, and I don't think the crowd is that into them, either. It's an honor to be on the main stage with bands like BLACK SABBATH and IRON MAIDEN, but I'd rather be on the second stage in front of a crowd that's actually standing up. But if we can introduce more people to IN FLAMES at the main stage, that's great."

On the recent rise in extreme metal's popularity:

"In a way I think that everything sounds the same. All this 'metalcore' or whatever you call it, it's just not interesting. It's good that Sweden is here (at Ozzfest) to prove where this music comes from. It's just boring when everything sounds the same."

On their next album, "Come Clarity":

"With this album, it's like a 'best of' without really being a 'best of.' It's like all the albums we've done. I'm really psyched about letting people hear it, and I'm very proud of it."