Chris Broderick Says In Flames Gives Him the Creative Freedom He Didn’t Have in Megadeth
When guitarist Chris Broderick left Megadeth in 2014, he said that his reason for leaving was that he wanted more creative freedom to write what he wanted. He never phrased that as a slight against Megadeth and Dave Mustaine, as the split was, by all accounts, amicable. He went on to form Act of Defiance with fellow former Megadeth member, drummer Shawn Drover. Act of Defiance ended when Broderick got the offer to join Swedish metal band In Flames, which he’s been with ever since. So, did Broderick ever find the creative freedom he was looking for when he left Megadeth?
It would appear that he did, according to a new interview that Broderick did with Jonathan Montenegro. Here’s what he had to say (as transcribed by Blabbermouth):
“I think they [IN FLAMES singer Anders Fridén and guitarist Björn Gelotte] definitely give me a lot more freedom because I can pursue them in my own ways. I think, though, at the end of the day, they’re going to always write an album that is IN FLAMES. And so they’re going to be the ones really kind of scrutinizing what that will be. And I understand that to no end, because they are one of the original bands of that sort of Swedish sound, and nothing I could do could really create that. I would love to add to it, and they’ve already allowed me to do that, and I love that. At the same time, they’re, like, ‘Oh, if you wanted to go and write a solo album or anything like that,’ I have the opportunity to do that as well.”
By all account, Broderick holds no ill will towards Megadeth and Mustaine for being primarily Mustaine’s project first and foremost. So if you’re looking for drama in this story, there is none. Don’t worry, though, because there are plenty of other people who have beef with Mustaine, so there’s plenty of drama to go around.
If you want to see Broderick exercising his creative freedom with In Flames, you can catch them on their European tour this fall with Arch Enemy and Soilwork:
Oct. 03 – UK – Glasgow – O2 Academy
Oct. 04 – UK – Manchester – Manchester Academy
Oct. 05 – UK – Birmingham – O2 Academy
Oct. 06 – UK – London – Eventim Apollo Hammersmith
Oct. 08 – FR – Paris – Olympia
Oct. 09 – LU – Esch-sur-Alzette – Rockhal
Oct. 11 – DE – Hamburg – Sporthalle
Oct. 12 – DE – Düsseldorf – Mitsubishi Electric Hall
Oct. 13 – NL – Den Bosch – Mainstage
Oct. 15 – CH – Zurich – The Hall
Oct. 16 – IT – Milan – Alcatraz
Oct. 18 – DE – Stuttgart – Schleyer-Halle
Oct. 19 – DE – Frankfurt – Jahrhunderthalle
Oct. 20 – DE – Munich – Zenith
Oct. 22 – AT – Vienna – Gasometer
Oct. 23 – HU – Budapest – Barba Negra
Oct. 25 – CZ – Prague – Sportovni Hala Fortuna
Oct. 26 – DE – Dresden – Messe
Oct. 27 – DE – Berlin – Columbiahalle
Oct. 29 – NO – Oslo – Spektrum
Oct. 31 – SE – Malmö – Malmö Arena
Nov. 01 – SE – Gothenburg – Scandinavium
Nov. 02 – SE – Stockhom – Hovet
Nov. 03 – SE – Sundsvall – Nordichallen
Nov. 05 – FI – Helsinki – Ice Hall
