In Flames are continuing work on their fifteenth studio album and, although the main recording sessions were reported as completed in March 2026, Anders Fridén has clarified that the material has not yet reached its final form. The vocalist confirmed that the songs have not been mixed, but said the album already sounds “amazing.”
The update came during an interview with Paolo Phoenix of Magenta TV at the 2026 edition of Wacken Open Air in Wacken, Germany. Fridén addressed rumors suggesting that the follow-up to Foregone was completely finished.
“The rumors are not true. We’re still building, you know, building the LEGO. It’s going well, though,” the singer explained.
In Flames announced in March that they had finished recording their fifteenth studio album, but essential production stages, including mixing, still remain. The band have not yet revealed the album’s title, track listing, first single or expected release date.
In Flames bring together different periods of their history
Fridén avoided revealing overly specific details about the musical direction of the album, but said it would retain an immediately recognizable identity. The vocalist described the project as a synthesis of the different elements In Flames have developed over more than three decades.
“It will sound like In Flames and like no one else. I think we continue what we’ve been creating and put everything that In Flames has ever been into one big album,” he said.
The singer also praised the performances recorded by the band members and expressed the group’s enthusiasm about sharing the finished material.
“I can’t wait for people to hear it. We are really proud of it. Everybody’s on top of their game. It sounds amazing already, and it’s not even mixed,” he added.
Howard Benson works with In Flames once again
The album was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Howard Benson and engineer Mike Plotnikoff, both regular collaborators with In Flames during the past decade.
Benson began working with the band on Battles, released in 2016, and later participated in I, the Mask and Foregone. The producer has also worked with artists including Motörhead, Body Count, Sepultura, My Chemical Romance, Halestorm and Three Days Grace.
Plotnikoff has played an important role in the engineering of the group’s recent productions. His involvement maintains part of the technical team responsible for the sound In Flames have developed since the middle of the previous decade.
The recording process became public in February 2026, when guitarist Björn Gelotte shared images accompanied by the reference “XV,” the Roman numeral for the band’s fifteenth album.
In March, Fridén published another update celebrating the completion of the recording sessions after a process that included moments of frustration, new ideas and creative decisions. His subsequent comments at Wacken indicate that the announcement referred to the main sessions rather than the absolute completion of the project.
Jon Rice is expected to make his recording debut with In Flames
The album will apparently mark Jon Rice’s recording debut with In Flames. The drummer began performing with the band in May 2025 and participated in the recording sessions held in Los Angeles.
Rice is known for his work with Job for a Cowboy and for performing live with bands including Behemoth. His arrival followed the departure of Tanner Wayne, who recorded the drums on Foregone.
The lineup involved in this period also includes Anders Fridén, Björn Gelotte, Chris Broderick and Liam Wilson. Broderick made his recording debut with In Flames on Foregone, while Wilson began playing with the group in 2023 following the departure of bassist Bryce Paul.
