In Flames released Battles on November 11, 2016. Their 12th studio album took them to Los Angeles to work with producer Howard Benson, opening up a recording process guitarist Björn Gelotte and vocalist Anders Fridén had previously kept under tighter control. Nuclear Blast handled its European release outside Scandinavia, with Eleven Seven Music issuing it in North America.
Listeners got their introduction through “The End” and “The Truth,” two songs the band chose to represent different aspects of the album. Their videos told connected stories, with “The End” coming first. Its action unfolded through the perspective of a first-person shooter game.
Behind those songs was a writing setup that gave Gelotte and Fridén room to keep working. They installed a small studio in the Los Angeles house where they were staying, spending their days on music and relaxing over barbecues afterward. In comments published by Nuclear Blast, Fridén credited that relaxed atmosphere with helping the work along. The initial plan called for 11 recordings; they finished 15.
The bigger change was when the voice entered the arrangement. Gelotte told Music&Riots that they had previously tended to complete the instrumental side before adding vocals. For Battles, he and Fridén put vocals into the demos, letting each part influence the other while the songs were still taking shape. “If you have a really strong vocal line, you can write the music around that,” he explained. It gave Gelotte another starting point for his guitar writing and let the musicians hear more of the finished song before committing to an arrangement.
Benson asked them to explain what each song was trying to communicate, both musically and lyrically. Fridén told Metal Forces in November 2016 that the producer offered specific suggestions about trimming sections and avoiding unnecessary repetition. The lyrics dealt with personal struggles, recognizing opportunities and finding a way forward. Fridén drew on experiences from across his life and left space for listeners to find their own meaning in the words.
He also changed how he prepared to sing them. During the Battles sessions, Fridén began working with a vocal coach. Looking back in a 2019 Full Metal Jackie interview published by Loudwire, he described having resisted the idea of standing beside a piano and practicing scales. The lessons helped him expand his range and understand how to prepare for performances and look after his voice afterward. He connected that work with greater confidence in his singing, extending its value beyond the takes captured for the album.
The collaboration with Benson also helped fill a vacancy in the band. Daniel Svensson had left to spend more time with his family, and In Flames arrived without a permanent drummer. They expected to find someone for the recordings and deal with auditions afterward. Benson introduced them to Joe Rickard, who worked with his studio team. Rickard’s playing on their songs made an immediate impression, and the musicians became friends during the sessions. In their announcement, the band said hearing his drum parts convinced them to invite him into In Flames. They announced Rickard as Svensson’s replacement in September 2016, before the album’s release.
