IN FLAMES / HELLYEAH

In a music scene full of seemingly endless subgenres and transient trends, In Flames
are an example of what it means to steadfastly stay true to your vision. Since forming in
Gothenburg, Sweden in 1990, the legendary melodic metal act has had six albums
debut in the top ten in Sweden (including two #1 debuts), toured alongside everyone
from Metallica to Judas Priest and influenced many of today's biggest metal acts without
ever ceasing to push their own signature sound forward. In that spirit, the band's twelfth
full-length Battles sees In Flames eschewing proven formulas in favor of trying new
things, most notably finding a new collaborator in Grammy-nominated producer Howard
Benson (My Chemical Romance, The Used), who was brought into the band's coveted
inner circle in order make Battles an album that will appeal to every type of In Flames
fan.

“This album came together much sooner than we thought it would,” guitarist Björn
Gelotte explains when asked about the writing process. “I was very reluctant in the
beginning but I had a bunch of riffs so I just sat down with [vocalist] Anders [Fridén] and
started working on stuff and it began to come together really quickly.” Before bringing
things to bassist Peter Iwers and guitarist Niclas Engelin, the duo decided to leave the
comforts of Sweden for Los Angeles where they would write all day and then BBQ and
drink beer until the early hours of the morning. “I think being in California really affected
this album in the sense that we had a studio in the house that we were staying at and
the vibe was really relaxed which lent itself to productivity,” Fridén adds.

In fact, although the band were only planning on recording 11 songs, they actually came
away with 15 of them and this inspiration was partially due to Benson's influence on the
overall process. “I think it really helped having a producer who could make us focus on
what we needed to accomplish and keep us on track,” Fridén continues. “This was a
very new approach for us because we've never let anyone else in the way we did with
Howard,” Gelotte adds. “We met with a lot of producers prior to starting this album and
he seemed like the only guy who didn't want to change anything; he just wanted to
make sure we were making the best In Flames record that we could and it just felt right,”
he continues. “It's not that we aren't happy doing things ourselves. We just thought we
would try something different because that's what this band has always been about.”

That confidence and palpable excitement is dripping all over Battles from the instantly
infectious “take the power back” anthem “The Truth” to the jaw-dropping technical
brutality of “Through My Eyes” and distinctive groove and climactic chorus of the
album's title track. In other words, the album sees the band making the hooks sharper,
the riffs tighter and honing the overall attack in a way that parallels their legendary live
shows in an unparalleled fashion. “When people hear this album I think they're going to
instantly know that it's the new In Flames without us repeating the same song over and
over, and that's something I'm incredibly proud of,” Fridén says. “There's something in
the fingers of the guys and my voice that's undeniable, but I really hope that our
songwriting is something that can continue to evolve the way it did here in the future.”

That relentless drive to innovate in light of their success is something that's been
inherent in In Flames' approach from day one and it's something they've never lost sight
of despite their countless accolades and constant reinventions. ”We decided early on
we are going to do this band our way and aren't going to think about what the flavor of
the month is,” explains Gelotte. “In the end we are the ones who are going to have to
play these songs and stand behind them and, as long as we love what we do and make
the listener feel it, then that's what makes it an In Flames song,” he continues. “That
may sound like a cliché, but it's true. We need the music to be as interesting to us as it
is to our fans because this has never just been a job for us, it's a way of life.”

This mission statement proves to be working as evidenced by the fact that In Flames'
audience is a wide range of ages, genders and music fans, which is ultimately due to
the fact that the band have never tried to be something they're not. “The beautiful thing
about this band is that you can do whatever the fuck you want and that's the whole point
of the music because all of the restrictions and labeling kills it in a way,” Gelotte
summarizes. “This time around we had the Howard filter to come in and give us a new
perspective on how we could approach these songs, but ultimately what it comes down
to is very simple: Is it good or is it bad? If it's something that all of us can stand behind
and be proud of then we know that it's an In Flames song.”

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HELLYEAH’s previous album, 2014's Blood for Blood, was the album metal fans and critics were waiting for HELLYEAH to make, based on the revered metal pedigree of the individual members. Such an artistic achievement—the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock album chart— meant the band set the bar incredibly high.  HELLYEAH —whose core is comprised of singer Chad Gray, guitarist Tom Maxwell, drummer Vinnie Paul, Christian Brady (guitar) and Kyle Sanders (bass)— do not disappoint with their fifth album UNDEN!ABLE.

"We turned a corner with Blood for Blood and we wanted to continue that path," Paul states. "It's much heavier and darker, and we take it to another extreme." The album also fosters a sense of community and the notion that "we're all in this together" among the metal community we are part of. The upside down "i" in the title is an exclamation point — a subtle indicator of how metal fans live their lives against the grain for their entire daily existence. "It doesn’t matter how old you are — you are always a metal kid," Chad Gray declares, referencing himself and fans as one.

With the 2007 self-titled debut, HELLYEAH broke the ice, introducing the world to a band comprised of familiar faces who played in influential bands with signature sounds. 2010's Stampede showed off a more pleasure-seeking side of HELLYEAH. 2012's Band of Brothers was marked by internal change and further experimentation, while Blood for Blood found the band reaching the summit of brutality, creativity, and artfully mined piss and vinegar. UNDEN!ABLE is the logical next step and it's frontloaded with songs that crackle with a palpable industrial aggro energy. As guitarist Maxwell succinctly says, "It's belligerent and brutal, with peaks and valleys that bring you up and down, emotionally and lyrically."

One reason it's so belligerent and brutal? The time crunch that came along with crafting the album. The band spent 18 glorious but grueling months on the road in support of Blood for Blood and was given exactly two weeks (!!!) off before it had to start working on UNDEN!ABLE. The pressure and lack of recess awakened a sleeping giant within Maxwell. There was literally no time to waste and he marshalled his emotions for inspiration.

Without any time to decompress, Maxwell came out of the gates in sniper mode, admitting there was "no time for demo-itis!" He confessed, "I was pissed, agitated, and distraught. In the long run, it helped. There was so much intensity in the frustration."  Paul notes that the band "took no time off so that we didn't get complacent. We knew there was a window of opportunity." It may not have been optimal at the time, but it yielded a maximized result. "We know we did great, broken ankles and all," he states. HELLYEAH’s usual formula remained unaltered when it came to the recording process. They demoed at Paul's home studio in Dallas, TX before writing and recording with Kevin Churko in Las Vegas.

UNDEN!ABLE hosts redemptive, but throttling songs that will "scratch your soul," according to Gray. "X" is fast, furious and "over the top," says Paul. "It is something that metal fans need." It's expected to become an instant fan favorite. The more contemplative "Human" is moving, yet monstrous. The title track surges with raw energy and industrial crunch. "Love Falls" is a rhythmic and sultry departure for the band, which measures pain and anger equally, while "STARTARIOT" is nothing short of a fist-pumping, fuel-burning heavy metal epic.

UNDEN!ABLE is a complete work, including a cover that is the definitive visual matching the album's sonic wrath. The artwork was inspired by Chad Gray and designed by William “Wombat” Felch, who the band discovered through his artistic interpretations of HELLYEAH songs on YouTube, and who Paul labeled “like a new member of the band.” The eye is emblematic of the metal community and the kids who find their kindred spirits in HELLYEAH. “The eyes are the portal to the soul," Gray says. "There is more extremity, so I wanted it to represent looking into the eye of someone who is a member of the metal community being cast out. You always feel like a fighter. So we created this eye and the exclamation point [in the title] as the stamp on this madness. You are looking into the soul of a metalhead."

Overall, there's a surging current of hunger in UNDEN!ABLE. The members have had success in the past, but they're not satisfied with all they have done. "It's all I know," Paul muses about what keeps him manning the kit and making new music, despite a career so illustrious that no one would fault him if he chose to hang up the sticks. "I could have quit and could be playing golf. Being a traveling musician? That fuels me. I have a true passion and belief in HELLYEAH and heavy metal music."

Gray concludes, "We're all in this together. We are metal fans first and foremost. We play off each other every night with our metal family. As a metal kid, I'd go to shows because I needed the release. Being on the other side now, I need this as bad as the fans do. I need to hit that deck every day and give everything I can."  The divide between HELLYEAH and their fans has been erased with UNDEN!ABLE. It's an album made for the metal community, by the metal community. 

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