Full Album Streams from In Flames and The Haunted: Gothenburg Metal Done Wrong, Gothenburgh Metal Done Right

Two of Sweden’s most revered melodeath bands are streaming their new albums, and the contrast is pretty interesting, because while one of these groups seem to be entering a creative renaissance, the other continue their creative downward spiral. So:

• In Flames’ new album, Siren Charms, is streaming below this paragraph. It’s kind of horrifying to hear just how bad In Flames have gotten; the quality of their work has been decreasing for years now, but this truly represents a new low for them. Siren Charm is the kind of album you could listen to multiple times and still not remember a single thing about it. It’s the aural equivalent of the immediate memory loss suffered by the protagonist of Memento; it were food, it would make cotton candy look like a substantial meal. This depressing piece of work comes out September 9.
• The Haunted’s latest, Exit Wounds, is streaming below this paragraph, courtesy of Revolver. Although I didn’t loathe the band’s last couple of releases the way many fans seem to have, this is definitely the heaviest, most vicious thing they’ve recorded in awhile, and, unsurprisingly, is being well-received by critics and fans alike. It’s out today on Century Media.