Pär Anders Fridén (born 25 March 1973) is a Swedish vocalist, best known as the lead singer of the melodic death metal band In Flames. He was also the vocalist of Dark Tranquillity and side project Passenger.[3]

Anders Fridén
Fridén with In Flames in 2015
Fridén with In Flames in 2015
Background information
Birth namePär Anders Fridén[1][2]
Born (1973-03-25) 25 March 1973 (age 51)
Gothenburg, Sweden
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1989–present
Member of
Formerly of
Websiteinflames.com

Career

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Early career

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Fridén was originally the vocalist for Dark Tranquillity. He performed on their debut album, Skydancer, but left the band soon after.[4] Two years later he joined In Flames. Coincidentally Mikael Stanne had left In Flames (being only a session player) and switched from rhythm guitar to lead vocals in Dark Tranquillity, so the two effectively traded places. Fridén was also the lead vocalist for another band known as Ceremonial Oath with In Flames founder Jesper Strömblad.

1995–present: In Flames

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Fridén started with In Flames on the 1996 album The Jester Race. On the album Whoracle, Niklas Sundin (of Dark Tranquillity) wrote the lyrics following the original synopsis by Fridén. On the 1999 album Colony, Fridén composed the lyrics himself, though Sundin still assisted by translating his lyrics from Swedish to English.

He is also the vocalist for the band Passenger as a side project.[3]

Fridén also has done guest vocals on the album The Phantom Novels, by the metal band Grievance. He is the lead vocalist on the tracks Atrocity Upon Deceptions, A Devil's Rhyme and The Mask of Sin.

In 2007 Fridén appeared as a guest vocalist on the Japanese bonus track "See the Falling Sky" on Caliban's 2007 album "The Awakening". As well as providing vocals for the track "Dysfunctional Hours" for the 20th anniversary Nuclear Blast Allstars compilation album, Out of the Dark.

 
Fridén in 2008

His look changed dramatically following the release of In Flames 2002 release Reroute to Remain. His previously clean-shaven look was replaced with a beard, and his long hair was put into dreadlocks. His vocal style has also changed, especially on the past three records. His low-tone, harsh death growl has evolved into a higher pitched scream, which is now supplemented by clean vocals and layers of backing vocals.

In addition to being a vocalist, Fridén is also a producer, with his most recent efforts being the albums: The Undying Darkness by Caliban in 2006 and Absolute Design by the band Engel in 2007.

He also co-wrote and performed scream vocals on the song "Self vs Self", which appears on the third album of UK/Australian drum and bass band Pendulum alongside his bandmates Björn Gelotte and Peter Iwers.

In the summer of 2010, Fridén changed his appearance again by cutting off his dreadlocks, which he had grown since the release of Reroute to Remain.

Fridén founded the ambient/electronic project If Anything, Suspicious in 2021. The project's debut album, Lullabies for the Damned, was released in collaboration with OFFAIR in December 2021.

Discography

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Album or song Band Membership Role Year
Enfeebled Earth Septic Broiler Ex-member Vocals 1990
Rehearsal December 1990 Septic Broiler Ex-member Vocals 1990
Trail of Life Decayed Dark Tranquillity Ex-member Vocals 1991
A Moonclad Reflection Dark Tranquillity Ex-member Vocals 1992
Skydancer Dark Tranquillity Ex-member Vocals 1993
Subterranean In Flames Guest Vocals on "Murders in the Rue Morgue" 1994
Carpet (1–3, 7) Ceremonial Oath Ex-member Vocals 1995
The Jester Race In Flames Member Vocals 1995
Black-Ash Inheritance In Flames Member Vocals 1997
Whoracle In Flames Member Vocals 1997
Penetrations from the Lost World Dimension Zero Guest Co-producing 1997
The Fifth Season Sacrilege Guest Engineering 1997
"Hedon" – The Mind's I Dark Tranquillity Guest Co-vocals/mantra 1997
"Hands of the Puppeteers" – Visionnaire Misanthrope Guest Backing vocals 1997
Haddock Haddock Guest Recording 1998
My Arms, Your Hearse Opeth Guest Co-producing 1998
Amorous Anathema Embraced Guest Producing, mixing 1998
The Nude Ballet Withering Surface Guest Mastering 1998
Colony In Flames Member Vocals 1999
The Phantom Novels (2, 3) Grievance Guest Co-vocals 1999
"AntiChrist 3000" – The Beast Divine Cemetery 1213 Guest Co-vocals 2000
Clayman In Flames Member Vocals 2000
Not Dead Yet Raise Hell Guest Co-producing 2000
Haven Dark Tranquillity Guest Engineering 2000
The Tokyo Showdown In Flames Member Vocals 2001
I Die, You Soar Madrigal Guest Producing, recording 2001
Reroute to Remain In Flames Member Vocals, mixing, engineering 2002
Silent Night Fever Dimension Zero Guest Co-producing 2002
Trigger In Flames Member Vocals 2003
Passenger Passenger Member Vocals 2003
This Is Hell Dimension Zero Guest Co-producing 2003
Synthetic Generation Deathstars Guest Engineering, recording 2003
Prey on Life Burst Guest Producing, engineering 2003
Soundtrack to Your Escape In Flames Member Vocals 2004
The Opposite from Within Caliban Guest Producing 2004
Used & Abused: In Live We Trust In Flames Member Vocals 2005
Come Clarity In Flames Member Vocals 2006
The Undying Darkness Caliban Guest Producing 2006
"I See The Falling Sky" – The Awakening Caliban Guest Co-vocals 2007
Absolute Design Engel Guest Producing 2007
"Dysfunctional Hours" – Out of the Dark Nuclear Blast All-Stars Guest Vocals 2007
Subversive Blueprint The Destiny Program Guest Producing 2007
A Sense of Purpose In Flames Member Vocals 2008
"Self vs Self" – Immersion Pendulum Guest Co-vocals 2010
Sounds of a Playground Fading In Flames Member Vocals 2011
Siren Charms In Flames Member Vocals 2014
Battles In Flames Member Vocals 2016
"Irreversible" – The Great Electronic Swindle The Bloody Beetroots Guest Vocals 2017
"Raise Your Banner" – Resist Within Temptation Guest Vocals 2018
I, the Mask In Flames Member Vocals 2019
"Scars That I'm Hiding" – Panic From Ashes to New Guest Background Vocals 2021
Foregone In Flames Member Vocals 2023
"The Golden Trail" – The Call of the Void Nita Strauss Guest Vocals 2023
"Cannibal" - Friend of a phantom Vola Guest Vocals 2024

References

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  1. ^ "Ratsit - Gratis upplysning på företag och privatpersoner". Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  2. ^ "Anders Fridén - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  3. ^ a b DaRonco, Mike. "Biography: In Flames". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  4. ^ Huey, Steve. "Biography: Dark Tranquillity". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
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