In Flames Talk Outside Producer + 'Battles' Themes

In Flames dropped Battles, their 12th studio album earlier this year. The record is bursting with glimmering hooks, introspective lyrics and a slick production. We sat down with singer Anders Friden and guitarists Bjorn Gelotte and Niclas Engelin to discuss the themes of Battles and what it was like working with an outside producer for the first time.

There's a running theme throughout the album, with lyrics centered around inner conflict and weighing options when making decisions. In the song "Wallflower," Friden sings the line "I want to be heard, but leave no trace / I want to be seen, but leave no space." The frontman explained the meaning behind these words and how he struggles with being in the public eye when he's not onstage.

In Flames are typically protective over their writing in the studio, but opened themselves up to a new challenge when working with an outside producer (Howard Benson) for the first time. We asked the group what struggles they had to overcome as well as what they enjoyed about this experience, to which Gelotte revealed that it was easier than they had anticipated, expounding on what made making this record a such a joy.

For a band who has worked mostly on their own in the studio, the idea of bringing in someone from the outside can seem daunting, but In Flames detailed what else they found enjoyable about the process.

Watch the video above for more on the band's lyrical themes as well as how the recording went and pick up your copy of Battles at Amazon or digitally through iTunes.

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