In Flames singer Anders Friden skipped school to buy Metallica’s …And Justice For All – but he fears the excitement of similar experiences has been lost in the digital age.
Friden recalls the thrill of waiting for new music in the days before the web made it almost impossible to keep anything under wraps.
He tells The Rave TV: “I skipped school just to be there when they released …And Justice For All. It was so important. You couldn’t get it in advance – you might have heard some songs on the radio. Being Swedish, we didn’t have that many radio shows anyway.”
But he adds: “It’s hard for us to get into the minds of young people today. We started before the internet, which is pretty crazy to say. Kids today have a different way, and for them, that’s their way.
“I could go to record stores and stand there for hours and hours with a pile of vinyls, just listening through. I bought one, maybe two, if I was lucky.
“It was such a great feeling going home with that vinyl, instead of today when everything is out there for anyone to grab. The magic is gone somehow.”
Along with discovering metal at an early age, Friden also loved synth-pop heroes Depeche Mode – which led to a fanboy moment when recording In Flames’ latest album Siren Charms at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin.
He says: “I got into Depeche Mode when I was 10. The album was Construction Time Again. They mixed the album in Hansa studio, on the very same console that we recorded on. It was pretty fucking cool for me at least. My own ego got a little boost.”
