Passenger
(Century Media)
by Martin Popoff
In Flames’ Anders Friden tends to just go about his business, unconcerned with the controversy surrounding directions taken with his main band, as well as with this second (not side) thing. Passenger is a sort of Stone Sour situation, basically famous lead singer tinkering with something that’s legitimately been a band for years, Passenger’s roots going back to ’95, Passenger also being a radio-friendly diversion for the man at the mic, just like Corey and Stone Sour and Slipknot. Anders sez Passenger sees influence from Chum and Handsome and Helmet, and yes, I guess that’s fair, as what you get is big, creamy, steamy powerchords wrapped around hard, rhythmically-charged alternative, the whisper to roar dynamics pioneered by Nirvana deftly in place.
Friden sings more on here than he does with In Flames, in that hurt, fragile, not technically perfect manner that unfortunately also reveals his stilted English, both lyrically and phonetically. Plus, he sounds like Manson. But the musical tracks (the band also features Transport League and Gardenian guys) are rock solid yet organic, although I’m not too pleased with the rudimentary electronic bits between all the worthy anthemic choruses. Looking out, craning around at our metal world, I’m actually quite surprised people didn’t hate this thing more. Cos it’s pretty damn trendy in a number of ways, Anders accomplishing nothing more than to throw gas on the fire of folks’ biggest complaints about In Flames.
(2323 W. El Segundo Blvd. Hawthorne, CA 90250)