foregone

We (the Top Brass, Benevolent Overlords, etc: Corey, Dan K, Chris, and Josh) had so much fun drunkenly rambling about Sky Void of Stars that we decided to do it again! This time around, we’re taking a first dive into Foregone, the highly anticipated new album from Swedish death metal legends In Flames. We are all very much aware and familiar with the In Flames discography and the opinions surrounding that timeline, as divisive as they are. So. Is the hype surrounding the new album justified? More importantly, are we collectively disappointed or excited about their fourteenth studio album? HOW WILL THIS IMPACT THE NINE CIRCLES IN FLAMES ALBUM RANKINGS THAT NOBODY HAS EVER SEEN? We ask the hard questions around here, and rarely answer them.

Need a reminder of how this works? Sure, you can have one. We pick an album off the promo pile by we’re interested in, we get drunk, and we share our first impressions. Cohesive reviews can be hard, and we don’t get paid for this shit. Deal with it. Let’s fucking go!

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Since we somehow managed to complete another trip around the sun recently, I’ve seen a lot of those anticipatory posts flying around where people share what albums they’re looking forward to in the year ahead. And I get it. Lists are clickbait-y, and there actually is a lot of stuff to look forward to in Metal: 2023. Being one to regularly cave to peer pressure, I figured we could jump on that train as well. And by “we”, I mean your Nine Circles editing staff, also known as the Top Brass, and also known as the Benevolent Overlords to at least one person. See, I personally didn’t want to write up on nine different albums that don’t even exist yet. It’s hard for me to explain why I’m looking forward to something beyond simply saying “I like that band, so I hope the new album doesn’t suck”. But two or three albums? I can bullshit my way through that, no problem. And wouldn’t you know it? Other members of the editing team were willing to drop some words on a couple albums of their choosing, as well. That, my friends, is how we got here. So without further delay, starting with my picks, here are nine albums the Nine Circles Top Brass are looking forward to in the year ahead.

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