Sounds of a Playground Fading

Sounds of a Playground Fading is the tenth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band In Flames, released on 15 June 2011.[8] It is the first album recorded by In Flames without founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad, who left the band in February 2010,[9] making it also the only In Flames release not to have two guitarists. The album was reissued in 2014, featuring five additional tracks.[10]

Sounds of a Playground Fading
Studio album by
In Flames
Released15 June 2011 (2011-06-15) (see release dates)
Recorded11 October 2010 – 25 January 2011
StudioIF Studios, Gothenburg, Sweden
GenreAlternative metal
Length53:58
LabelCentury Media, Razzia
ProducerRoberto Laghi, Anders Fridén
In Flames chronology
A Sense of Purpose
(2008)		 Sounds of a Playground Fading
(2011)		 Siren Charms
(2014)
Singles from Sounds of a Playground Fading
  1. "Deliver Us"
    Released: 7 May 2011
  2. "Where the Dead Ships Dwell"
    Released: 14 November 2011
  3. "Ropes"
    Released: 5 February 2013
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic68/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Kerrang![3]
Metal Hammer[4]
Metal Storm[5]
Sputnikmusic[6]
Earshot.at[7]

Background

According to Anders, this album features increasingly wide vocal registers and reduced growls.[11] In addition, some of the album's songs "pretty much go against the hard rock formula."[8]

The entire album was written by Björn Gelotte. The guitar solos, unlike most other albums, were able to be pre-planned out and worked much better according to the in-studio report.

Release and promotion

The band revealed the cover art, track listing and first single, "Deliver Us", on their official Facebook page in April and May 2011. Then on 3 June 2011, aol.com streamed the entire album on their music network.[12] In Flames performed the album on their European tour with support from Noctiferia,[13] as part of the "Defenders of the Faith III" tour, with bands Trivium, Rise to Remain, Ghost and Insense,[14] and with Trivium in their North American Tour.[15]

Four music videos were filmed including the lead single "Deliver Us"[16] and "Where the Dead Ships Dwell"[17] both released in 2011 while "Ropes"[18] and "Sounds of a Playground Fading"[19] were also filmed but not released until 2013.

The track "Deliver Us" was featured in the soundtrack to the 2013 video game Saints Row IV.

Reception

Sounds of a Playground Fading received generally positive reviews. Review aggregate website Metacritic gave the album a 68 out of 100 based on six professional critics.[1]

Commercial performance

Sounds of a Playground Fading debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard 200 album chart,[20] number 2 on the Top Hard Rock chart,[21] number 7 on the Top Rock chart, and number 5 on the Top Independent chart.[22] It also debuted at number 1 of the Media Control German Albums chart,[23] and at number 12 of the Billboard Canadian Albums chart.[24]

Track listing

All music written by Björn Gelotte and all lyrics by Anders Fridén. All songs arranged by In Flames.[25]

No.TitleLength
1."Sounds of a Playground Fading"4:44
2."Deliver Us"3:31
3."All for Me"4:31
4."The Puzzle"4:34
5."Fear Is the Weakness"4:07
6."Where the Dead Ships Dwell"4:27
7."The Attic"3:18
8."Darker Times"3:25
9."Ropes"3:42
10."Enter Tragedy"3:59
11."Jester's Door"2:38
12."A New Dawn"5:52
13."Liberation"5:10
Total length:53:58
Japanese edition
No.TitleLength
14."Deliver Us (Instrumental Version)"3:31
Total length:57:29
iTunes deluxe edition
No.TitleLength
1."Deliver Us" (music video)3:31
14."Darker Times (Eagleclaw Remix)"5:45
Total length:59:43
Deluxe edition DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Recording 'Sounds of a Playground Fading'" (studio report)27:28


2014 reissue
No.TitleLength
14."Darker Times (Eagleclaw Remix)"5:45
15."The Puzzle (Big Chocolate Remix)"3:43
16."Where the Dead Ships Dwell (Casper Remix)"4:05
17."Where the Dead Ships Dwell (The Qemists Remix)"5:12
18."Where the Dead Ships Dwell (Kristof Bathory – Dawn of Ashes Remix)"4:46
Total length:77:29

Personnel
In Flames
Production
  • Anders Björler – filming, editing and directing ("In the Studio"/studio report)
  • Johannes Bergion – cello on "A New Dawn"
  • Roberto Laghi – producer
  • Örjan Örnkloo – keyboards and samples
  • Dave Correia – album cover art

Charts
Chart performance for Sounds of a Playground Fading
Chart (2011) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[26] 50
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[27] 6
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[28] 73
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[29] 53
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[24] 12
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[30] 24
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[31] 4
French Albums (SNEP)[32] 47
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23] 1
Italian Albums (FIMI)[33] 67
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[34] 10
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[35] 24
Scottish Albums (OCC)[36] 82
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[37] 41
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[38] 2
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] 12
UK Albums (OCC)[40] 74
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[41] 6
US Billboard 200[20] 27
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[21] 2
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[22] 5
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[42] 12
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[43] 7

Release dates
Region Date
Sweden 15 June 2011 (2011-06-15)
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway[44] 17 June 2011 (2011-06-17)
Europe (excluding Spain, Italy, Finland, Hungary)[44] 20 June 2011 (2011-06-20)
North America, Spain, Italy[44] 21 June 2011 (2011-06-21)
Finland, Hungary[44] 22 June 2011 (2011-06-22)
Australia, New Zealand[44] 24 June 2011 (2011-06-24)

References
  1. "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  2. Monger, James Christopher (2011). "Sounds of a Playground Fading In Flames | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  3. "In Flames - Sounds of a Sell-Out Review". Kerrang!.
  4. "In Flames review". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  5. "In Flames - Sounds Of A Playground Fading review". Metal Storm.
  6. "In Flames review". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  7. "In Flames - Sounds Of A Playground Fading Review". Earshot.at. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  8. "In Flames Signs with Century Media Records". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner. 28 March 2011. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  9. Jesper Strömblad; Anders; Peter; Daniel; Björn (12 February 2010). "JESPER STRÖMBLAD LEAVES IN FLAMES". In Flames Myspace Blog. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  10. "In Flames – Sounds of a Playground Fading (2014, Digipak, CD)". Discogs. 20 October 2014. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  11. Kim (14 January 2011). "Sounds Of A Playground Fading". Kim bloggar. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  12. Kim (3 June 2011). "In Flames - Sounds Of A Playground Fading - Streaming". Metal CallOut. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  13. "RocBloc | News: In Flames announces fall European tour". www.rocbloc.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  14. "Metal Hammer | Louder". Metal Hammer Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 July 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  15. "In Flames, Trivium: North American Tour Dates Announced". Blabbermouth. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  16. "IN FLAMES - Deliver Us (OFFICIAL VIDEO)". YouTube.
  17. "IN FLAMES - Where the Dead Ships Dwell (OFFICIAL VIDEO)". YouTube.
  18. "In Flames - "Ropes"". YouTube.
  19. "IN FLAMES - Sounds of a Playground Fading (OFFICIAL VIDEO)". YouTube.
  20. "In Flames Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  21. "In Flames Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  22. "In Flames Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  23. "Offiziellecharts.de – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  24. "In Flames Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  25. "In Flames - In The Studio Episode #2". In Flames Youtube Channel. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  26. "Australiancharts.com – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  27. "Austriancharts.at – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  28. "Ultratop.be – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  29. "Ultratop.be – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  30. "Danishcharts.dk – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  31. "In Flames: Sounds Of a Playground" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  32. "Lescharts.com – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  33. "Italiancharts.com – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  34. "Norwegiancharts.com – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  35. "Sounds of a Playground Fading". Oricon. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  36. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  37. "Spanishcharts.com – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  38. "Swedishcharts.com – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  39. "Swisscharts.com – In Flames – Sounds Of a Playground". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  40. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  41. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  42. "In Flames Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  43. "In Flames Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  44. "In Flames: New Album Artwork, Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner. 13 April 2011. Archived from the original on 17 April 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
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